A Quiet Place 2018 * * * Stars

Director: John Krasinski
Year: 2018
Rated PG-13
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe

Actors giving seething performances with the bare minimum of dialogue. A lacquered, low budget setting with cornfields and contemporary homes that looks like rural Pennsylvania (I could be wrong). Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" being played on headphones via iTunes (cool). Mortifying creatures with cartoon chompers who are nimble and really snap to it. It's all here in A Quiet Place, my latest review.

"Place" is post-apocalyptic, refreshing silent film eclectic, Quiet Earth resonant, and atmospheric. Hitchcock would wince for it's a less gory version of The Descent coupled with a less humorous version of 1990's Tremors coupled with a less religious version of M. Night Shyamalan's Signs.

The pic tells the story of a family who must use sign language to avoid being killed by blind, extraterrestrial varmints who prey by way of audible sounds. Said family could've used rifles for self defense. However, they don't seem to figure that out till "Place's" ninety-minute running time has eclipsed one hour (spoiler).

Anyway, you remove the whole rifle aspect and A Quiet Place is disturbing, depressing, and readily effective even if it's almost unbearable to watch. John Krasinski is behind the camera and also stars alongside his real-life spouse (Emily Blunt).

In truth, I've never known Krasinski to be a horror flick helmer and I never knew he was a filmmaker in general. Nevertheless, his art-house direction is pinpoint, rachet-minded, and calculated. He builds a sense of dread and morbid torment right from "Place's" startling, opening scene.

Yeah John's premise doesn't always wring true. Sometimes the spider-like creatures show up when there's no sound, sometimes they hold back when there is sound (huh?), and sometimes they're not as quick when trying to off certain protagonists (a pregnant woman for example). Still, A Quiet Place is worth "visiting" for its fingernail biting statue, its way of keeping you in its character's shoes as you exit the theater, and its mark of unsettling constitution. See it if you want your blood to curdle. Rating: 3 stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson