A Quiet Place

This review may contain spoilers!

This has really shaken things up for the horror genre and has to be one of the best films so far this year. I would give A Quiet Place an 8.5/10.

This film sets an incredible scene; the world we encounter is a desolate one in which the rules of survival seem fairly straightforward but are actually incredibly difficult to maintain. This film really works strongly due to the family dynamic, watching each member of the Abbott family rise to the challenge of defending and self-sacrificing on behalf of the rest of the family makes this a struggle that is easy to connect with. The manner in which tension is constructed is extremely well done, with many scenes resulting in me finding myself right on the edge of my seat. Just the ambitious premise of a film that relies so heavily on the necessity for an absence of sound; yet still depicts an incredible narrative in which communication exists is so powerful. The cinematography works wonders, with many of the scenes balancing intense close-ups and over the shoulder shots to heighten the feeling of the main characters being hunted. The editing moved things along at a great pace, the narrative really flowed quite strongly and there was a very smooth visual aesthetic. The score for the film really set you on edge as an audience member; however, I was extremely impressed with how the sound was edited and used throughout in an effort to signify the importance of a world so vastly different from our own.

Emily Blunt, who played Evelyn Abbott, is quite a grounded, compassionate role at the centre of this family; Blunt really seems to the glue that holds all the pieces of this fictional family together, a role she plays firmly and well. John Krasinski, who played Lee Abbott, is an extremely capable defender of his family and is often recklessly rushing headlong to save them all; Krasinski plays a rugged man who is worn down by the hardships of care and survival, the development of his role's relationship with Simmonds' is an incredible aspect of their performance. Noah Jupe, who played Marcus Abbott, is quite the meek and timid role; Jupe isn't shy about playing the more cowardly member of the family and he does a very realistic job at toughening this young boy as best he can as the feature progresses. Cade Woodward, who played Beau Abbott, is quite a naive yet charming kid; the simplicity Woodward shows when connecting with his 'family' is so sincere and makes him, ultimately, a tragic figure.

However, the best performance came from Millicent Simmonds, who played Regan Abbott. Simmonds really shows a strong internal struggle within her character; she blames herself heavily for the family's misfortunes of the past and isn't coping with the guilt. Her inability to feel secure in her place amongst her family or even know if her own parents truly love her is a thought she very clearly carries throughout the feature. Simmonds has a strong frustration towards her onscreen father, Krasinski, as a result of this and two have a tentative relationship that is interesting to watch develop. Simmonds own experiences with being deaf actually inform the feature, her competency with signing is clear to see and the vulnerabilities her character faces, such as being unable to hear oncoming threats feels very real.

The second act of the film doesn't actually move anywhere far nor does it change matters a great deal, it serves to remind you this is a film that really lives or dies on its premise and if you enjoy that as a film-goer. The ending of the film is a bit tacky, with the dramatic ending coming off as over the top and a bit glib. There wasn't a necessity to see this family become more powerful than they were so much as we wanted to see them overcome a significant obstacle.