The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Could you learn to not make a sound? Ever? Not a word, nor scream, not even a laugh? The characters in A Quiet Place had to and they managed to do that while remaining relatable and unique.

A Quiet Place is thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world infested with blind violent creatures who hunt their prey at the slightest sound. The film follows the Abbot family as they try to survive in this world; the father, Lee (John Krasinski), is the family’s protector and is tough on his children to ensure they can survive. His wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is outwardly softer and helps the children get some glimpses of normal life.

Their two kids, Marcus (Noah Jupe) and Megan (Millicent Simmonds) – each with their own fears- attempt to survive in this terrifying environment. Marcus is very scared of the world; he is apologetic and absolutely attached to his father. Megan is deaf, which creates a major issue with her father as he constantly tries to protect her. Since she isn’t able to hear the sounds that she makes, it makes her an easy target for the evil creatures.  

As a premise, the film is brilliant. Most people would not realise how much sound they make on a regular basis. What really does make this feature work is the simplicity of its idea. The plot then twists and turns into captivating knots, but the main concept behind the plot remains simple; creatures are blind but attracted to sound and the family needs to survive.

Unlike other creature-based films, A Quiet Place does not rely on the physical appearance of the creatures themselves to generate the required reactions among audiences. As such, the film develops captivating sequences that do not solely rely on graphics. If there is one thing to criticise about the film, it would have to be the duration of certain emotional shots; some of them had a longer run time than necessary. 

The fact that most of the characters communicate via sign language may have easily made this feature an extremely boring one. The film, however, rose to the challenge that it set for itself, and managed to shatter any sense of boredom with a big silent bang. Indeed, the film’s silence is terrifying and, through it, the characters have room for development. 

John Krasinski did a great job at directing the film, and acting in it. His portrayal of Lee was heartfelt, relatable and very realistically fatherly and paternal. Krasinski was able to portray a multidimensional character with barely a couple of words, and did not fall into the over-the-top-facial-expressions-trap.

Emily Blunt was just as brilliant in her own way. In several scenes in which her character experiences pain and/or fear, Blunt remains genuinely expressive. She truly did not need verbal communication to make her performance a stand out one, and that says a lot about Blunt’s acting skills. Noah Jupe did an OK job with a straight on terrified expression that lasted most of the movie. In other words, he was adequate but not exactly outstanding. Millicent Simmonds, on the other hand, did an amazing job; despite her young age, she was able to captivate us with her sheer range as an actress.  

A Quiet Place is not a graphic loaded horror film, it is not a plotless mess, and it is not home to a cast of underdeveloped characters. On the contrary, A Quiet Place is a brilliantly made thriller. This is definitely a film worth watching.