In a genre of movies saturated with gray dystopian futures and explosions, A Quiet Place stands out. The 2018 A Quiet Place horror-thriller directed by John Krasinski tells the story of a family trying to survive in a world that has been taken over by monsters who hunt based on sound. The Quiet Place has won widespread critical acclaim since its release and is both a financial and box office success, generating over $340 million in global ticket sales.
The movie features Krasinski and his real-life spouse, Emily Blunt, as a couple trying to protect their family in an otherwise post-apocalyptic world. The couple’s two children face dangers unimaginable to the average child, and yet they fear not making a sound as they are taught to keep as quiet as possible in order to stay alive. To emphasize the dangers of making noise, Krasinski follows up every loud sound with a jump scare. The result is a thrilling, emotionally gripping experience that leaves viewers breathless.
It is the approach to the horror-thriller genre that has catapulted the movie to its financial success. When discussing the horror-thriller genre, director Krasinski said that he wanted to focus on the “emotional aspects of the genre.” Rather than having monsters jump out of the shadows every few minutes, Krasinski decided to focus on building tension and an underlying sense of dread throughout the entire film. By doing this, Krasinski was able to create a movie that was “tense, brilliant and heartbreaking.”
Krasinski’s decision to focus on creating a believable family dynamic instead of relying on jump scares has paid off. The three main actors, Krasinski, Blunt, and child actors Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, all do an amazing job of creating a family that appears completely real and relatable. This realism is further played upon by the movie’s lack of expository dialogue; instead, we are left to piece together the story through every little movement and interaction. The result is a movie that is at once terrifying and awe inspiring.
On top of the creative direction and stellar performances, the cinematography of A Quiet Place is simply stunning. Shot almost entirely in the dark, the movie’s use of lighting and shadows is masterfully done, creating a suffocating atmosphere of dread and suspense.
It’s no surprise that A Quiet Place has become such a critical and commercial success. It is a horror-thriller that disregards clichés and relies on superb performances and visuals to tell a beautifully heartbreaking story. Hollywood has plenty of horror-thrillers that rely on jump scares to create tension, but A Quiet Place is the one that manages to create something truly unique and powerful.
The Build Up Of Suspense
The movie features a slow but effective build-up of suspense, which is largely thanks to Krasinski’s direction. He was able to take a simple story and create a film that is both emotionally gripping and thrilling. From the start of the movie, we get a sense of the overwhelming fear that the family must feel, and every little sound they make carries with it the potential of a horrible danger. Each scene is carefully crafted to leave viewers on edge, which leads to a final act that is stuffed with both tension and emotion.
Krasinski’s direction also made use of sound very effectively. We hear the fragile and isolated sounds of a family trying to survive, and it creates a sense of urgency and closeness through its realism. By playing with sound this way, Krasinski was able to create suspense and atmosphere effortlessly, leaving viewers with a sense of dread throughout the entire film.
The performances of the actors also help to create the atmosphere of terror that is so essential to a horror-thriller. Millicent Simmonds, in particular, delivers an outstanding performance as the deaf daughter of the family. Millicent’s deafness is not just used to add a unique layer of horror to the movie, but it also helps to create a human story around which the movie’s suspense builds.
The beauty of A Quiet Place is that it manages to take an already tense and suspenseful genre and elevate it, adding a sense of humanity and realism that was previously unseen. It is the perfect example of how the horror-thriller genre can be both thrilling and emotionally engaging.
Realism Of A Quiet Place
One of the major reasons why A Quiet Place has been such a huge success is its use of realism. The events that take place in the movie feel plausible and the story is believable, making it easier for audiences to invest in and get sucked into the plot.
The movie also features impressive sound and visuals that help to build tension and atmosphere. The world of A Quiet Place feels lived in and real, and this further adds to the realism of the film. The score of the movie is also impressive, with a mixture of suspenseful music and eerie silence that adds to the tension.
Thanks to its realistic approach, we as viewers can explore the lives of a family trying to survive in a world gone mad. Just as we feel terror and horror when monsters come close to their hideout, we can also feel the deep emotion and pain of a family dealing with the tragedy of what has befallen them. It is this mixture of horror, emotion, and realism that has made A Quiet Place so successful.
Inspiration Of A Quiet Place
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Krasinski discussed his inspiration for the movie and its characters. He said that he had been inspired by his own experience of fatherhood and the desire to protect his children. This gave rise to the characters of Lee and Evelyn Abbott, and the idea that the movie would be an exploration of a family’s struggle to survive in a new, dangerous world.
The idea of exploring a family struggling against an unstoppable enemy was also inspired by classic horror films such as Alien and The Descent. Krasinski also looked to older horror-thrillers such as Jaws and The Exorcist for inspiration and used the structure of these films as a template to build upon. By combining the structure of classic horror-thriller films with modern aesthetics, Krasinski was able to create a movie that felt familiar but still new and exciting.
Krasinski was also able to draw from his own experience of fatherhood and use it to create emotionally gripping scenes. His performance as Lee Abbott was often driven by his own struggles as a parent, and it is this realism that allows us to feel for the characters in the movie.
Imagery Of A Quiet Place
The imagery in A Quiet Place is used to evoke a sense of dread and terror. The movie often relies on the darkness of night and the complete lack of sound to create a feeling of helplessness. The monsters are also designed to be faceless and formless creatures that evoke a sense of terror and despair. This imagery helps to create a horror-thriller that is more subtle and nuanced than other entries into the genre.
The visuals of the movie also play an important role in helping to tell the story. We get a sense of the post-apocalyptic world that the family inhabits through visual shots of ruined buildings, endless fields, and a lack of human activity. This helps us to understand the true scope of the danger that the family are facing and how alone they really are.
The cinematography of A Quiet Place is also very impressive and helped to create a it’s atmosphere of tension and suspense. The use of shadows and unexpected camera angles often create a feeling of dread and terror, which helps to set the tone for the rest of the movie.
Final Thoughts On A Quiet Place
Altogether, A Quiet Place is an excellent example of how the horror-thriller genre can be used to evoke emotions and create suspense without relying on jump scares. The movie does not rely on clichés or cheap tricks and instead focuses on creating an emotionally gripping story with real characters and believable scenarios.
The success of A Quiet Place has opened new possibilities in the horror-thriller genre, and it has proven that the genre can be much more than just jump scares and gore. The movie has also highlighted the importance of creating believable and deep characters, as it is these characters that draw viewers in and cause them to invest in the story.
Overall, A Quiet Place is a horror-thriller that manages to be both terrifying and emotionally engaging. It is a must-watch for fans of the genre and a testament to how the genre can be used to tell powerful and thought-provoking stories.
