Aaron and I had planned to see and review Ready Player One since he provided a book review for that title a couple of months ago, but we missed it. So, we went to see the highly-recommended A Quiet Place instead. Directed by the lead actor, John Krasinski, this movie begins about three months after the invasion/phenomenon/infection/event (we don’t know!) that caused the post-apocalyptic conditions of the setting, which includes fast-moving, vicious creatures that attack anyone who makes any kind of noise.
This was most definitely a unique movie-going experience as there is almost no music or spoken dialogue in the film. The circumstantial sounds of the surroundings or characters moving around are crisp and pronounced, making the viewing experience so unusual and raw.
We were incredibly impressed with the actors and their ability to convey character development and emotion without the use of spoken word. We see the draw to this movie as many aspects are so well done: It’s very artistic, and it certainly evokes feelings of anxiety, fear, compassion, and awe of characters’ self-control and ability to adapt. However, we are among the few who left the theater feeling disappointed, perceiving the end result of this film missed the mark.
Elaine: When it comes to science-fiction movies, I don’t mind it when the rules of science or the laws of physics are ignored…as long as the world or environment the writers have created remains consistent. For example, if they want corn kernels in a grain silo to behave like quicksand, that’s fine, as long as they don’t ignore the conditions they’ve created by allowing the characters to suddenly and inexplicably escape the situation just a few minutes later. And if the creature they’ve created can break through the thick metal of that same grain silo in one scene with ease, but is incapable of breaking through an old, rusted truck to get its victims five minutes later, I am not impressed and feel the world they’ve created is not well thought out.
Aaron: Yeah, I got too hooked up on the little things like that that take me out of the story. How do they have electricity? I’m sure they could have found slippers to wear that wouldn’t make noise instead of going barefoot. I just kept thinking about how cold my feet would be all the time.
E: I got the impression most everyone in the world is gone, based on the shortwave radio channel list that the father was crossing off as he was looking for survivors. It was intriguing to try to put the puzzle pieces together without dialogue and minimal back story derived from the newspaper clippings and dry erase board scribbles in the basement, but I left frustrated and wanting to understand better what had happened, where everyone was, how worldwide military could be wiped out, or how printing presses could run long enough to release newspaper articles without being heard.
A: It’s a very minimal story. I felt the whole movie is about simple loss (if loss can be simple) and a small family trying to survive and still be a normal family. By keeping the details light, the writer was able to focus on suspense.
E: I was jumpy a few times, but I didn’t scream and I didn’t think the movie was super scary. I didn’t care for the cheap scares – raccoons falling from the roof, a sudden hand slap against a shower door, a hand thrust out from under a truck. I feel these are just for the sake of getting people to scream, don’t carry the story, and make the video less relevant when considering purchasing the DVD/Blu-ray. I’m more impressed with creepy or unexpected plot twists and suspense. Did you think it was scary?
A: Not scary per se. I could foresee most of the jump-scares. The thing that caused the most anxiety was the nail sticking up through the stair. Every time someone headed for the stairs, I got all worked up because they were all barefoot. I kept wishing someone would grab some pliers and bend the nail down!
E: Let’s talk about the blind but sound-sensitive creatures for a minute. Am I the only one who feels like they totally ripped off Stranger Things’ creature from the Upside Down? I swear, the face looks identical with exception to the massive ears.
A: They felt like an amalgamation of Cloverfield, Venom (coming soon), and the Demogorgon. Not overly original. But is anything these days? And how many of them are there? We only see three, but it seems that one is within five seconds of anyone who makes a noise anywhere in the world. And did they actually eat anything they killed?
E: Nope, didn’t seem to eat anything, just destroyed any noise-makers. Makes me wonder if they just loathed sound since they were hyper-sensitive. Maybe we’ll find out in the sequel.
A: You’ll have to tell me about that…I doubt I’ll see it.
E: The movie is still effective despite these problems. I loved the concept and was surprised how terrifying it felt to just remain quiet. I’m convinced I’d be one of the first casualties if this were real – my laugh would be the death of me within five minutes!
I loved the characters. I found myself thinking of them the next day and wondering more about them. They were clever, creative and resourceful. I liked them a lot.
I would still recommend this movie, but maybe just for a rental. Just be prepared for a very abrupt ending and more questions than answers. What about you, Aaron?
A: Yeah, I would be a goner the first night. My tombstone would read, “Yep. He snores.” I would recommend this, sure. It’s a good movie overall and well-executed. But, I wouldn’t watch it again now that I know where the scares are.
