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''A Quiet Place'' is a 2018 American
post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
directed by
John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), where he was also a producer and occasional director. He directed, co-w ...
. The screenplay was written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods from a story they conceived, with contributions by Krasinski after he joined the project. The movie tells the story of a mother ( Emily Blunt) and father (Krasinski) who struggle to survive and raise their children ( Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by blind extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing. Beck and Woods developed the concept for the story while in college, and began writing the screenplay in January 2016. They told Platinum Dunes producers that they wanted Blunt for the role of the mother. In July 2016, Krasinski read their script for the role of the father. He spoke with Blunt about his ideas for the story, and she suggested he direct the film. Blunt initially did not take the role, but later felt connected to the story after reading the script. The two collaborated on ideas for the film during
pre-production Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, video game, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the co ...
. Krasinski was announced as director, co-writer, and co-star with Blunt in March 2017. Filming took place in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
from May to November 2017. ''A Quiet Place'' premiered at
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
on March 9, 2018, and was released in the United States on April 6, 2018, by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
. It grossed more than $340 million worldwide and received critical acclaim. The film was chosen by the National Board of Review and
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
as one of the top ten films of 2018, and received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score,
Academy Award for Best Sound Editing The Academy Award for Best Sound is an Academy Award that recognizes the finest sound mixing, recording, sound design, and sound editing. The award used to go to the studio sound departments until a rule change in 1969 said it should be awarde ...
, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Blunt won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. It is the first film in the ''A Quiet Place'' universe. Its sequel, '' A Quiet Place Part II'', was released in 2021.


Plot

Sightless creatures with sharp hearing and impenetrable armored skin have taken over the planet and killed most of the human population. The Abbott family – father Lee, mother Evelyn, deaf daughter Regan, and sons Marcus and Beau – live on their isolated farm in the middle of a forest in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
, and have survived by taking precautions such as laying sand paths to avoid stepping on crunching leaves and using
American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...
when communicating. When the family goes into the nearby town for supplies, Beau finds a toy
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...
, but Lee makes him leave it behind due to the noise it would make if powered on. As they are getting ready to leave, Regan returns it without its batteries, but Beau replaces them without anyone noticing. While walking back home, Beau activates it, which starts making noise. Almost immediately, Beau is killed by a nearby creature before Lee can reach him. Regan suffers terrible guilt thereafter, which she hides from her parents, although Marcus is aware of it. Over a year after Beau's death, Evelyn is pregnant with a fourth child. Marcus reluctantly goes fishing with Lee while Regan, upset that she cannot go, visits Beau's grave. While the rest of the family is gone, Evelyn goes into
labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
. While heading to the basement, she accidentally steps on an upright nail and drops a photo frame, alerting a nearby alien which enters the house. Struggling to stay silent amidst the pain, Evelyn flips a switch in the basement, turning the surrounding lights around the house red. The creature enters the basement soon after, but Evelyn distracts it with the loud clicks of an
egg timer An egg timer or kitchen timer is a device whose primary function is to assist in timing during cooking; the name comes from the first timers initially being used for the timing of cooking eggs. Early designs simply counted down for a specific p ...
and escapes upstairs. Upon returning to the farm and seeing the red lights, Marcus and Lee lure the alien out of the house by lighting off fireworks, allowing Evelyn to safely give birth to her baby. Regan, seeing the fireworks, runs back to the house. Lee enters the house armed with a shotgun and finds the baby and Evelyn, then brings them into a hiding spot under the floor in the barn outside. The baby cries, and a creature enters the barn. The alien fails to find the source of the noise, but breaks some water pipes. Evelyn wakes up in the flooded hideout with the alien still inside and hides behind the falling water to mask her and the baby's sound. Marcus and Regan climb to the top of a corn
silo A silo () is a structure for storing Bulk material handling, bulk materials. Silos are commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use toda ...
and light a signal fire to alert their father, but Marcus falls into the silo and almost becomes sucked into the corn. Hearing this, the alien, which is hunting for Evelyn, runs towards the silo and attacks Regan and Marcus. The creature's disruptive effect on electronics causes Regan's
cochlear implant A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted Neuroprosthetics, neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for imp ...
to emit a high-pitched noise, which causes the creature to reel in pain and retreat, breaking a hole in the silo which frees the children. Lee finds Regan and Marcus, directing them to his truck and is wounded when a creature attacks him. Marcus cannot stifle a scream, and the alien attacks the truck. Lee signs to Regan that he has always loved her and proceeds to yell to draw the creatures attention, sacrificing himself in order to allow Marcus and Regan to drive the truck back to the house safely. Reuniting with a grieving Evelyn they make their way back into the house, followed by a creature. Regan, remembering the reaction it had to the high-pitched noise from her implant, places it on a microphone which amplifies the noise. The creature screeches in pain and exposes the vulnerable tissue beneath the armor plating on its head, allowing Evelyn to kill it with Lee's shotgun. Armed with a new weapon, the family prepares to defend themselves from the approaching pack of creatures who heard the shot.


Cast

* Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott, wife of Lee, and the mother to their four children, Regan, Marcus, Beau, and baby Abbott. Krasinski said her character wanted to ensure that their children "be fully-formed, fully-thinking people." *
John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), where he was also a producer and occasional director. He directed, co-w ...
as Lee Abbott, an engineer who is Evelyn's husband and the father of Regan, Marcus, Beau, and newborn baby Abbott. Krasinski described his character as a
survivalist Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists, doomsday preppers or preppers) who proactively prepare for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and other disasters causing disruption to social order (that is, ...
focused on getting his family through each day. ** Krasinski also provided the motion-capture for the extraterrestrial creatures. * Noah Jupe as Marcus Abbott, the second child and eldest son of Lee and Evelyn, and Regan's and Beau's brother. Krasinski noticed Jupe in the 2016 miniseries '' The Night Manager'' and watched an early screening of the 2017 film ''
Suburbicon ''Suburbicon'' is a 2017 American black comedy crime film directed by George Clooney and co-written by the Coen brothers, Clooney, and Grant Heslov. It stars Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Noah Jupe, and Oscar Isaac, and follows a mild-mannered ...
'' to evaluate Jupe's performance. * Millicent Simmonds as Regan Abbott, Lee and Evelyn's teenage deaf daughter, and Marcus' and Beau's older sister. Krasinski said he sought a deaf actress "...for many reasons; 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." * Cade Woodward as Beau Abbott, Lee and Evelyn's four-year-old son. *
Leon Russom Leon Russom is an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, particularly soap operas. He portrayed Admiral Toddman (in the '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode " The Die is Cast") and the Starfleet Commander-in-Chief in '' Sta ...
as a man in the woods.


Production


Development and writing

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods began writing ''A Quiet Place'' in January 2016 based on a concept they conceived in college. When they first spoke with Platinum Dunes about the project, the two said they wanted Blunt for the role of the mother. Platinum Dunes'
Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget high-concept action films with fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special eff ...
had a first-look deal with
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
and showed their script to the studio. During the writing stage, Beck and Woods spoke to a Paramount executive, who suggested that the film could be a crossover with the ''Cloverfield'' franchise. When they took their final script to Paramount, the studio embraced it as a distinct, stand-alone story. Paramount bought the script from the duo. Platinum Dunes producers
Andrew Form Andrew Form (born February 3, 1969) is an American film producer known for producing the films '' Friday the 13th'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', and '' The Purge''. He is the co-founder of company Platinum Dunes along with Michael Bay and ...
and Brad Fuller sent the script to Krasinski to play the role of the father, which he read in July. The concept of parents protecting their children appealed to him, especially as his second child with Blunt had recently been born. Beck and Woods also cited
Bong Joon-ho Bong Joon Ho (, ; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean filmmaker. Bong Joon Ho filmography, His work is characterized by emphasis on social and class themes, genre fiction, genre-mixing, black comedy, dark comedy, and sudden tone shifts. ...
's '' The Host'' (2006) as a significant influence on their screenplay for the film. After reading Beck and Wood's script, Krasinski pitched his vision of the story to Blunt, who suggested he direct the film. In a meeting with the producers, Krasinski expressed his desire to co-write and direct it and pitched them his vision. When he co-wrote the script, he had Blunt in mind for the role; however, he did not ask her to do it as she had just had a child, was working on another film, and he was concerned that if he asked she would either decline it or accept it to support him. "I just thought if she does this, she has to come to it on her own." Blunt initially did not want to be cast, but after reading Krasinski's script on a flight she felt she needed to do it as the story "represented some of my deepest fears—of not being able to protect my children." Beck and Woods said that Krasinski taking over the film as director "wasn't about reshaping it in any massive way" and that he "really protected our vision of the script". Krasinski said that their script differed from his "in a bunch of little ways, but the heart was all theirs. They really had this thing that I wanted to be a part of." He focused on the idea of family being the core of the story, "so every scare has to be because you love this family, every detail has to become a detail that says something about this family not just to be cool, not just to be scary." His contributions to the screenplay included the use of
sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with #Non-manual elements, no ...
, sand paths, the lights, and the walk to the forest and the pharmacy. Krasinski was initially anxious about having very little dialogue to work with, as he was concerned with how to "keep people interested". He then realized that minimal dialogue became the film's "superpower". The use of sign language came about when, prior to filming, Simmonds showed Krasinski the
American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...
translation for a scene's dialogue, and he found her gestures to be "so much more cinematic than saying the words would've been". Blunt contributed to the
pre-production Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, video game, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the co ...
stage of the film. Most of the directing Krasinski did with her role was off-screen from the moment she accepted the project. The two worked through the script and discussed the shots for the film before it went into production, and by the time they got on set they had "done all the collaborating ... all the hard work." Blunt "offered up the greatest ideas" for the film, he stated, crediting her for "raising the game" for him as a filmmaker. In March 2017, Krasinski was announced as director and co-writer of the film, co-starring with Blunt. The film is his third directorial credit and his first for a major studio. The film was produced on a budget of $17 million.


Filming

The film was shot in 36 days. Production took place from May to November 2017 in Dutchess and
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
counties in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
. Filmmakers spent their budget locally, including a purchase of of corn, which they hired local farmers to grow. Some filming took place on a soundstage in the town of Pawling in Dutchess County, as well as on-location in the county's city of
Beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...
. Filming also took place on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in New Paltz of Ulster County, using the Springtown Truss Bridge. Outside Dutchess and Ulster counties, filming took place on Main Street in Little Falls in
Herkimer County, New York Herkimer County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer (village), New York, Herkimer. The co ...
.


Sound and music

During filming, the crew avoided making noise so diegetic synchronized sounds (e.g., the sound of rolling dice on a game board) could be recorded; the sounds were amplified in post-production. A musical score was added, which Krasinski justified in wanting audiences to have a cinematic experience and some familiarity with a traditional film component, instead of feeling like they're part of a "silence experiment." Some music was cut from the film, which Krasinski found more impactful than having the score dominate scenes. Supervising sound editors Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn worked on ''A Quiet Place''. For scenes from the perspective of the deaf daughter, sound was removed to put greater focus on the visual. They also advised on organizing shots to reflect the creatures' perspective, like showing them noticing a sound, then showing what was causing the sound. Composer
Marco Beltrami Marco Beltrami (born October 7, 1966) is an American composer of film and television scores. He has worked in a number of genres, including horror ('' Scream'', ''Mimic, The Faculty, Resident Evil, The Woman in Black, Carrie, A Quiet Place'' ...
provided the sound editors music to work with in a way that would not interfere with the sound design throughout the film. In the film, creatures are blind and communicate through clicking sounds. Aadahl and Van der Ryn said they were inspired by
animal echolocation Echolocation, also called bio sonar, is a biological active sonar used by several animal groups, both in the air and underwater. Echolocating animals emit calls and listen to the Echo (phenomenon) , echoes of those calls that return from various ...
, such as that employed by bats. The sound of feedback, normally avoided by sound editors, was woven into the story at a loudness level that would not bother audiences too much. For moments in the movie that depict Regan's point of view, Simmonds worked with sound designers to convey what the
cochlear implant A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted Neuroprosthetics, neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for imp ...
s in the movie would have sounded like, and what she was able to hear without the implants.


