A Quiet Place

What sounds even more horrifying than a chilling scream? A chilling scream that is not allowed to be screamed, of course. This insight is the premise of one of the surprises of the spring: the nerve-wracking film A Quiet Place.

The premise of A Quiet Place is so brilliant in its simplicity that it makes you wonder why nobody has thought of it before. In a not-too-distant future, there are very few Americans after the invasion of large extra-terrestrial predators that are completely blind but which can detect the slightest sound from a great distance. In order to survive, a young family that lives on a remote farm has to remain completely silent. Not just for a moment, but for every second of the day and night and probably forever. A young family! Traumatized by a death and weeks away from having a new baby! The softest peep, a toy that slips out of your hands, even the smallest cough can be fatal. Could this be more exciting? Don’t you feel tense just thinking about it?

The film cleverly and maximally exploits the possibilities of terrifying the audience with the slightest sound. The family, with a great Emily Blunt as the pregnant mother, has adapted to the struggle for survival. They are self-reliant, walk on bare feet, and they communicate with sign language and facial expressions. But they are still a family. Conflict and disagreement are part of their reality. The son doesn’t want his father to train him in survival techniques. The deaf daughter is tired of her overprotective parents ignoring her natural urge to be more independent. But shouting at each other is not an option.

It is hard to say whether A Quiet Place would have been an even better, more enduring film if screenwriter, lead actor, and director John Krasinski had let the tempo drop occasionally to give more space to the family dynamism and the necessity to adapt to a new life and new work. He goes in a different, equally legitimate direction, and serves a thriller with a number of incredibly tense action scenes that become increasingly explicit. Save the crisps or popcorn for later. You won’t dare to eat them for fear of making too much noise.