This a truly unsettling Horror flick that, for some bizarre reason, I never got to see at the Cinema, and only managed to catch on Netflix quite recently.
Directed by John Krasinski, it is a movie that plays with the most unexpected of elements; silence. Some time in the future, Earth has been invaded by an alien race that can locate, and attack based on their ability to hear the slightest of noises. Humans have learned to survive by going barefoot everywhere, and communicating without using words. One such family has learned to do all these things to such a degree, that they’ve managed to live in relative harmony.
The family protagonist of this tale consists of Evelyn and Lee Abbot ( Emily Blunt and John Krasinski), their deaf daughter, Regan Abbot (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and Beau Abbot (Cade Woodward). Given Regan’s condition, they’ve all learned to use sign language as a means of communicating with her, and avoiding verbal communication to make their daily life more easy. This disability also proves to be a liability as the daughter cannot hear any sounds from incoming attackers. At the very beginning of the movie, Beau is killed as a result of a silly mistake, for which Regan, who was supposed to be in charge of him, blames herself. That circumstance has made her relationship with her parents a tense and estranged one. On top of that, Evelyn is, once again, pregnant and, on the isolated farmhouse where they live, the family has prepared an underground, soundproof room, for when the baby comes. This is a recipe for disaster, and one that will put their collective mental and physical strength to the test.
What follows is one of the most engrossing and terrifying Horror tales we’ve seen on the big screen in some time. Production Design, Cinematography, acting and script are all top-notch, but what really takes the cake here is the Sound design. If you’ve got the proper set-up at home, you’re in for a treat. On the third act of the movie, both the tension and suspense ramp up, and the jump-scares come thick and fast. A very well told story, with an increasingly faster pace as the movie moves along, and well acted, this is one of the best examples of how to make a brilliant Horror movie, with the right doses of Horror and dramatic tension. It’s also got one of the most emotional father-daughter relationships portrayed on-screen in a long time. Highly recommended.
Thanks for reading.
The Flick Geek 