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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
A Quiet Place tells the story of a family's struggle to survive in a world that has been overrun with strange beasts who hunt through sound and will kill anything that crosses their path.
Ever since I first saw the first trailer for A Quiet Place I knew it was something I was going to need to see. The concept alone was highly intriguing, but, even more so than that, the combination of husband and wife John Krasinski and Emily Blunt was definitely enticing. Couple that with the fact that it would be Kansinski's first time helming a film as the director, I knew that April 6th couldn't come soon enough. Usually, though, when I have such high expectations for a movie, it (more often than not) can lead to a somewhat disappointing experience, but that's definitely not the case with this film.
There's a lot to appreciate with this film; with only a few minutes of genuine dialogue throughout, it ensures that the actors have their work cut out for them in terms of making us care about what happens to them.. and they definitely succeed. Whether its the eldest son's, Marcus, relatable sense of fear of going into the wilderness, knowing the dangers that lie within it; the only daughter's, Regan, struggle to connect with her family after the tragic loss of one of their own; or the parents desperate need to keep them all safe, no matter the cost. Within its ninety-five minute run time, we really get to know these characters, and even more so, care deeply about them - and that's an incredible feat given the distinct lack of dialogue.
Also, while the monsters might lead audiences to believe this a horror movie, it should be said that this is most definitely not. While the beasts are definitely terrifying, this movie surprisingly doesn't rely on "jump scares," and "pop out" moments that are the crux of most modern day horror films. Instead, it relies heavily on continually building suspense through glimpses of the beasts, as well as watching as the family faces setback after setback in their attempt to ward off the the predators.
Spoilers follow.
One thing I've noticed with blockbuster movies is a seemingly standard unwillingness to kill off children once audiences have gotten the chance to know them. For example, the death of the youngest son (Beau) reminded me a lot of Georgie's death from last years IT; his death happened within the first few mints of the film, and as such, there was no substantial impact from it. Yes, it (obviously) had an effect on the family dynamics, as the daughter blamed herself - and her father did little to ease her self-suffering, but in terms of affecting audiences - say, for example, the way Lee's (the father) death did - it didn't really do much. I know it sounds cruel, but I wish that in instances wherein kids are at the forefront of the narrative, that Hollywood films would be willing to kill them once we've gotten to know them. It would be a huge deviation from other horror movies, and one that I would welcome, if for no other reason than it would be a genuine shock to audiences, myself included.
One more thing I want to add is something I found interesting about watching this in the theaters. With it being a movie that revolves heavily around the lack of sound, there were plenty of moments where people would shush other audience members for being so loud. Even I felt as though I received a couple of glares as I broke the plastic seal of my Powerade bottle for this first time at the beginning of the film. So, word of advice, be sure to follow A Quiet Place's characters lead and stay as quiet as possible.
All in all, A Quiet Place is a story with a lot of heart. I expected something relatively good, but what I got was something definitvely incredible. The entire cast did an excellent job in each of their roles, and I would say that each are worthy of receiving accolades for their performances. But, in addition to that Krasinski showing yet again that he has a pension for acting, he also showed audiences that he has a knack for directing as well. Kudos to this movie all around. And, honestly, if it weren't for Avengers: Infinity War coming out later this month, it would more than likely be my top pick for best movie for the month of April. If you haven't already seen it already, then I definitely recommend giving it a chance.
My rating: 9.5/10
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