*Spoilers ahead*
It is a rare moment in the theater that we get tears in our eyes during a suspense thriller. If you can’t stand horror movies, “A Quiet Place” is the movie for you.
Image via Jonny Cournoyer
The beloved John Krasinski and Emily Blunt took on their roles in the film because of the strong family theme. The arrival of the couple’s second child is what reeled Krasinski into the project, who not only starred in “A Quiet Place” but also co-wrote and directed the film. Blunt soon read the script and similarly insisted she have the part of the mother—the project was the first the two had done together and was (to their relief) a very pleasant experience.
Filmmakers made choices that amplified the movie’s organic feel and relatability to the audience. Not only was silence a powerful aspect of the plot, but it created suspense. The sparse sounds carried a new weight that engrossed the audience. A similar creative tool was provided by sound for the daughter played by Millicent Simmonds. The character’s hearing disability that caused her to live such a sheltered life was the very reason she alone could protect her family. A meta aspect of this theme is that Simmonds herself is deaf and hopes the success of the film will encourage casting directors to cast other actors with disabilities. These themes are not ones you’d expect from a thriller movie: moving beyond grief, creating new life, forgiveness, love… just to name a few.
Image via Jonny Cournoyer
By the end of the movie, the audience is not only completely shook, but heart-broken, frustrated, and awestruck. The multifaceted experience of “A Quiet Place” leaves viewers anxious to know the fate of the family. Do they survive for years to come? Or do they lose this war against all the surrounding aliens they’ve provoked?
The immersive experience of the film is so crafty that viewers miss that the characters’ names are not even mentioned in the film. The characters’ experiences are horrendous, but the family dynamic is so well done that they do not even require names to make the characters feel real.
Overall, the film was a tense but brilliant experience with a great performance from both the child actors and their celebrity counterparts. There is nothing out there quite like “A Quiet Place.”