A Quiet Place - Movie Review

Rating: 9/10 (2 March 2020)

A Quiet Place was one of the most surprising films of 2018, and it still manages to hold the same amount of tension even after seeing it a few times now. This all lies in the fabulous direction by John Krasinski. He managed to construct a compelling narrative with little to no dialogue throughout, and this remained believable thanks to the stellar acting from everyone on-board.
Emily Blunt and John Kransinski are as wonderful in this film as they always are, and Noah Jupe turned in a great performance as well. However, it was Millicent Simmonds that really surprised me with how good she was. This is easily one of my favourite child performances that I have seen in recent memory, and I can't wait to see if her talent has developed even further when the sequel comes out.
At the heart of A Quiet Place is a story about a broken family. This was caused by the monsters, but the affect is has on Evelyn and Regan is powerful and emotional. They both blame themselves, and you can see how much it is weighing on them. This element transcends the horror genre, and makes the film relatable to anyone who has suffered a loss on this level.
I have little issue with A Quiet Place, and find it brilliant in almost every way. It does feel very small scale, and I wish the story had branched out a bit at times, but then perhaps it wouldn't have felt as personal as it did. Besides, it looks as if we are getting a wider narrative in the sequel, which I am very much looking forward to.
Overall, A Quiet Place is a tense, nail-biting thriller, with terrific performances, an emotional ending, and some of the best direction I have seen in years. In a world where we get a bunch of mediocre horror films, this is one that you can't afford to miss.
SCORE: 92%