Shhh!!!

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By Tom Pacak

Yeah, baby, this is what I’m talking about. This 90-minute monster is an intense thrill ride from start to finish. Following in the same footsteps as Jordan Peele, which is comedians doing horror, John Krasinski knocks it out of the park with the horror monster flick, “A Quiet Place.”

Like all post-apocalyptic films, it doesn’t explain what actually happened. The world has been wiped out by creatures with hypersensitive hearing known as “Death Angels.” These scary monsters can hear sounds a mile away and travel super fast to kill their prey. The film could have been a lot more effective if it didn’t have a score. It could have taken advantage of the quiet environment by not including a super loud score.

The family consists of father Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) the survivalist husband, Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) the pregnant wife of Lee, Regan Abbott (Millicent Simmonds) the deaf daughter of the couple, and Marcus About (Noah Jupe) the oldest son of the couple. They live on their upstate farm in New York surviving by not making any sounds. The family uses sign language and spreads sand in areas where they walk to avoid stepping on objects. After the accidental death of the couple’s son Beau, the family is mostly broken. Regan faces guilt over the accident because she is the one who gave Beau a toy rocket ship, which caused Beau’s death.

Let me tell you, this is some of the best acting you’ll see all year. Blunt (Krasinski’s wife) is outstanding in a role that requires silence and the use of emotions. The scene where she’s in a bathtub, pregnant and isolated with evil ready to take her, is one for the horror movie time capsule. It gets you good!! Krasinski, great in the director’s chair, is just as effective acting as the father. Krasinski as Jim from The Office is known for showing his emotions through hilarious facial expressions. Here he shows his love through expressive silence as a man who wants to communicate that he loves his family (especially his daughter) but doesn’t know how.

What separates this classic from the rest is its heart. Krasinski tackles important themes of family and what defines one, while also scaring us shitless. The family must stick together through good times and bad but also do everything they can to survive. The film is a master class in direction, acting, and the use of silence. Just try not to scream watching it. It’s impossible!






Note: Now Playing in theaters

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4 stars

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