‘A Quiet Place’ balances horror, thrills, a pro-life message and monsters perfectly

A Quiet Place proves that sometimes less is more. Co-starring and directed by John Krasinski, with his real-life wife, Emily Blunt (Sicario, Mary Poppins Returns), the new thriller, horror flick is rocking theaters with masterful balance of intrigue, scares, messages about the family and a new alien monster.

Krasinski and Blunt play a husband (Lee) and wife (Evelyn), survivors in 2020 after an invading alien race has decimated the planet. The pair navigate their corner of the world with their kids and a strict code of silence since ANY noise attacks the beasts. It doesn’t take long for tragedy to strike and push the film forward a year as Evelyn nears birth a new child.

Their daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds of Wonderstruck) is deaf and deals with a ton of conflict, partly as a result of the aforementioned events and some due to teenage angst. The son, Marcus (Noah Jupe, who had a supporting role in Wonder) is already scared out of his mind and yes, you guessed, the creatures are coming.

Krasinski pulls off a masterpiece in the same way M. Night Shyamalan found success. A Quiet Place keeps the focus on family, survival and Evelyn’s birth will make everyone ask if it’s really worth it. Will the baby crying get everyone killed?

This dystopia is truly engaging as the family walks barefoot on lightly colored sand, relies on lights and sign language to communicate. The parental sacrifice which is presented over and over again is so powerful you are on the edge of your seat. A message of love penetrates the horrors outside to bind the family together, fighting for one other, risking their own lives for the group’s survival.

Earning awards for his work on The Office is one thing, but now Krasinski moves into the role of top notch filmmaker.

It’s so incredibly rare that a family can enjoy a horror film together without enduring nudity, profanity and graphic gore, but A Quiet Place is set on one thing – just scaring you. AND IT IS SCARY!

A Quiet Place earns 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars