Set within a world where to make noise is to draw the attention of mysterious ravenous creatures, the minimalist soundscape of A Quiet Place becomes the star of the show. Audio plays just as important a part as visuals in building the dread and the bleak mood of the world. Towns have regressed into a rural, old-country setting of abandoned streets and overgrown plants, almost like a sci-fi rendition of The Road. Its people have similarly regressed, adopting guerilla survival tactics to scrounge for supplies and nearby food, and taking every precaution to ensure the monsters are kept in the dark. With the added threat, people have also been forced to abandon verbal communication, relying on sign language and the use of expressions. Humanity now finds itself reverted to its primeval instincts.
With such little dialogue (I'd say there's less than twenty audible speaking lines), this also means that exposition becomes very sparse. With that tool taken away, Krasinski is able to strip himself down to basics, as his simplest onscreen details aid him in building a naturally budding world in decay. The sign language proves particularly powerful, as it lends to this much needed intimacy in character communication. If anything, this lack of speaking has made conversations more direct and tightly-knit in spite of the uncomfortable situations, making interactions and discussion so precious and vital in a way that could have been lost in dialogue. It's a deliberate move in which Krasinski shows tremendous faith in his audience's ability to keep up, bearing surprising intelligence often neglected within the horror genre.
His focus on family life in this silent setting, of a similarly minimal mind, is just as intimate thanks to its intently focused eye. Krasinski has always had a knack for playing modest everyman style characters, a frame of mind that serves him well as the family patriarch, as he obsessively tends to the failsafes protecting his family, but slowly withering from the fact (proven especially towards the beginning) that eventually they will fail, and even that thorough planning can only stall the inevitable rather than prevent it. Speaking of fitting roles to a tee, Emily Blunt has made a great name for herself playing strong, but vulnerable female leads in dangerous situations, adding another fine effort here as the mother holding everything together, even through instinctual fear. But the true standout has to be Millicent Simmonds as their daughter, who shows the makings of a naturally gifted physical performer, running through a gamut of interweaving and flowing emotional responses, often anchoring the movie and becoming its heart.
And even with what sparse sound there is, the film is no slouch when it comes to the mix and the impact of the sound effects. Because the characters depend on silence to survive, the sound work becomes a vital tool in heightening the suspense and terror of the picture. It creates a continually tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, in which the most insignificant sounds can feel earth-shattering and make your heart race, to the throaty clicking of the creatures that feels like a spider crawling in your ear. On the other hand, this means it also could have easily become an easy gimmick falling back on lazy jump scares. And while they are here, they're not overwhelming, nor do they resort to any cheap "Gotcha!" thrills, only serving to escalate the slow-burning terror rather than to unwind it, with a very keen eye on suspense.
Given my unfavorable take on horror, I'm pleasantly surprised how well I took to A Quiet Place, which holds the honor of being my favorite horror film of the last decade. For me, it's the kind of creature feature that succeeds where a movie like Cloverfield and the like falter: Providing eerie thrills and terror without sacrificing its intelligence and potency.
****1/2 / *****
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