Review: John Kransinki fights for survival in ‘A Quiet Place’ by Zane Gray

On a devastated Earth overrun by lethal and ever-hearing predators of a possible extraterrestrial origin, the Abbotts struggle to survive in a desolate New York City in a new era of utter silence. As this new type of invader is attracted to noise, even the slightest of sounds can be deadly; however, it’s been already twelve months since the powerful monsters’ first sightings, and this resilient family still stands strong. To learn the rules of survival in this muted dystopia is essential; nevertheless, an otherwise joyous event is threatening an already frail stability. Now, more than ever, don’t make a sound.

A Quiet Place is one of those rare horror movies that’s filled with genuine fears and a great sense of horror, but what A Quiet Place offers audiences a sweet and sincere message about the love a mother and father have for their children. By taking the time to ground the audience inside each character’s perspective — subtly but effectively juxtaposing the ambient noise the other characters experience with the oppressive void Simmonds’ character lives in — we immediately have an emotional bond with these characters even without knowing their names.

A Quiet Place is far from the first horror project to use silence as a conceit — almost two years ago to the day, another thriller featuring a deaf protagonist, Hush, also had its world premiere at South By Southwest (and let’s not forget the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode of the same name) — but it’s clearly fertile ground for filmmakers to explore our fears about being unable to express ourselves, and Krasinski makes the most of the premise in ingenious ways.

Anchored by propulsive performances and a simple but effective premise, A Quiet Place firmly establishes John Krasinski as a director to watch. It’ll probably remind you of Jurassic Park mixed with Cloverfield, plus a dash of Aliens and a pinch of Buffy’s “Hush,” but between its unique approach and gleeful desire to shock you, you can’t really be mad at it.

My grade for A Quiet Place: A+.

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A Quiet Place is a great character driven feature that hits hard and fast its mature script that only offers hints of ideas and still creates the anticipated impact, narrowing it down to a metaphorical tone. The performances are magnetic and heartbreaking, and Krasinski’s direction is impeccable.