By Rylie Harrison | Contributor
Don't make a sound. This is how to survive in "A Quiet Place."
"A Quiet Place" is a thriller directed and starred in by John Krasinski and also stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. The movie follows a family who must keep as quiet as possible in order to avoid being killed by aliens who hunt by sound.
In a world of remakes, sequels and spin-offs, I think it is safe to say this is one of the most original films to come out in a long time. Not only is it original, but it is also well-written, directed and acted. I was very pleased with how well the movie was made. The world felt lived in, and I was instantly invested in this family.
The cast is fantastic. For the vast majority of the movie, there is no spoken dialogue. The primary source of human communication has been taken away, leaving the actors to convey all the intensity and emotion necessary with their body language and facial expressions. The cast also makes effective use of American Sign Language, communicating with all the fullness of spoken dialogue.
A strong element of the movie is that the daughter, who is Deaf in the film, is portrayed by a Deaf actress. Simmonds brings a beautifully nuanced performance, allowing the reader to glimpse how life works for someone who is Deaf. At times throughout the movie, the camera focuses on the daughter and all sound cuts out, illustrating how loud the world is while also providing a snapshot of life in her world.
At its heart, "A Quiet Place" is not about monsters or thrills. It is a deeply personal story about family. How far would a parent go to protect his or her children? In the midst of the intensity, the audience gets some heartfelt moments between the husband and wife and the parents and children. You fall in love with the characters, making the danger all the more frightening.
All the elements of "A Quiet Place" come together in a way that sucks the viewer into the story. Less than 10 minutes into the movie, I found myself terrified of making noise, as though the monsters in the movie might hear me. I would give "A Quiet Place" four and a half out of five stars.
