By Kashyah Williams

Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place, released on April 6, is a film that tells a troubling story in complete silence. Using visual cues such as timestamps and newspaper clippings to guide the audience, the film shows the Abbott family who communicates strictly through sign language. Set in the year 2020 in a vacant town where they appear to be the only occupants, the small family (soon to get bigger) is forced to live in silence in fear of “Death Angels.” Any sudden loud sound will cause extraterrestrial creatures to come out and kill them. The death angels are blind and are triggered to come and attack by sound.

A Quiet Place serves as a groundbreaking film for the deaf community. The story is told creatively, with little to no dialogue, and includes subtitles. Starring John Krasinski alongside his wife, Emily Blunt, the story of a family trying to survive day by day unfolds. The soundtrack score, which was created by Marco Beltrami, immediately captures the audience because of the lack of dialogue in the film. The music plays a key role in the making of this film, and it does so beautifully and in an eloquent manner. With every piano chord causing tension and anxiety, the soundtrack is the key instrument to this film.

The family lives by the film’s tagline, “Silence means survival.” The family walks barefoot everywhere to avoid their footsteps being heard by the creatures. Krasinski’s character is constantly trying to learn more about the creatures and how to destroy them to keep his family safe.

Jeffrey M. Anderson from Common Sense Media states, “This gripping, clever monster movie is one of those rare genre treats that seizes on a simple, unique idea and executes it so perfectly and concisely that it elicits satisfying squeals of delight.” David Sims from The Atlantic writes, “A Quiet Place is an undoubtedly taxing affair for the nerves; fortunately, it’s also a deeply affecting one.”

The film is undoubtedly a must-see. Telling the story of a family’s survival in silence, it introduces a new perspective on how films can tell a story. What makes the film special is the challenge of how the filmmakers manage to execute the story with the limitation of spare dialog. Other elements of film are heightened so that the story can be told.