For those complaining that Hollywood is nothing but a sequel/remake/reboot machine, the new film A Quiet Place is here to cure your retread blues. Directed by John Krasinski (Jim from TV's The Office), it tells the story of a family struggling to fend off an alien invasion that has wiped out most of the world's population. At least that's what I can glean from the subtle clues sprinkled throughout the background of the movie. Like any good "end of the world" monster movie, the origins of these beasts are not explained. You see snippets of newspaper clippings on walls. And, since this film is mostly silent, you're not given any unnecessary voiceover work to explain things as you go along for the ride. The only thing we know is that these monsters will kill you if they hear you. The family at the center of this film goes to extraordinary lengths to keep quiet. Oh, and did I mention that Emily Blunt's character is pregnant? This creates a nice sense of upcoming doom throughout the first two acts.
Speaking of rides, this film is one hell of a scary-yet-fun adventure. I was surprised that John Krasinski directed this, since he's best known for his comedic chops. However, he delivers on both fronts on this film. He strongly plays a father struggling to keep his family together without veering into cliches. He also does a hell of a job directing this film. It comes in at a brisk 90 minutes, and not once did it feel like the pacing was off, or that there were many unnecessary scenes in it. Yes, there are a few horror blunders by the cast (knocking things over to create noise, for example), but they are mostly forgiven as necessary moments to bring in the baddies. Without spoiling anything, I will say that the very ending is a little too "Hollywood" for my tastes, but the journey to that moment is totally worth it.
A Quiet Place is a very well-done original piece of horror. It's well-acted, shot, and directed. I see big things for Krasinski in the future. I'm giving it 3 out of 4 stars. Go see it!
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