Use of sign language

The characters communicate in
American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...
(ASL) to avoid making sound, so the filmmakers hired deaf mentor Douglas Ridloff to teach ASL to the actors and to be available to make corrections. They also hired an ASL interpreter for deaf actress Simmonds, so that spoken and signed language could be interpreted back and forth on set. Simmonds grew up with ASL, and she helped teach her fellow actors to sign. She said, "In the movie, we've been signing together for years and years. So it should look fluent." She observed that each character's use of sign language reflected their motivations: the father had short and brief signs which showed his survival mentality, while the mother had more expressive signs as part of wanting her children to experience more than survival. Krasinski said that Simmonds's character used "signing that's very defiant, it's very teenage defiant." Simmonds said that she suggested for the daughter to rebel rather than cower during a sign-language fight with her father. She also said that the script originally had the father sign "I love you" to his daughter at the end of the film, but she suggested for him to follow with "I've always loved you" to make up for their arguing earlier in the film. Producers
Andrew Form Andrew Form (born February 3, 1969) is an American film producer known for producing the films '' Friday the 13th'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', and '' The Purge''. He is the co-founder of company Platinum Dunes along with Michael Bay and ...
and
Bradley Fuller Bradley Fuller (born November 5, 1965) is an American film and television producer. He co-owns Platinum Dunes, partnering with both Michael Bay and Andrew Form. Early life and education Bradley Fuller was born in 1965 into a family of theatre ...
said that they initially planned not to provide on-screen subtitles for sign-language dialogue while providing only "context clues," but they realized that subtitles were necessary for the scene in which the deaf daughter and her hearing father argue about the modified hearing aid. They subsequently added subtitles for all sign-language dialogue in the film.


Creature design

Production designer Jeffrey Beecroft headed the creature design, and
Industrial Light & Magic Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American Film, motion picture visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion digital studio founded by George Lucas on May 26, 1975. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lu ...
created the creatures, led by visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar. The director wanted the creatures to look like they had evolved to no longer need eyes, and to be "somewhat humanoid" in nature. Farrar said the initial creature design showed them with rhinoceros-like horns out of their faces, but later redesigns omitted this because it was not scary enough. Creature designers referenced prehistoric fish, black snakes, and bats, particularly their movement patterns. Inspiration was also drawn from bog people: cadavers that have been mummified in peat, turning the skin black and giving it a sagging, leathery look." Krasinski provided
motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mocap or mo-cap, for short) is the process of recording high-resolution motion (physics), movement of objects or people into a computer system. It is used in Military science, military, entertainment, sports ...
for the creatures.


Marketing

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
released the first trailer for ''A Quiet Place'' in November 2017. It aired a 30-second commercial for the film during the US football championship
Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. As a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years earlier, the game was between the National Football Conferen ...
on February 4, 2018. Of the seven trailers that aired during the playoff, ''A Quiet Place'' and ''
Red Sparrow ''Red Sparrow'' is a 2018 American spy thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Justin Haythe, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Jason Matthews. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaert ...
'' were shown during the pregame and had the lowest views and social conversations. ''A Quiet Place'' had 149,000 views on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
, 275,000 views on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
, and 2,900 social conversations. On February 12, 2018, Krasinski appeared on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
'' to present the full trailer for ''A Quiet Place''. The studio spent an estimated $86 million on prints and advertisements for the film.


