A Refreshingly Original Masterpiece of Horror and Suspense

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2019)

It's not very often that you see a good, intelligent horror movie. Most entries to the genre are, sadly, shopworn collections of clichÃ©s that mistake blood for true horror and think nudity can substitute for plot or interesting characters. But every once in a while, you get a film that brings a genuinely new twist to the genre and understands that what you don't see can be just as scary as what you do. A Quiet Place is one of those movies. It's not just a good horror movie, but a great one.
The premise, which will be quiet familiar to anyone who's played The Last of Us, is that the world has been overrun with monsters, and the few survivors are eking out a living as quietly as they can. Because these monsters can't see you, but they can hear you. And when they do, they will find you and they will kill you.
It's a good premise. What's better is how the movie explores, and actually sticks to said premise. It shows us what it would be like to live in a world of complete silence. Never able to scream, laugh, cry. Always afraid that a rusty gate or creaking floorboard could give you away. The result is a nerve wracking level of suspense that does not let up. Even in the calmest moment, you know that danger is just slip-up away. The level of paranoia it generates is such that you will notice every cough, every crunch of popcorn, every heavy breath in the theater. If there has ever been a movie where jump scares are justified, this is it.
It's also refreshing how smart the people in this movie are. They understand the rules and don't scream, or slam doors, or do any of the other stupid things that get people in horror movies killed. They have plans for if things go wrong. But even that's no guarantee of survival because there are some times when you simply cannot help making a sound. Therein lies the brilliance of the birth scene, which is not only the scariest part of the movie but may be the first time in years that a childbirth scene had any reason to be in a movie. Never has the sound of a baby crying been so terrifying.
Because the horror in this film is mainly psychological, it's a long time before you get more than brief glimpses of the creatures. But when you finally do see them you get a very good look, and their design is brilliant. Like a cross between Slenderman and the xenomorph from Alien, these aliens are all teeth, claws, and ears. Now that might sound ridiculous, but somehow it works. Just watching them move is unsettling, and when the flaps open up and they really start to listen the effect is horrifyingly alien.
And beyond horror, A Quiet Place works as an understated examination of family drama, sacrifice, and survivor's guilt. It's not every movie that can be heartwarming and horrifying at the same. I for one can hardly wait for writer/director/star John Krasinski's next project.