Amazing Thrill Ride

Rating: 9/10 (23 August 2018)

A Quiet Place sets the tone early in the film by killing off the youngest son and creating a world where no one is safe from the plot - giving us an uneasy feeling anytime our protagonists find themselves in danger. It masterfully brings you in by taking away one of the audiences senses from the beginning and taking us immediately out of our comfort zone.
This film heavily pays attention to detail and does its best to explain how this family survived so long (notice the grocery store is still fully stocked with bags of chips). Every scene has its importance to the plot; setting up future scene like falling dominoes. The creatures may be the main antagonist, but I couldn't help but cringe from the moment I saw the nail sticking out of the stairs - conveniently highlighted as to where someone would walk. Even when Evelyn (Emily Blunt) steps on it, you still tense up anytime someone walks down the stairs.
The acting is highlighted by Emily Blunt's adrenaline filled performance. In a film that has limited speaking roles, she is able to convey emotion with the best of them and comes in as my favourite film of hers - which is high praise considering how much I loved her in Sicario.
Comedic actors are proving to be masters of suspense with Jordan Peele's Get Out last year and now this film being John Krasinski's directorial debut - who had one of the most emotionally intense send off of any character I've seen on screen. I can not wait to see Krasinski don the director hat in the future. From a storytelling point of view, A Quiet Place is flawless.
Don't listen to the cynical reviews from people who are trying to knock this film down from a practical point of view. We live in a time where Superheroes rule the box office and they are far from "realistic". This is a must see film - if your skittish when it comes to horror, this leans more thriller. There are limited jump scares, with the movie focusing more on enduring dread and tension than anything else. The year may not be over yet, but A Quiet Place is my early pick for movie of the year.