Release


Premiere

''A Quiet Place'' had its world premiere at the
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
film festival as the opening-night film on March 9, 2018. It was selected from 2,458 submissions, and earned "raves" from critics, according to '' IndieWire''. Following its premiere, the film experienced social media growth to over views across multiple platforms, outpacing ''
Get Out ''Get Out'' is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb ...
'' (2017), which had views.


Box office forecast

''The Tracking Board'' reported on , "The stellar reviews out of SXSW, coupled with the fact that there isn't anything like it in the marketplace, should help it stand out among its bigger-budget competition." ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' said on that the film was projected to gross around $20 million in its opening weekend. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported on that the film "is tracking to open between" and , which reached a basement of low-$20 million by the week of its release. ''
BoxOffice ''Boxoffice Pro'' is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by BoxOffice Media LP. History It started in 1920 as ''The Reel Journal'', taking the name ''Boxoffice'' in 1931 and still publishes today, with a ...
'' initially estimated on , 2018, that ''A Quiet Place'' would gross in its opening weekend, and that it would gross a total of in the United States. By , it increased its estimate to an opening weekend gross of and a US total gross of . The magazine said the film's trailer was well-received online and that it appeared frequently in previews for '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi''. ''BoxOffice'' wrote, "The horror genre has also shown a knack for over-performing against expectations at the box office in recent years, setting this release up for potential success." It added that ''A Quiet Place'' would have to compete against another horror film, ''
Truth or Dare Truth or dare? is a mostly verbal party game requiring two or more players. Players are given the choice between answering a question truthfully, or performing a "dare". The game is particularly popular among adolescents and children, and is so ...
'', which would be released the following weekend. The magazine's staff drew "very favorable" comparisons between ''A Quiet Place'' and the 2016 films ''
10 Cloverfield Lane ''10 Cloverfield Lane'' is a 2016 American science fiction horror thriller film directed by Dan Trachtenberg in his directorial debut, produced by J. J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber and written by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chaze ...
'' and '' Don't Breathe''.


Theatrical run

''A Quiet Place'' was first commercially released in theaters in the first week of April 2018 in multiple territories, including North America. The film grossed $188 million in the United States and Canada, and $152 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $341 million. ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' estimates the net profit of the film to be $93 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues. Paramount Pictures released the film in in the United States and Canada on , 2018, alongside '' Blockers'', '' Chappaquiddick'', and ''
The Miracle Season ''The Miracle Season'' is a 2018 American biographical sports drama film directed by Sean McNamara and starring Erin Moriarty, Helen Hunt, William Hurt, and Danika Yarosh. The film is based on the true story of the Iowa City West High School ...
''. The film made $18.9 million on its first day (including $4.3 million from Thursday night previews at ), increasing weekend projections to $47 million. Unlike most horror films, which are front-loaded on Friday and experience drops the rest of the weekend, ''A Quiet Place'' made $19.1 million on Saturday. It went on to debut to $50.2 million, topping the box office and marking the biggest opening for a Paramount film since ''
Star Trek Beyond ''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the third installment in List of Star ...
'' in July 2016. * The film made $32.9 million in its second weekend, dropping 34% (better than the 50+% that horror films normally see) and finishing second at the box office, behind newcomer '' Rampage'' ($35.7 million). The hold represented the second-best-ever second weekend for a scary movie behind '' It''. The film regained the top spot the following week, grossing $20.9 million (a 36% drop), but dropped back down to second place the following weekend behind newcomer '' Avengers: Infinity War'' with $10.7 million. Through its first two weeks of international release, the film had made $51.7 million, with its top markets being the United Kingdom ($9.2 million), Mexico ($5.1 million), Australia ($4.6 million), Brazil ($3.9 million), Indonesia ($3.4 million), the Philippines ($2.7 million) and Taiwan ($1.9 million). It also debuted to $2.2 million in Russia, the biggest-ever opening for a Paramount horror film in the country. In its third weekend overseas, it dipped only 37% for a total of $15 million from 57 markets. In its fourth weekend in international markets, it grossed $6.6 million. As of May 20, 2018, the film's largest markets were United Kingdom ($16.3 million), Australia ($9.3 million), Mexico ($7.5 million) and Brazil ($6.9 million). The film was released in China on May 18 and made $17.7 million from 8,731 screens in its opening weekend.


