“If they can’t hear you, they can’t hunt you.”
I knew that John Krasinski was receiving a bit of shine for serving as EP on the award season hit, Manchester by the Sea. What I didn’t know was that he started directing films way back in 2009. Based on the trailer for Krasinki’s upcoming film, A Quiet Place, I’m thrilled that he made the leap. A Quiet Place went from not even registering on my radar to landing a spot on my “must-see” list. Aside from the trailer, details on the film are scarce right now. What we know so far is that A Quiet Place, is a mysterious supernatural thriller set for an April release.
In addition to directing and starring in the picture, Krasinski also shares screenwriting duties with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Beck and Woods’ most notable picture is a 2006 action/western with the pulpy title, The Bride Wore Red. According to Deadline, “Paramount originally bought Beck and Woods’ spec before Krasinski boarded.” They also reported, “We hear the studio is very high on the duo and put a blind write-to-direct deal in place.” A Quiet Place also features Sicario’s leading lady, Emily Blunt; Wonderstruck scene-stealer, Millicent Simmonds; and Suburbicon’s boy wonder, Noah Jupe. Take a look.
A Quiet Place is sending me the same sort of vibes I had watching the trailer for Trey Edward Shults’ summer horror flick, It Comes at Night. Without getting too spoilery, It Comes at Night was a divisive film. It delivered tension, atmosphere, and strong performances but let’s just say that audiences found it lacking in other areas. I have no idea what the threat is in A Quiet Place: Vampires, zombies, vampire-zombies? Whatever it is, we can clearly see that it’s a pervasive menace and it forces the main characters to spend every minute of their lives keeping the threat at bay — I take it that beans are not a part of this family’s well-balanced diet.
Our brief glimpse at the movie gives the impression that whatever the threat is, it’s omnipresent, and no matter how careful the protagonists are, they can’t stay quiet forever. There’s also an unsettling dissonance between what we see and what we hear in the trailer which adds an additional layer of dread.
I find most horror movie trailers disappointing because they tend to go overboard with the eerie music, startling noises, and jump scares. For me, the most exhilarating part of a horror movie is the escalating tension, which is like riding a roller coaster up a steep incline before it comes crashing down. A Quiet Place’s trailer hooked me with the “quieter” moments. It drew me in with the intriguing little details that established the threat and set the stakes. I particularly like the notion of the characters leaving marks on the floor, highlighting safe places to step without making loud creaks. My second favorite part? The giant gouges in the wall going upstairs alongside the staircase. Zombie-vampires, right?
A Quiet Place makes its way into theaters on April 6, 2018.