A QUIET PLACE REVIEW

It is rare that an actor can overcome the dreaded typecasting of a beloved TV character.  That is a problem that has plagued many great talents throughout history.  I can honestly say; however, that John Krasinski has put Jim from The Office firmly in his rear view with his stellar performance in A Quiet Place. 

The film is set at a time in the near future when the world has been overrun by an alien race that is completely blind and uses their ultra-heightened hearing ability to hunt.  The rules are simple; make a sound, you die.  The movie focuses on one particular family as they try to survive a world that requires constant silence. 

For starters, I have to make it clear that this film is not for everybody.  A good portion of casual moviegoers are going to hate this film and think that it is totally boring.  This is a VERY quiet film.  I felt almost like I was watching a silent movie.  It was even uncomfortable at times to sit and watch because every little sound in the theater was so noticeable; every cough, every rustle of clothing or paper.  There are even parts of the film that are completely silent with no sound at all.  With that being said, the tension that this movie builds is real.  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.  I just feel like the lack of sound is going to bother a lot of people.

The movie starts with a tremendous opening sequence that does a great job of establishing the rules right off the bat.  It sets the pace very well and shows you what you are in for.  The movie had me right from the very first scene and didn't let up until it ended. 

The star of this film is undoubtedly John Krasinski.  He did a wonderful job directing here and shows that he has considerable talent in that area.  The acting is all great.  As a character story masquerading as a monster movie, the film required top notch performances from everybody and that is exactly what was delivered here.  Not only Krasinski himself, but Emily Blount (Edge of Tomorrow) and two unusually good child performances from Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe (Wonder) anchor this character driven narrative.  The lack of dialogue makes the performances that much more impressive. 

If I'm really nitpicking this film, and I have to if I want to talk about any flaws, I would say that there are certain plot elements that relate to the ending that nobody is going to catch on the first viewing.  I disliked the ending at first, but after I went home and did a little research, I actually liked it quite a bit.  There are key elements to the film that are going to absolutely require second or third viewing to pick up on.  I wouldn't normally consider this a flaw, but since it totally changed my perspective of the ending, I think I have to. 

This is a film that had me thinking about it long after it had ended.  That is a big plus for me.  I like movies that do that.  The more I think about it, the more I like it.  Great tension, an impressive directorial job by John Kasinski, and all around great acting make this a movie that I am really excited to see again.  The Movie Man gives A Quiet Place 4 out of 5 stars.