Film Road to Halloween: A Quiet Place (2018)

The road to Halloween is paved with good films. Wherein we countdown to the spirited season with a hundred doses of horror. 94 days to go.

A Quiet Place is a post-apocalyptic horror film that stands out from typical horror films. Blind aliens have invaded Earth and have decimated the population via hunting by any sound made. The plot is fascinating, taking a more scientific approach to horror instead of following a true horror approach.

The CGI is pretty good, there’s not really any point in the film where you’d be like “Well that’s CGI!” The actors are absolutely phenomenal, and the inclusion of Millicient Simmonds in the cast really sets the film up well. I’m a huge fan of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, and this movie just reaffirms my love for them. 

Read More on our Film Road to Halloween: Paranormal Activity

The idea of having to be silent all of the time for fear of getting eaten is so intriguing. It’s what drew me to this film in the first place, because I don’t watch horror movies typically. But the concept was awesome. And the execution? Even better. This is the first horror movie I’ve watched in its entirety, and I’m so excited I did watch it. A Quiet Place was well worth it. Even though it doesn’t completely coincide with the typical horror film definition, I felt it was a great interpretation of the genre.

Lee (Krasinski) is an engineer and Evelyn (Blunt) is his wife, a doctor. But you don’t need to know any of that before popping this movie in. The chemistry between the two is obvious, it helps them being husband and wife. The fact that Kransinski directed this movie makes it all the more empowering.

Blunt is stunning, and really gives it her all. She deserved her SAG Award for outstanding performance, as well as her nominations for the film. Krasinski and Blunt had recently become parents before the movie started, and the incorporation of themes of parenthood portrayed off their own struggles with being new parents.

Read More on our Film Road to Halloween: It Comes at Night

There is a minor flaw in this movie. Leaving a young child alone with another child with a toy a parent just took away within reach. If you take something away from any kid, I know, they’re going want it even more. Besides, who leaves a toddler to their own devices in a post apocalyptic world? Both parents walked out of the store and left two kids by themselves? It’s a bit of a cheap way to bring us to the latter timeline, with a broken family. But that’s really my only qualm.

Simmonds kills it. The rebellious daughter who thinks her parents hate her. Full of regret about her brother’s death, and can’t fully understand the issues with noise because of her hearing. She made A Quiet Place better because of her natural instincts with American Sign Language and hearing. She had influence over the script in certain cases, where she thought it would make her character stand out, and it did.

Altogether the cast really seems like a family. No one looks out of place, and it draws you into the movie all the more. You can really sense the development in the family at the end of the film, particularly in Regan (Simmonds) as she realizes the power she has over the monster in the room.

Read More on our Film Road to Halloween: The City of the Dead

The music and sound effect manipulation was one of the highlights of A Quiet Place. In a film where sound is minimal, the usage of it in key points made clear the perspective of who we were looking at. For instance, the no sound in the beginning when the youngest son was killed showed the perspective of Regan.

The editors and directors used the perspective method for every character, and it helped direct the focus greatly. Other moments of object placement let us know sounds are about to be heard, and it drives the suspense up. From the batteries in the beginning of the movie, to a pulled nail in the floor right before the climax, to the pull of a shotgun in the final shot.

Overall, A Quiet Place is a great movie. Fun fact, this movie was first edited on mute, because Krasinski wanted to connect to the characters in that way first and foremost. I thought it was really neat, because most of the movie is silent, and I really bonded with these characters. I cried at the film’s climactic showdown. What we’ve heard about the sequel is entirely intriguing. I can’t wait for A Quiet Place 2!

• Katie – @kgilstrap13 – slicerscribbles.com