Reception


Critical response

On
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, ''A Quiet Place'' holds an approval rating of based on reviews, and an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads: "''A Quiet Place'' artfully plays on elemental fears with a ruthlessly intelligent creature feature that's as original as it is scary – and establishes director John Krasinski as a rising talent." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 55 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 81% overall positive score and a 63% "definite recommend". Writing for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'',
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...
gave the film 3.5 out of 4, praising the movie's exploration of themes about parenthood, and saying "This new horror classic will fry your nerves to a frazzle." ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''s
Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for '' Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...
said, "''A Quiet Place'' is a tautly original genre-bending exercise, technically sleek and accomplished, with some vivid, scary moments, though it's a little too in love with the stoned logic of its own premise." Michael Phillips of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' gave the film 2.5 out of 4 and said, "My favorite moment, an encounter between Regan and one of the monsters in a cornfield, plays with sound and image and tension, creatively. Other bits are more shameless...I don't know if I'd call ''A Quiet Place'' enjoyable; it's more grueling than cathartic." Author
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
praised the film in a tweet, saying, "A QUIET PLACE is an extraordinary piece of work. Terrific acting, but the main thing is the SILENCE, and how it makes the camera's eye open wide in a way few movies manage." Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com called ''A Quiet Place'' "Krasinski's breakthrough as a triple-threat entertainer, but it's been a long time coming... By no accident, he's tackled the horror genre while relying on the unique strength that can be seen throughout his acting work, and one that has made him relatable as an everyman across TV and film—expressive silence."
Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' says: "In its simplicity and punch, this is a film that feels as if it could have been made decades ago, in the classic age of ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...
'' or ''
The Omega Man ''The Omega Man'' (stylized as ''The Ωmega Man'') is a 1971 American Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, postapocalyptic action film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston as a survivor of a pandemic. It was written by John W ...
''. It is a cracking back-to-basics thriller that does not depend too much on what these creatures look like." Matthew Monagle of ''
Film School Rejects Film School Rejects is an American blog devoted to movie reviews, interviews, film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production company, prod ...
'' said ''A Quiet Place'' seemed to be "the early frontrunner for the sparsely intellectual horror movie of the year", like previous films ''
The Babadook ''The Babadook'' is a 2014 Australian psychological horror film written and directed by Jennifer Kent in her feature directorial debut, based on her 2005 short film ''Monster''. Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McEl ...
'' (2014) and '' The Witch'' (2015). Monagle said Krasinski, who had directed two previous films, was "making an unusual pivot into a genre typically reserved for newcomers", and considered it to be part of a movement toward horror films layered "in storytelling,
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometers, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is i ...
character beats not typically found in a horror movie". Tatiana Tenreyro, writing for ''
Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...
'', said while ''A Quiet Place'' was not a
silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
, "It is the first of its kind within the modern horror genre for how little spoken dialogue it actually has." She said the rare moments of spoken dialogue "give depth to this horror movie, showing how the narrative defies the genre's traditional films even further".


Accolades


Commentary and themes


Parenthood

Krasinski identified the primary theme of the film as a dramatization of "fears associated with modern parenthood". Krasinski, who had recently become a father, said in a conference interview that he "was already in a state of terror about whether or not ewas a good enough father", and added that the meaning of parenthood had been elevated for him by imagining being a father in a nightmare world, struggling to simply keep his children alive. Krasinski has told CBS News that "the scares were secondary to how powerful this could be as an allegory or metaphor for parenthood. For me, this is all about parenthood." Travers' ''Rolling Stone'' review argued that "the question Krasinski tackles is what defines a family and what's needed to preserve it? 'Who are we', asks Mom, 'if we can't protect our children?' The answers are worked out with satisfying complexity and genuine feeling, proving indeed that home is where family is." ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''s John DeFore described the film as "a terrifying thriller with a surprisingly warm heart" and said, "you might have to go back to Jeff Nichols' 2011 '' Take Shelter'' to find a film that has used the fantastic this well to convey the combination of fear and responsibility a good parent feels".


