Known for a thrilling plot and unique storyline, “A Quiet Place” is a multiple-award-winning film brought to screens within the hazy remnants of 2018; a newer, longstanding series that’s grazed enough attention to garner not only a sequel, but also an upcoming prequel by June of this year, and a fourth film sometime in the future. It first originated as an idea between Scott Beck and Bryan Woods back in their college years – John Krasinski became director and cowriter at a later date after reading the script.
During early development, Beck and Woods had brought up the unique concept of a killer defined by one of the five core senses to Platinum Dunes – an American production company mostly known for a wide array of new-gen horror films, such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Purge, Oujia, and other remakes of old classics. Once it hit the writing stage, the dynamic duo had spoken with a Paramount Executive who had suggested their idea be a tie-in to the Cloverfield franchise; a tri-film universe containing its very own deluge of terrifying, other-worldly creatures and surprising plot twists that bring a thrilling experience to it’s viewers and critics alike, but ultimately becoming it’s own film after being bought from the two.
Silence and horror; how the two merge to create a unique, thrilling plot
Although it holds a lackluster word count concerning its spoken dialogue, the movie strives to capture the attention of its audience through the demeanor and actions of its cast, who go above and beyond to encapsulate struggles, grief, pain, fear, and many other emotions that can be shown through actions or appearances when verbal tones are unavailable; things we often take for granted, whereas by removing a core aspect of our every day lives, the film creates a unique, fresh take on the struggles of living in a new world where sound can kill you.
These attributes are shown in great detail as well – the main protagonist, Regan (the daughter), standing at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from the sightless “Death Angels” who hold an uncanny affinity for tracking and hunting prey by sound alone, due to both the actor and character being born completely deaf. Despite her inabilities, the writers do an excellent job at showcasing Regan’s intuition and drive, especially considering the weakness of the otherworldly creature that has been attached to her this entire time – a cochlear implant.
Shown briefly in trailers, this prequel centers around the very first day of the creatures landing on earth; the hustle and bustle of a populated city is an interesting choice to showcase the destructive, natural-born chaos that these eyeless creatures bring the big screens; a bigger, better playground for the writers to come up with new ideas and situations.
A bigger scope – what could this mean for future films?
Despite its main motif set as a monster flick, A Quiet Place brings a unique and rarely done concept to the table of such a broad genre, offering new aspects of horror and subplots that can introduce horror fans alike to films that share similar themes or plots: The Silence, Bird Box, or even It Comes At Night – all small-gem films that hold similar yet altered premises of mystery, thrill, or a fascinating but equally terrifying creatures.
