Silence is golden in this nifty yet somewhat gimmicky thriller

Rating: 7/10 (7 April 2018)

A QUIET PLACE (2018) *** Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward, Leon Russom, Doris McCarthy. Silence is golden in this nifty yet somewhat gimmicky thriller with a young family facing survival in a post-apocalyptic world ruined by alien creatures that attack when provoked by any loud noise or sound leading to an ultimate showdown. Krasinski - who co-scripted with Bryan Woods & Scott Beck - directs with aplomb in this nearly completely silent endeavor of wits and determination and has solid foundation with real-life wife Blunt as his partner-in-crime in batting down the hatches. Child actors Simmonds (deaf in real life adding to the mix of pure reality terror) and Russom both are excellent with their facial expressions as well and some shrewd sound design by Brandon Jones keep the jolts well-timed. The scary monsters created will haunt your dreams for days. Well-constructed but in a sense somewhat formulaic.