The Horror of Sound Design

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2018)

A Quiet Place is John Krasinski's first great success directing on the big screen. His first foray into horror, he has proved that his talents extend far beyond gimmicky humor with this intense and unrelenting experience. While the movie still suffers from some setbacks on the story end of things, Krasinski has proven that he has what it takes to make a beautiful and haunting piece perfectly designed for the theater setting.
My initial response to this film when watching it in theaters was one of anxiety as my classic nacho tray sat on the armrest untouched. This film plays with sound in a way that deeply unsettles the audience and puts each person into the shoes of its protagonists, scared to even make a sound for fear of disturbing the silence. Horror movies today are frequently criticized for being a collection of scare chords placed over rather mundane sequences. To take away the sound element from a horror movie and make its monster one that seeks out even the slightest noise is to make even the mundane horrifying without exaggeration. While this film does still have a "jump scare" or two, the vast majority of this film is nothing more than a whisper. A subtle and extremely impressive score by Marco Beltrami helps accentuate this.
A Quiet Place does not only succeed on a sound design level, however, as the family drama at the core of this film is fashioned in such a way that it could touch even a rather heartless killjoy such as myself. That is why the acting in this film was so important to its success. Without much explicit dialogue, the actors could do little to emote through line delivery, instead having to rely on their facial expressions which was another stroke of genius that helps set this film apart from others in the genre. Instead of the comical screams and faces of terror that are so common, this film builds character through expression. Krasinski's stern determination, Blunt's suppressed fear, Simmond's confusion and concern; all of it comes off as genuine. The use of color in this movie is another, often overlooked, important feature, especially upon reaching the climax. The only things holding this movie back from being a masterpiece are some contrived plot points and classic horror movie cliches which make even less sense when taken as seriously as they are here. Most of the faults of this movie lie in the editing room, with some moments that come across as accidentally comedic due to their quickness or obviousness. Still, these flaws do not hold the film back from being one of the best horror flicks of the year.
A Quiet Place Letter Grade: B-