It's the quiet ones you have to watch

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2018)

It's fair to say that the horror genre has the most forms of clones and clichés about it, meaning every 'new' version that comes out feels less and less new than the last. However, I'm delighted to say (as a long-standing fan of the genre) that 'A Quiet Place' actually finds a new way to package an old story. The tale about monsters hunting humans is nothing new, but the way lead actor/director John Krasinski tells it is definitely worth a watch if you're into this kind of film.
Like I say, we join the proceedings a few months after monsters (aliens, maybe - it's never really dwelled upon) have completely taken over the Earth. Only they haven't got the 'tech' you may expect from 'superior' beings. They're more like your run-of-the-mill 'chase-you-and-eat-you' monsters who rely on their physical strength and speed, rather than their brains. And, it looks like us poor ol' earthlings only figured out that their one - sort of - weakness was that they are blind, hunting by sound alone. But, if you think that gives us much of an edge, let me inform you they have REALLY GOOD ears.
Now, real life husband and wife John Krasinski and Emily Blunt play an on-screen couple who are desperately trying to survive and keep their children safe on a farm as they adapt to this new way of existing.
First of all, I like the fact that our human heroes - technically - can't 'win.' The Earth is lost. The five humans are never going to 'take down' a planet-load of monsters singlehandedly. All they can do is survive as best they can. The first thing you need to know is that you could almost call 'A Quiet Place' a 'silent' film. Yes, there are plenty of music and natural sound effects, but dialogue is at an absolute minimal. This is down to the simple fact that if you talk - even on a farm in the middle of nowhere - chances are a monster will hear you from across the town and have you for lunch.
This means that a lot of the 'interactions' between characters are by way of either facial expressions and body language, or sign language (yeah, one of the children is deaf, so the family already knew how to communicate this way). This gives the actors quite a challenge to portray enough emotions via these means. You may expect the adult actors to be up to this, but it's rare to see the kids pull it off with such apparent ease.
What I really enjoyed about the film was the way that all characters behave in a way that seems real. Another cliché of horror films is that people act so dumb in whatever horrific situation they find themselves in we end up shouting at them on screen and lose patience with them. I'm pleased to say that all characters here don't make dumb decisions (oh, unless you count getting pregnant in a world that's gone to hell!).
All in all, 'A Quiet Place' was a joy to watch for a horror fan like me. Whatever flaws it may contain are barely worth noting as it's a complete breath of fresh air for the genre.