In Theaters Now: A Quiet Place

Panagiotis Garbis, W.

“A Quiet Place” begins and ends in the same fashion. The audience is left wondering what the outcome will be in the next scene, trying their hardest to remain as composed and silent as the protagonists in the film.

The film features a family living in a dystopian world. After an invasion of aliens with supersonic hearing take over the world, the family must remain absolutely silent in an effort to remain undetected and survive.

“A Quiet Place” sets the tone early. While other horror films take a couple scenes to present the audience with the first scares, “A Quiet Place” doesn’t takes its time. The action builds up anticipation in showing the viewer what evils lurk in this world that is almost unrecognizable after this alien invasion.

The film’s setting is a desolate wasteland, with scenes of empty markets and empty roads with abandoned homes. The world these characters live in is now one that we cannot even fathom existing in, one where any sound made can result in the loss of your life.

The tension that develops from the very beginning is carried until the end of the movie, a credit to John Krasinski and his directing style. He does a great job as the film’s primary protagonist, a father who is desperate in making sure that his family survives.

Without going into too much detail, the aliens are unlike any alien archetype that I have ever seen, and I have devoured my fair share of alien/outbreak/monster films.

The result of a fresh and original storyline, with the addition of a creature that has yet to be seen in a horror movie, results in a film that fans of horror have been waiting for since “The Conjuring”. This is a movie that does not hesitate to frighten you and keep you frightened throughout.

The film doesn’t try to woo you with scenes of romance and comradery, keeping those types of scenes to a bare minimum, a problem that many horror films have a had an issue doing.

Lately, horror movies are trying too hard to distinguish themselves from one another, thinking elements of romance or drama will spice the movie up. Instead, the film ends up being a cluttered mess, with the primary motive of scaring the audience going unfulfilled.. Fans of horror movies, your prayers have been answered. After some passionless releases over the last few months, this year’s first good horror movie has finally come. I went to the theatre skeptical that this movie would be any different from other survival/alien movie, but  I was pleasantly surprised. I hope “A Quiet Place” is the start of a new trend of fresh plots and flawless execution, for the sake of the horror genre and the fans who stand by and patiently wait for the next film that will truly give them a scare.