A couple with kids in real life, Krasinski and Emily Blunt here play parents in a world where even the slightest noise can lead to sudden, violent death: Training their children to be self-sufficient without making a sound is as unique a challenge as, well, letвЂ™s not waste the time explaining what in 2018 America might feel like a plague of revolting, apocalypse-creating monsters, because even moviegoers who donвЂ™t accept the metaphor are going to have the pants scared off them. Not many horror movies actually make that happen, so letвЂ™s rejoice.A terrifying thriller with a surprisingly warm heart, John KrasinskiвЂ™s A Quiet Place is a monster-movie allegory for parenting in a world gone very, very wrong. His film clenches the viewer, keeping a steady level of suspense. Setting aside the drawbacks of вЂњA Quiet PlaceвЂќ, Krasinski did a solid directorial job. Which вЂ“ stretched over the entire film вЂ“ does seem far-fetched. It forces the story to use sound as the only element, which moves the story forward. The вЂњbe quietвЂќ rule is also a bummer at times. I will avoid major spoilers, but even my medical knowledge allows me to state that no woman can wrap up a baby delivery in few minutes. The story loses the pacing several times, but most importantly вЂ“ there are brow-rising shortcuts and plotholes.

The insurmountable obstacle for Krasinski вЂ“ at least in his debut вЂ“ is to keep the script in check.

If only вЂњA Quiet PlaceвЂќ could be such a tremendous effort in every aspect, I would have fallen in love with Krasinski as a director. Simmonds is particularly captivating, as her characterвЂ™s the most vulnerable in the family. Milicent Simmonds, who plays the daughter of John Krasinski, and Emily Blunt give wonderful performances here, both powerful and credible. The camera often freezes to observe the delicate nicking between the wife and the husband or clings onto the eyesight, which hides anger and fear. Krasinski strips away the dialogues, which opens room for the body to speak. The cinematography also points out to the intimacy between the characters. Even if they remind you of вЂњSignsвЂќ or вЂњChildren Of The CornвЂќ. The aliens dashing through the corn fields or the fabulous idea of light bulbs surrounding the house make вЂњA Quiet PlaceвЂќ look stunning. A farmland has been already appearing in the horror films, however KrasinskiвЂ™s DP managed to extract as much creepiness as possible. The cinematography makes the most out of the picturesque set designs (kudos to that department as well), so it paints a vivid background. Moreover, вЂњA Quiet PlaceвЂќ is beautifully shot. The viewer is forced to strain oneвЂ™s ears and focus deeply, just like the characters in the movie. Deceptive, because in reality, the sound design is one the movieвЂ™s greatest assets.

Instead of an overwhelming noise, there is a lot of deceptive silence. Since вЂњA Quiet PlaceвЂќ tells a story without using words, it stands out. The thing is вЂ“ itвЂ™s bland in the vast majority of movies. If the sound design is as powerful as in вЂњSinisterвЂќ, everythingвЂ™s fine. Most of the modern horrors are extremely dependent on the loud, cacophonous soundtracks.

Truth be told, Krasinski has claimed a spectacular victory in the way вЂњA Quiet PlaceвЂќ escapes cliches of both of these genres. Frankly, nobody could ever suspect that the very same actor would make a directorial debut in the field of horror mixed with science fiction. John Krasinski has been mostly known as Jim from вЂњThe OfficeвЂќ вЂ“ the witty, chill guy, whose blossoming love with Pam was absolutely heart-melting. The leftovers lead a life, where every sound might be their bane. The deadly predators are blind, but possess an incredibly responsive hearing. The story follows a family of five, which survived a mysterious invasion of aliens. An inventive horror-inspired science fiction, which somehow lacks depth to become a cult movie.

A quiet place (2018)