‘Blu-ray or Bust’
A QUIET PLACE (2018, PG-13, 90 minutes, PLATINUM DUNES/PARAMOUNT PICTURES)
For a while there, it seemed like Hollywood’s love of horror cinema was
growing stale. In some ways, it is. Take the ‘James Wan Invasion’, for instance:
honestly, do we really need another INSIDIOUS film? Or another spinoff of a minor baddie?
Oh, yeah, that’s right—he’s currently working on TWO MORE OF THOSE. Stale?
How about unoriginal and horribly rehashed. Honestly—what moron woke up one morning in
L.A. and thought, ‘what the world needs is a SAW PART EIGHTEEN!’. One of the key components of the successful
horror film isn’t repetition, so much as it is the rules those films set
up. With the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
series, it was easy: don't fall asleep.
GREMLINS was a bit more complicated: don’t get them wet, don’t feed them
after midnight, and no bright lights.
When the rules get broken in a horror film, bad stuff happens.
Yet there are still some original ideas out there that make for one hell of
a ride. IT FOLLOWS took the FRIDAY THE
13TH rule of “if you have sex you die” and flipped it, and Jordan
Peele’s GET OUT was just a plain old diabolical take on race and society. Now you can add A QUIET PLACE to that list of
low-budget stunners.
What actor/writer/director/”The Office” alum John Krasinski does in A QUIET
PLACE is so subtly effective that it creates a sense of dread and foreboding
that never quite lets up. It is a genius
move, insomuch that it creates near-impossible odds for an expectant family in
a post-invasion world. Picking up months
after an alien invasion, the Abbott family has learned to adapt; the invading
aliens cannot see all that well, but darn, do they have sensitive ears. You learn early on the means they must go to
soften their footsteps, muffle their speech, have quiet nookie. One peep could bring certain death, so theirs
is a hesitant, softly muted world—and that, kids, is this horror film’s great
rule. Silence is the key to survival.
There are several terribly smart things Mr. Krasinski does with his feature
directorial debut. One is to have wife
Emily Blunt star opposite himself; the chemistry between their characters
doesn’t seem forced in the least, and you can tell through each tender moment
of silence that they are the loving parents of a close-knit family. The child actors also excel in their roles,
most notably that of deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, who’s restrained
portrayal of a teen girl searching for her place in a world where she doesn’t
know if she’s being too loud is wonderful to watch. Noah Jupe as brother Marcus also does an
amazing job, showing unending range in his facial expressions alone. Mr. Krasinski cast his film well, and his
tight directorial style works wonders with that ninety-minute run time.
Another smart thing: that ninety-minute runtime. He tells exactly the story he needs to,
without any time-fillers or extraneous plot.
There is nary a wasted breath (or sound) made here, and the film keeps a
patient pace. It starts, quite
literally, at a walking pace, and builds momentum until that breakneck,
powerful ending. No spoilers, of course,
but suspense and tension building seem effortless filmmaking techniques
here. If Hitchcock was alive and still
making contemporary horror films, this is what it would look like.
Of course, the best way to enjoy this masterwork is in the Blu-ray
format. The scenery looks gorgeous, even
in the film’s grittier moments. And yes,
sound is one of the most important devices used, so turn up that surround
sound! The special features include your
typical behind the scenes doc, which sheds more light on those fine actors. The standout feature, however, is the one
dedicated to creating the sound of the film.
Not many releases include an in-depth look into sound editing, so this
one is a treat, and should totally set this up for at least one Oscar nod
(everyone remember that I said that, ‘cause I’ll remind you that I did once
those Academy Award nominations are released next year…). The only thing missing is a doc on the
creature design, which would have been interesting to see.
Paramount Pictures has already greenlit a sequel, but I doubt it will be a
continuation of this particular story.
Since Mr. Krasinski will be involved, I would expect something a bit
more original than the usual sequel fare.
After all, you don’t create something this original and follow it up
with more of the same. That would be
just plain insidious…
Film Grade: A
Special Features: B
Blu-ray Necessary: Most definitely
- T.S. Kummelman
