This 2018 horror film asks its characters to be very, very quiet.

They're being hunted.


In the very near future, creatures who stalk their prey by sound alone have eliminated much of the world's human and animal population. In an obscure corner of America, the Abbott family tries to hold together in a world where they cannot make a sound. They have one advantage over most families. One of their children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), is deaf, and, as a consequence, they already knew how to communicate without making a sound. Of course, she's so profoundly hearing-impaired that she does not always know when there's noise about, making her a bit more of a target at times.

We've seen a number of apocalyptic horror movies, but few have been so inventive in the handling of their premise. The family must cope with day-to-day survival, and the advancing danger presented by mother Evelyn's(Emily Blunt) pregnancy. As in any horror-film, the monsters can turn up at any time. They're well-designed creatures, not entirely original, but not quite like anything that's stalked the screen previously.

The lack of dialogue results in a stripped down, suspenseful story that dispenses with any real explanation of how the earth fell.

I accept the sudden, inexplicable presence of these creatures, because that's how horror movies work. In return, the movie should play by its own rules. A Quiet Place, in particular, tries to be realistic within the context of its fantastic premise. Those things established, the ending stretches credibility to breaking. A minor yet important spoiler will appear if you mouse over this phrase.

The film's desolate world has been peopled with credible characters, played by an extremely talented cast. A Quiet Place combines inventive elements with a few familiar horror tropes. It also holds a place among those horror movies that reflect on weightier issues, and it has instigated conversations about why this family, struggling in a silenced world, resonates with so many people.

Directed by John Krasinski
Written by Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski

Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott
John Krasinski as Lee Abbott
Millicent Simmonds as Regan Abbott
Noah Jupe as Marcus Abbott
Cade Woodward as Beau Abbott
Leon Russom as Old Man

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