I know it’s only April and that superlative might not mean a whole lot right now, so I’ll take it a step further. A Quiet Place is the best movie I’ve seen since Whiplash. That movie came out October 10, 2014, and we’ve had a solid run of great movies since then. And A Quiet Place has them all beat.
In case you don’t know what it’s about, it centers on a family, led by real-life married couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. They are living in a post-apocalyptic type world where a species of possibly alien creatures have hunted down and killed most of civilization. The twist here is that they hunt by sound. Any of the few remaining survivors have to live in almost complete silence. These creatures have superior hearing and will attack at once if too loud of a sound is made. The family is forced to communicate with sign language and barely audible whispers. There are a couple twists as well of course. Telling you them here wouldn’t necessarily spoil the movie, but it will be more enjoyable and impactful if you go into the movie knowing as little as possible. Everything about this movie is unique and different and in all the best ways. I just can’t recommend it enough.
As great as everything is, it’s the acting that really puts it over the top. With such an emphasis on silence, there is an obvious focus on body language and facial expressions. And everyone knocks it out of the park. John Krasinski is good, and the kids are great. But Emily Blunt turns in a career performance. She is nothing short of incredible. I hope more than anything that this movie has some serious staying power because it should be in conversation for multiple Academy Awards. Krasinski could nab a Best Director nomination. But the two nominations it has to get is Best Picture and Best Actress for Blunt. I think it would have a tough time winning Best Picture, but I have a hard time believing there will be 10 better movies than A Quiet Place released this year. And Blunt’s performance basically screams Best Actress. I don’t care what else comes out this year, as far as I’m concerned you can lock her into a nomination today.
Movie: A Quiet Place
Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt
Genre: Horror, thriller, drams
Rated: PG-13 for terror and some bloody images
My rating: 95/100
Should you see it? Yes, absolutely. Leave right now and go buy a ticket to the next showing.
