100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #60: A Quiet Place (2018)

Directed by John Krasinski, starring John Krasinski, Emily Blunt and Millicent Simmonds

Few would have expected that John Krasinski’s horror thriller A Quiet Place would take the world by storm upon its release in the spring of 2018. Films of this genre tend to come and go with little mainstream fanfare, catering more towards a niche market than broad appeal. I remember first hearing about it through word of mouth and seeing it with some friends on a whim. It was a theater experience I’ll never forget. To this day, I don’t remember a film that had me more on the edge of my seat for the entire experience. A Quiet Place rightly lived up to the hype as an extremely taut and well crafted thriller which explored fresh creative ground in the saturated arena of mid-budget horror.

But what does a mid-budget horror movie that over-performed at the 2018 box office have anything to do with a curated list of films that every Catholic should see? What perhaps surprised viewers like myself the most from the whole experience was that amidst the characteristic scares of the genre, there arose an unexpected and compellingly clear pro-family, pro-life and spiritual thematic element. In the words of Bishop Barron who offered his acclaim for the experience, “How wonderful when a film surprises you!’¹

Christian themes do not often find fertile ground in the horror genre of recent years. Most of these films tend to focus on cheap jump scares, gore, demonic entities and the downright subversion of Christian elements to the point of sacrilege. While A Quiet Place embraces archetypal monster terror tropes of the genre, Krasinski leans into the power of familial relationships as the central dynamism of his film. The monsters in this film represent external malevolent forces threatening to tear apart the domestic fabric of familial unity. I’m reminded in many ways of Beowulf, in which the monster Grendel lurks in the outer darkness where there is “wailing and gnashing teeth”,² poised to break into the warm, fragile light of civilization to bring chaos, death and destruction. 

In his film, Krasinski deploys a familiar premise with a refreshing dash of originality: an alien invasion by a terrifying yet unknown species of creature whose only way of “seeing” is through sound. To survive, one must remain completely silent to avoid detection. A Quiet Place deftly sidesteps common worldbuilding pitfalls, offering little explanation on how the cataclysm occurred, choosing instead to focus on the drama of the human lives at stake. The power of a compelling story lies in its ability to evoke a strong sense of pathos. In a lean 90 minute runtime, nothing is superfluous and every scene carries great emotional weight. 

On a rural farm that in any other scenario would seem positively idyllic, A Quiet Place follows one family as they attempt to adapt and survive amidst the ever present threat of the alien monsters lurking nearby. They have managed to rebuild their lives around this new normal, walking on paths of sand and living out of an insulated cellar to avoid making even the slightest of sounds. Every move they make must be done with the utmost caution. Any noise spells immediate detection and death. 

How this family managed to survive while most of humanity perished is largely thanks to Regan, the eldest daughter, whose deafness compelled the whole family to learn sign language long before the attack. What would have normally been perceived as a disability became the key to survival. This is one of the many beautiful lessons this film seeks to draw out so poignantly. Under normal circumstances, it is often easy to ignore the value in what someone who suffers from an impairment can contribute. But, as in this film, they often bring an invaluable and completely fresh perspective to seeing reality, something those with the full use of all their senses tend to overlook. To ground the experience with the utmost authenticity, Krasinski sought to cast a deaf actress for the role. “I didn't want a non-deaf actress pretending to be deaf ... a deaf actress would help my knowledge and my understanding of the situations tenfold. I wanted someone who lives it and who could teach me about it on set."³ The casting and subsequent performance of Millicent Simmonds as Regan served to elevate the entire production, providing the raw dynamism from which the entire emotional fabric of the film could unfold. 

But, A Quiet Place does not rest its acting laurels on this fact alone. The parents of the family, played by Krasinski and Emily Blunt, are actually married in real life! There is a certain subtle tenderness between them that is extremely hard to replicate through skill of acting alone. A recent viewing as a now married man yielded a deeper discernment and appreciation for the nuances of their onscreen chemistry. One poignant scene epitomizes this relationship most clearly. Krasinski and Blunt share earbuds (to avoid making an audible sound) for a slow dance to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, presumably the song of the first dance at their wedding. There is a tender and familiar sense of emotional intimacy that these two share. It reminds us that even in the face of the utmost danger, the power of spousal love can bring a sense of safeness and stability.

In a most authentic manner, A Quiet Place espouses the beauty of marriage and the family. Krasinski mentions a motivating factor in making the film was to explore his own thoughts on family and parenthood. There’s a certain sincerity in the film’s portrayal of family life that makes it so immediately raw and compelling. An external agenda or a forced formulaic approach feel refreshingly absent. Thomas Aquinas speaks of certain Transcendentals, innate desires we have within, that allow us to recognize what is true and what is beautiful. There is something about the portrayal of this family that I am immediately drawn to as true and beautiful. The most striking example of this is in the character of Lee Abbot (Krasinski) who represents one of the very best depictions of virtuous masculinity we’ve seen on big screen for many years. He is self-sacrificial, working day and night to protect and serve his wife and family. As I left the theatre, I could not help but call to mind Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” 

Of equal potency is the film’s treatment of the beauty and value of life. One of the central elements of the film’s drama focuses around the fact that Evelyn Abbott (Blunt) is expecting a child. The cries of a newborn would immediately have put the family in grave danger, yet they do not hesitate for a moment to bring new life into their perilous world. Making the necessary precautions to hide and mute the child as best they can, they choose to embrace the hope this little infant will bring. A common argument we hear today is that it would be irresponsible to have a child in the dark and seemingly hopeless world we live in. The world of A Quiet Place presents a far more dire circumstance than our own in many ways. There is a great lesson to be learned. Never despair, have faith and embrace the hope that the miracle and beauty of new life brings. 

John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place is a bright light shining amongst recent films and claims the title as the latest release on our list. The visage of a horror film gives way to a tender and poignant family-centric drama. Themes of the beauty of marriage, the goodness of the family and the inherent value of human life abound. With a manageable 90-minute runtime, it is well worth watching for anyone who can handle a mix of thrills, terror, and emotional intensity.

1. https://aleteia.org/2018/04/12/bishop-barron-on-a-quiet-place-the-most-unexpectedly-religious-film-of-the-year/

2. Luke 13:28

3. https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/01/30/a-quiet-place-john-krasinski-discusses-directing-silent-terror-plus-exclusive-photo-gallery-ign-first