Though it is not one of the ten BEST movies of 2018 (it is just on the outside looking in), there is a place for a movie like John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place because of its originality, creepiness, and ability to keep you on the edge of your seat for its fast-flying 90 minutes. In a time where Hollywood is struggling with original storylines, here we find a first-time director and still novice movie star in Krasinski (NBC’s The Office, Promised Land) delivering a downright knockout punch in his debut effort. I love gritty movies. I love movies that are rich in their characters. I love movies where the tone doesn’t change from credits to credits. A Quiet Place had all of this and more, and thus it has found a spot in my Top Ten Movies of the Year for 2018 over other movies that might have been less flawed but were also far less original.

If you are a fan of horror suspense films like I am, it would have been impossible not to get excited about this movie. Sure, there are plenty of trailers in which the movie fails to deliver. But that is never the fault of the trailer. That is the trailer succeeding. It is the movie that failed. Rest assured that this is not the case with A Quiet Place. This movie is tense! And it is also unforgiving. Its genius is established in the first ten minutes. The opening credits tell us that the scene we are about to witness Day 89. Day 89 of what we aren’t sure. But we learn that we are in some post-apocalyptic world. A drug store in an unnamed town in America (probably in the northeast or the pacific northwest). Husband Lee (Krasinski), wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt – Sicario, The Girl on the Train), and their three young children Regan, Marcus, and Cade, are searching frantically for prescription drugs. Marcus is severely sick and in need of the help of a doctor. However, we quickly learn that there isn’t a doctor. There isn’t a nurse. There isn’t anybody outside of this family of five. This is flaw number one with the movie. We learn a lot about what is terrorizing the world, but we never learn what has happened to every other person on the face of the earth.

We learn that the world has been invaded by blind monsters that have an amazing sense of hearing. These things can literally hear a pin drop. Though we aren’t told, they likely wiped out most of the rest of the world. They are lightning quick, super strong, and have jaws that would make a shark jealous. If you cry, you’re dead. If you sneeze, you’re dead. If you whisper, you’re dead? So how has the Abbott family been able to survive for so long? Well, they have a slight advantage. Nine-year-old daughter Regan was born deaf, so the family communicated without sound long before the invasion began. It’s certainly not the only reason that they have survived, but having the ability to communicate is a distinct advantage over not having the ability to communicate. But of course, there is more to it. They have been fortunate…well…they have had times of luck (no spoilers here). And also, Evelyn and Lee are extremely intelligent and have made their home a fortress…only they haven’t (again, no spoilers here, but after you watch the movie…and, yes, you should watch the movie, think of what a fortress has that Evelyn and Lee don’t. It could have answered SO many if not all of their questions). They have cameras that surround their entire large property. They have radio communications where Lee sends out SOS messages via Morse Code each night (i.e., one of the I Am Legend influences). They have an EXTENSIVE light system that can be seen from very far away. Clear lights mean all is good. Red lights mean danger. It allows each of them to leave grounds from time to time. Remarkedly, Regan, and Marcus have lots of freedom, all things considered, but they know what the rules are. If you are quiet, you are safe. And, yes, this family lives their life in fear, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to stop living their lives.

There is also some family drama between a couple of the characters, which we could understand (no spoilers). The only problem was that this wasn’t completely established. We didn’t really know there was tension between two family members until a third member brings it up. This was a character development issue, but I didn’t have a huge problem with Krasinski’s desire to keep it under 90 minutes. More of an issue was a couple of planted scenes that didn’t go with the rest of the movie and weren’t really explained. The main one I’m referring to deals with the one non-Abbott family member we meet in the movie. I’m not sure what the point of this scene was. Moreso, it could have been used to explain some things. But it wasn’t. Its purpose was merely to create tension/fear that had already been established. Again, it could have worked. But they really missed out on the development of this scene and any potential follow-up that could have occurred.

Blunt was as good as ever. Interestingly enough, as I write this review, she is starring in the December 2018 released Mary Poppins Returns. I mention this because, even though I have yet to see it, it has to be a complete switch from the last three movies I’ve seen her in (this film, Sicario, The Girl on the Train) in which she plays these three dreary characters. She was so awesome in Sicario, but this performance wasn’t that far off. Here she is, a mom with almost no joy in her life because of her perceived fears of keeping her family safe. Given the situation, I don’t know how anyone could be happy. You’re living your life knowing that if you knock a book off a shelf that your life could be over. Yet, Blunt carries Evelyn with an even steadiness that shows her as the glue that keeps her family together. And for many, this is their first opportunity to see Krasinski outside of prankster Jim Halpert from The Office. It’s safe to say that this man had no problem transitioning from comedy to drama. And what a job as a first-time director. There aren’t many debut efforts as captivating as this movie. The children were great in this movie too. They evoked fear in every sense of the word when needed and showed that they were as much a part of the family and its key decisions as were the parents. The Abbotts were a tight unit.

A Quiet Place is very much Signs meets I Am Legend. And that is a very good thing. You could see the influences of both of these movies and elements from The Road, Predator, and War of the Worlds. These are five classic movies, and A Quiet Place holds up against all four of these. But, unfortunately, it is severely flawed in a couple of different avenues. It’s one of those “Yeah, but none of this would have happened if they just would have…” type of movies. And that was hard to get past after my initial viewing of it. It was enough so that it made me hesitate on whether or not even to review it. But it sticks with you. And its originality in a day and age where originality just isn’t there as much made for it to have a spot in my Top 10 of the Year. The character development wasn’t quite there, and there were a few errors with the screenplay, but it was more than made up for with the acting, intrigue, and downright creepiness. It is a film to see for sure.

Plot 8.5/10
Character Development 7/10
Character Chemistry 8.5/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 8/10
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