Movie Review: A Quiet Place

A new idea. This is the problem with screenwriting because very often it seems that every idea or story has already been done. The new movie "A Quiet Place" is an exception because something like this has never been done before. The idea behind this science fiction horror movie is a genius idea. "Aliens have taken over the earth and they will not know you are there so they can kill you, unless you make a sound". Because of this new and very smart idea, this movie is the first ever "mostly" silent horror film. More impressive is that the screenplay was co-written and directed by the star, John Krasinski. Also unusual here is that the two main stars of this movie are married, John Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt. I cannot remember the last time that has happened in any movie I have ever seen.

From the start this story takes us into the dark and depressing world of a family with 3 kids who can only communicate with sign language because if they make any sound at all they may be killed instantly by an alien creature that looks like a large brown flower that opens up showing a huge number of teeth with a skeletal lizard-like body. The killing is instantaneous because these alien creatures are so fast and vicious.

There are understandable rituals that we see with this family and routines they have created for emergencies, but what did not make sense to me is why any of them would ever risk going outdoors. What even makes less sense to me is that in some scenes the children are walking outside by themselves. Clearly this is done for dramatic effect, foregoing any reality about what any parent would allow under such extreme life and death conditions.

The rotten tomatoes ratings on this movie are very high, currently 96%, but my rating would be around 80% mainly because of the logistical problems. I was happy to see absolutely no smoking in this movie, unfortunately a rare occurrence today. I thought the acting was outstanding and this movie proves that acting in a film is more about showing than telling and a look in an eye, sweat and panic is not something that ever needs to be spoken.

I thought this movie was very good and I do recommend it.