I can’t come up with another horror movie that compared since “Alien”. “The Exorcist” was terrific but it preceded it by five years or so.
So along comes John Krasinski directing and starring in a new horror/thriller. He helped to write the screenplay too, and was brave enough to direct his real life wife, Emily Blunt, as well.
The result is a gem of a film. With barely a word spoken Krasinski keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and has them rooting vigorously for this young, vulnerable family. It’s set in a post apocalyptic countryside on a farm. Signs of devastation and deterioration abound and you soon find out why. Mysterious carnivorous alien creatures roam the land in search of food. Fortunately they are blind, but if they hear a sound they move with laser like speed to it and devour the source.
Krasinski is masterful at keeping us guessing as to the makeup of these beasts. He has trained the family in the art of maintaining strict silence. This is not an easy task with children as we find out. One of his kids is deaf, played beautifully by Millicent Simmonds, who has been deaf since her infancy from a medication overdose. Emily Blunt is terrific as the protective mother who builds courage throughout.
The sound editing is key in horror movies and the work done here is masterful. Erik Aadahl is the supervising sound editor and I expect that he will be noticed come Oscar time. He passed up acceptances to Stanford and Yale to attend USC’s Cinema-Television School where he graduated summa cum laude and was chosen to supervise the Spielberg Scoring Stage.
I took in this film at a mid morning showing with a handful of other patrons, so there was little audience reaction. Nonetheless, it had me scrunched down enough not to embarrass myself to those sitting behind me! I suspect a full theater of skittish folks would heighten the experience.
If you are in the mood for some good old fashioned horror fun, venture out to a crowded theater near you and enjoy being in “A Quiet Place”.
