Monday, 16 April 2018

A Quiet Place - The scoop and digest

John Krasinski writes and directs one of the most hyped horrors in recent years.

For your own safety, I suggest you keep schtum...

In post-apocalyptic New York, the Abbott family (consisting of husband Lee, wife Evelyn, and children Beau, Marcus and Regan), loot a pharmacy for supplies.

As they make their way across town, Beau activates a toy rocket and despite father's best efforts, a creature has son for breakfast.

Brutal opening.

Day 472

A year later on adopted farm house, here's a bit of Q & A.

Creatures are heavily armoured, blind, and hunt anything silly enough that make a sound.

Stay silent, stay alive.

Lee fixes Regan's cochlear implant, but fails to restore hearing.

Day 473

We learn Evelyn is heavily pregnant and while Lee takes Marcus fishing, Regan visits Beau's grave.

As Lee and Marcus return, random old guy suddenly pops up and decides to effectively commit suicide by yelling hysterically.

WTF?

Meanwhile, Evelyn steps on a nail (ouch) in the basement and dropping object, alerts a creature nearby.

She manages to clamber inside bathtub, where she goes into labour.

Latest addition to Abbott family is born off-screen, but baby wailing inevitably attracts unwanted attention.

Lee manages to guide them inside sound-proof room below basement.

Knowing they can't stay underground forever, Lee agrees to leave safe haven and find children.

After some grain silo shenanigans, kids are reunited with pop.

However, they are soon harassed and Lee sacrifices himself to save Marcus and Regan.

(Removes lump from throat).

Releasing truck's handbrake, they return to mum.

Nasty old creature has all concerned trapped, but Regan places cochlear implant next to radio equipment and maxes out volume, creating a high-pitched frequency.

Completely disorientated, flesh beneath armoured head is exposed, and Evelyn doesn't need a second invitation to blow now vulnerable head off.

Security monitor shows two more beasties approaching, and Evelyn loads shotgun.

Silence is golden

Brilliant.

Creature feature/family drama emits raw emotion.

Acting is very convincing, (particularly by Krasinski and real-life spouse Emily Blunt), but children also shine.

I applaud the choice of Millicent Simmonds as Regan, who is deaf in real life.

Situation is taken very seriously and tension can't be cut with a mere knife.

Barefooted survivors communicate via sign language (obviously subtitled) and gesticulation.

The only words audible are when Lee and Marcus are near waterfall, as natural noise automatically protects.

Makes sense, right?

Monsters ooze menace and the way heads split open to reveal internal gubbins of advanced hearing tackle is awesome.

Without sounding crazy, design kinda reminds me of Chimera of Resident Evil fame (less insect-like appearance).

While I'm not screaming direct rip off, but blind monsters using only sound to hunt are reminiscent of Clickers from The Last of Us.

Nevertheless, watch this film.

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