A Quiet Place

2018  PG-13  SCIENCE FICTION  1h 30min

CAST— Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

MUSIC— Marco Beltrami  DIRECTOR— John Krasinski

     Shh! Director John Krasinski directs an impressive blend of science fiction, psychological horror and the drama of family dynamics. Civilization has been nearly decimated by monstrous creatures. It’s discovered that the creatures are attracted by noise; unfortunately, that realization came too late to save most of humanity. But the emphasis of the film is its treatment of familial issues during times of crisis. After losing a young son to the monsters, relationships are affected, leading to resentment in the coming months. Husband Krasinski and wife Emily Blunt do their best to keep up some semblance of normalcy, but really how can a family stay strong when always anticipating a ghastly death at any given moment? Further strain is added because no one is allowed to even speak, lest the creatures be drawn to the sound of their voices. To add to the equation Blunt is pregnant, which, needless to say, may cause even bigger problems once the baby is born. But the family works as a team to combat this monstrous menace, despite the fact that they, nor anyone else, has the slightest clue as to how to defeat them. Much like a mashup of M. Night Shyamalan and J. J. Abrams, this is a pretty affecting thriller, featuring solid performances from the two leads, in addition to creepy creatures that seem to be inspired by the kind of monsters found in Silent Hill games. And even though there are some brief scenes involving a bit of PG-13-rated gore, this one may not be too terrible for preteens, at the parents’ discretion, of course. And once again: Shh!

OUR RATING— ***