“A Quiet Place,” the latest thriller/horror film directed and written by “The Office” star John Krasinski, tells a suspenseful story of a family that avoids deadly monsters by staying silent and communicating via American Sign Language.

The movie is set in 2020 in a post-apocalyptic world.  The family has been able to survive in their town for over a year through critical teamwork and bravery, even when they’re scared or unsure.

Several minutes into the movie, it is completely silent. No footsteps. No sound effects. There’s the tiniest bit of scoring, but even that is hardly audible. You can even hear the ventilation in the theater.

And popcorn crunches really do stand out. This is especially true because the silence is so tense — you have no idea when something sudden and dramatic will happen without the helpful horror music that queues you to pay close attention.

“I felt like I couldn’t move in my seat let alone breathe,” Kelsey Townsend, a senior political science major, said.

There is a sufficient amount of violence, including blood spurts and puddles (at one point I worry about tetanus). There are also guns and leftover bodies involved. Children, including a newborn, are in peril, and one child is swept away by a monster.

There’s also some arguing and a few jump scares. Can you even imagine a woman’s water breaking while having to live in complete silence?

If you’re anything like me and find it hard to hold back your emotions, such as lashing out at a character out loud when they do something senseless, maybe you should wait for the movie to be released on DVD.

“I was on edge the whole time,” Devin Scott, a junior finance major, said. “I had to cover my eyes and my mouth most of the time.”

The film will resound with family-oriented people as well as anyone who has a soft spot for kids.

Horror works best when there’s a concept behind it. This film is partly about how the family cannot make a sound, but the greatest fear it taps into is the fear of losing a loved one.

Even with little dialogue and script, “A Quiet Place” is clever and a perfectly concocted horror movie that should appeal not just to horror fans but to casual viewers, too.

Story by Hunter Terrell, Social Media Editor. Photo courtesy of IMBD.

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