by Joe Hammerschmidt
How often does a film come along that can challenge the values of its respective genre, and improve the market share of its director? I’d say slim to nil, but it’s happened, and we may all be better filmgoers for the experience after indulging in A Quiet Place, the third directorial effort from now well-established triple threat John Krasinski. While I may forever associate the actor with his legendary, supportive role on the American version of The Office, he has not only proven there is still room for a few shakeups in the horror field, and also to make a strong evolution as an auteur.
Transitioning from easy-going,
middle of the road TV star, to a capable writer-director, and getting to act with one’s spouse in the process, that alone is almost impossible. Yet Krasinski accomplishes the feat so seamlessly, when placing past blemishes next to one another. Comparing with his directorial debut, the under appreciated Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, a common touch toward humanity appears most in play, albeit told in separate motifs. Quiet Place plays it more straightforward, and a bit more streamlined to focus more on character building.
The plotline does seem simple enough: a family in upstate New York survives by non-verbal communication, in the wake of an epidemic where mysterious creatures perceived all known noise differently, rather violently to put it in more direct terms. The Abbots: Lee, the father (Krasinski); mother Evelyn (his wife Emily Blunt); born-deaf daughter Reagan (Millicent Simmonds), and plucky son Marcus (Noah Jupe), carry on an adequate existence of sorts, even with a new child on the way, which complicates matters with their safety against the mysterious Cloverfield-esque monsters preying on their every noise.
Krasinski, working on the shoulders of maverick producer Michael Bay, crafts his work in such a way that dialogue needn’t get in the way unless it’s absolutely integral to the scene. Otherwise, it is all pantomimic, to the finest degree; we literally hear no actually dialogue until near the midway point of a brisk 90-minute runtime. By then, I actually grew very accustomed to the lack of spoken word, where communication is performed through signing, a deep quiet echo whenever we’re in Reagan’s shoes as the rebellious preteen just trying to make up for past mistakes. Whenever characters do speak, it’s not that it’s unwelcome, it ultimately becomes quite out of place, which may only add more stored energy to the coil of uncertainty placed on this hard-working family.
Minor quibbles aside, Quiet Place still deliver a gut-punch for anyone accustomed to a more traditional take on horror; most other films look tame by comparison. What Krasinski achieves script-wise is the kind of story, where there isn’t necessarily a story to follow, instead growing more invested into the characters and hoping to goodness they can stay quiet. I counted at least two or three people in the audience who were not quiet at the preview screening I attended this past week; I chalk that up to being scared too easily. Really, it’s better to try not to speak, or yell in terror to keep your seat-mates in a theater a little less worried themselves. If you do find yourself a little emotionally drained seeing this family’s brush with survival, then we could say the job was done right between Krasinski and his actors, all of whom bring in a special uniqueness.
As the dad, John is merely the figurehead of reason, the glue holding everyone else together despite keeping in mind that they’re basically all on their own. Miss Blunt would be one great mother to her kids, until the pain of another delivery causes a slight distraction. Still, husband and wife stay dedicated to each other throughout the ordeal, succeeding to stay very honest to the work in front of them, as committed as the kids if that’s truly possible. Of course, they too are above high exemplary marks. British-born Jupe, who had lovable parts last year in Suburbicon and Wonder, is simply increasing his market share as a strong young actor, who one can hope, will still make time for roles that can challenge, and therefore increase his skills. Then there’s Miss Simmons, who made her debut last fall with Wonderstruck, which I pang to admit I have yet to experience, though now there couldn’t be a better reason. The realistic side of this story does rest with her, a deaf preteen who literally can’t hear anything. Not knowing anything about her initially, I could’ve sworn it was just a convincing acting performance. That’s still the case, only heightened with her work requiring everyone else to put in extra effort to match her own non-verbal intensity.
On top of this, the look and sound of this lovingly over-the-top horror epic will be impossible to ignore. While Marco Beltrami’s score tends to bob and weave in and out of its own functionality, a talented team led by Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl commit to a heavy soundscape that’s nothing short of earthy. Not too sci-fi, while still very believable, with a little room to play around, especially with the monster-like creature. DoP Charlotte Bruus Christiansen’s eye for picturesque landscapes amid the quietest of locations truly comes into play through most shots, effectively
completing the dual equation.
A Quiet Place succeeds at so much, for so little, tempting the senses, and draining the body on a train ride that simply has no stop until the credits start rolling. You’re there with these confident, frightened characters at every turn, and the best part is, it’s too easy to want to stay close, desperate to find out what happens next, if they’ll survive. Every aspect of this film’s construction is built up so near-perfectly, you will wonder where this film had been earlier. Acting on instinct, and on pure anxiety, Krasinski and his actors go all-out for a tale that may not seem true, but will nonetheless remind viewers why we go for the scares as an escape. Often enough, they can help us survive real terror without knowing it yet, gaining an immunity while viewing. Here’s hoping your armor’s just as strong as that bully of a sound-feeding monster. (A-)
A Quiet Place is in most area theaters this weekend; rated PG-13 for terror and some bloody images; 90 minutes.
