Believe it or not, John Krasinski (The Office) has a flair for horror. This is his third film as director and definingly not his last… hopefully not his last horror film, anyway. He said on The Tonight Show that he likes the genre now so I’m crossing my fingers he’ll stick with it. He’s so good, in fact, that you’ll have a difficult time escaping the world that he designed for you in ‘A Quiet Place.’ Well, you’ll eventually be able to after the movie but not during. You’re there. Trust me when I say that it’ll take a while to shake what you witness. He did such a spectacular job of choosing the music, setting the tone and creating an atmosphere that’s so believable you walk away from watching the film as if you were personally involved in the lives of the characters on the screen. Masterfully, he introduces you to a family and their interrupted lives, in such a deeply contriving way that it leaves a profound impact on you as you sit in anticipation of what hideous thing will happen to these people next. After being shown the ramifications of making any sound, you hope for the best but fear the worst.

I was probably the biggest baby in the theatre. By the way, the movie is so quiet, you can’t help but notice the reactions of the other audience members as they gasp in fear and surprise. Krasinski didn’t make his film all about jump scares, (though there are a few really good ones), he instead ran straight toward your psyche and struck it hard by attacking what no one on earth can possibly avoid; making noise. What would it be like to live a life of silence? Could you? How would you? How would you communicate? What of your children? Could you keep a young child quiet? Could you keep an infant from crying? He puts you in the middle of situations where silence is golden and any hit of speech or the smallest of thuds can lead to certain death. It’s hard to imagine and how this story comes together, how well it was conceived and orchestrated, is even harder to explain except to say that the actors, especially Emily Blunt, are unbelievably good at bringing this terrible existence to life and you never once question their authenticity.

The family, Lee (Krasinski), Evelyn (Blunt) and their children Regan (Simmonds) and Marcus (Jupe) are alone on their farm but have made the best of it. They hunt, grow and can their food, know enough about medicine to survive and are smart enough to work around all the sound issues they face. We learn a lot about the creatures, where they come from and what they are, by reading clippings that Lee has posted. Lee’s not only reading all he can about the creatures, trying to find a way to defeat them, but he also studies how he can help his deaf daughter, Regan, a bratty pre-teen, hear again. I must point out that Simmonds is deaf in real life and what she does for the film is lend it some legitimacy. The family communicates with sign language and Krasinski not only needed young Simmonds for her fantastic acting and the character in her face but for her ability to make ‘A Quiet Place’ look more convincing. This will be appreciated by all, especially those in the deaf community. If you want to see an edge of your seat thriller this weekend, don’t miss this film. This is a must-see and unless you can’t keep quiet, experiencing it in the theatre is the best way to go.

Uncork’d Entertainment brings director Darrell Roodt’s vision of a horrific and twisted fairy tale for you to watch, available today on all platforms of VOD.

I liked the film, overall, but it’s hard to root for or feel too sorry for the main character, Chloe (Swart) who has just given birth to little Liam and is now doing everything she can do to stop herself from killing him. Why it’s hard to root for her is, though attempted, you never get a real liking for her. Instead, you feel more for her mother, Ruby (Puren), who is trying to bury her sordid past and makeup to her daughter whom she was anything but loving to.  That’s not to say you’re not going to like the film or buy into the characters. All boxes for a great horror are checked and there are two scream queens here, in Swart and Puren and in a few scenes they’re battling it out for top position if they were so interested. They’re both magnificent in their roles.

Chloe is from Eden Rock, a town that has a terrible past. The story is introduced to us by a woman narrating, complete with sound effects that set the tone, the story of what the British soldiers did to the women of Eden Rock in 1901 while their husbands were away. They locked them in concentration camps, raped them and if any of the women had children, the priest and a midwife would take the child and kill it to save its soul from damnation. These scenes will have you on edge and squirming at the thought of what these women and their babies went through.

Chloe had left her mother and Eden Rock, but she needs help and Ruby has taken her back in. It’s not hard to put two and two together and see that since it’s the same town and that babies are involved that a haunting is about to happen. Chloe has rejected her baby and Ruby takes it upon herself to try and get her some help as she falls deeper and deeper into depression. Chloe’s mood darkens when horrible visions of Eden Rock’s midwife begin to assault her. She becomes more aggressive while protecting the child. As the visions have shown the intentions of the midwife which is to see the child is killed.

Ruby decides to get some help from a therapist who’s also an old friend named Dr. Reed. He believes Chloe’s issues are just hormonal. He suggests and encourages Chloe to do as the visions suggest. Maybe he knows more than he’s letting on? His demeanor will lead you to think there’s something not quite right with him. Actor Brandon Auret does a superb job of bringing the creepy character to life. Even with his help or maybe because of it, Chloe grows uglier and more unhinged. She admits she’s a black hole; feels empty inside. A simple case of the baby blues hardly leads to what happens to this young woman and those around her.

The movie is good. I enjoyed the sound design tremendously. Spine-chilling sounds such as creaking floorboards, screeching, the crackle of a fire, shrieks and screams all helped in shaping the overall cadence and allows the audience to feel the pulse without missing a beat. Manipulative camera angles and adequate editing assisted considerably in the broad understanding of both Chloe’s and Ruby’s plight while keeping in mind that poor Liam’s soul is on the line. I close with this last thought. These two wonderful actresses, one playing a woman who’s desperately trying to reconnect with her child and one who’s doing everything she can to stay connected with the world, are tremendous. It would be a shame not to see a lot more of them in the future. I hope we do.

Theaters where you can currently see The Lullaby:

Phoenix – Valley Art

Los Angeles – Laemmle Music Hall

Philadelphia – PFS Roxy Theater

Chicago – Facets Cinematheque

Atlanta – Plaza Theater

Dallas – Texas Theater

Cleveland – Cedar Lee Cinemas

San Francisco – Roxie Theater

Miami – Cinema Paradiso

Denver – SIE Film Center