Silence is Survival.

Teaser Review 006 & Movie Preview 012

A Quiet Place

Paramount Pictures

[April 30th, 2018]

Trailer(s) Effectiveness = 100% for introducing the premise perfectly with smart buildup of tension by effectively playing with the medium of silence.

I first came across this trailer without knowing anything about it and was delightfully surprised by the premise and potential it holds. The first thing that came to mind is Don't Breathe, whereby the element of sound plays a vital role in the whole storyline but here instead of a gruff blind ex-military loner, the threat is more supernatural basing on that big scratch on the staircase and how they are tiptoeing around the compound, trying their best not to make a sound. Seeing Emily Blunt in a horror film is certainly a delightful surprise but when I saw John Krasinski is the opposite lead, the piece started to fall into place and my assumption was correct that this was his directorial followup of the Hollars and his wife came on board to support him! Whether or not it will be a successful outing, it still remains to be seen but after a stellar year for horror, I can only hope that it will go from strength to strength this year as well, Insidious: the Last Key notwithstanding.

Chance of Success = 

85% with the solid leads & intriguing premise with a horror twist (Don't Breathe).

a case for the up-and-coming actor-turned-director:

+ Highlights +

His first full feature, the Hollars, is met with positive response from the critics and audiences alike, a successful first step in his directorial endeavour, as dramedy is the safest genre to delve into.

~

Transitioning from being the lovable guy from the American reincarnation of the Office, he's been bulking up and taking a lot more action-oriented roles just like in Zero Dark Thirty and the upcoming Jack Ryan television series, diversifying his acting credits and now having a bold, new venture in directing a horror thriller for the first time. At least he get the support of his wife!

? Main contention ?

Horror has the best year yet in 2017, a resurgence of the genre with a lot of small and big hits throughout. With that being said, it is a tricky exercise to get it done just right without feeling overdone or incompetent in handling the elements that's synonymous with it. John Krasinski could be making the Hollars first to prove to the executives that he is a competent director that they could rely on, letting him loose with his followup. Just like how Jordan Peele succeed with Get Out, we'll never know until we've given them a chance despite their past track record.

- Lowlights -

With the technology keep getting better, a lot more inspiring filmmakers are able to make their own movies even without financial backing of major movie studios, using the littlest of budget to make an indie hit. The stigma against actors that want to get behind the lens could still be prevalent, not even going to give the movie a chance if it's not by someone they know or they do not like their works in front of it.

-

a case for the quiet family affair with horror undertone:

+ Highlights +

Without the texts, the imagery with the silence undertone effectively representing the premise of the movie with hints of overbearing threats surrounding them at all time, with how careful they are trying not to make any kind of sound and the instant change of tone when something goes wrong.

~

I can't wait to see how the real life couple of John and Emily Blunt would come across in this film!

? Main contention ?

Adopting the approach of showing and not telling, with not dialogue spoken at all, the director will need to flex his directorial muscle to convey the storyline with what is visually on location and how he is framing them, instead of telling the audience in dialogues of exposition. It would an interesting exercise to watch at least. They are smart in not showing the beasts at all!

- Lowlights -

With this being only the second effort by him, it's understandable to assume that he would not be able to bring horror thriller to life since there is not previous work to compare to, but just like I mentioned above, this could be in the same vein of Jordan Peele's Get Out. Give him a chance, won't you?

--

- Synopsis -
A family lives an isolated existence in utter silence, for fear of an unknown threat that follows and attacks at any sound.

Cast

Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe as Marcus, Millicent Simmonds, Cade Woodward as Beau, Evangelina Cavoli Ezekiel Cavoli ...

(John Krasinski [the Hollars], Genre - Drama, Horror, Silent, Thriller)

- IMDb - RT - wiki -

source: nerdist

- x -