Other themes

Speaking of the political and social commentary the film encouraged, Krasinski said, "That's not what I was going for, but the best compliment you can get on any movie is that it starts a conversation. The fact that people are leaving and talking about anything is really fun—but certainly about deep stuff like that, is awesome." Krasinski, who did not grow up with horror films, said that prior films of the genre such as '' Don't Breathe'' (2016) and ''
Get Out ''Get Out'' is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb ...
'' (2017) that had societal commentary were part of his research. In addition to considering his film a metaphor for parenthood, he compared the premise to US politics in 2018, "I think in our political situation, that's what's going on now: You can close your eyes and stick your head in the sand, or you can try to participate in whatever's going on." He cited '' Jaws'' (1975) as an influence, with how the protagonist police officer moved from New York to an island to avoid frightening situations, and was forced to encounter one in his new location with shark attacks. Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Barron was surprised by what he saw as strikingly religious themes in the film. He likened the family's primitive, agrarian life of silence to monasticism, and commends their self-giving love. Barron suggested
pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in response to the lega ...
themes, especially in the choices of the parents, as Mrs. Abbott risks everything to give birth to a child, and her husband lays down his own life so that the children can live: what Barron sees as the ultimate expression of parental love. Sonny Bunch of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' also commented and expanded on a pro-life message.
Richard Brody Richard Brody (born January 22, 1958) is an American film critic, filmmaker and author. Background Brody grew up in Roslyn, New York. He is Jewish and has personally identified as an atheist. Brody attended Princeton University, receiving a B ...
, writing for ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'', criticized ''A Quiet Place'' for what he perceived to be the inclusion of
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and pro-gun themes in the film. He described it as "the antithesis of 'Get Out'" and "both apparently unconscious and conspicuously regressive" and opined that it " ringsto the fore the idealistic elements of gun culture while dramatizing the tragic implications that inevitably shadow that idealism." Krasinski addressed Brody's criticism in a subsequent interview with ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'', stating that he did not write the film with an intentional political message. Krasinski said, "I never saw it that way or ever thought of it until it was presented to me in that way. he filmwasn't about being, you know, silent and political... my whole metaphor was solely about parenthood."


Home media

''A Quiet Place'' was released on Digital HD on June 26, 2018, and on
Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progre ...
,
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
on July 10, 2018. Paramount Pictures released a 4K, Steelbook+Blu-Ray+Digital version of the film on February 25, 2020.


Sequels and spin-off

A sequel to ''A Quiet Place'', titled '' A Quiet Place Part II'', was written and directed by Krasinski and stars Blunt, Simmonds, Jupe,
Cillian Murphy Cillian Murphy ( ; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. His works encompass both stage and screen, and his accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 pl ...
, and
Djimon Hounsou Djimon Gaston Hounsou ( ; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor. He began his career appearing in music videos and made his film debut in '' Without You I'm Nothing'' (1990). He then earned widespread recognition for his role as C ...
. Taking place immediately following the first film, the sequel sees the Abbott family leaving their home and encountering more survivors in an attempt to find a new home. ''Part II'' had its premiere on March 8, 2020 and was released theatrically on May 28, 2021. Another direct sequel, tentatively titled ''A Quiet Place Part III'', is currently in production. A spin-off prequel, titled '' A Quiet Place: Day One'', was written and directed by Michael Sarnoski. It stars
Lupita Nyong'o Lupita Amondi Nyong'o ( , , ; born 1 March 1983) is an actress who has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Daytime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, a ...
as a terminally ill woman attempting to escape
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
during the early stages of the alien invasion. ''Day One'' was released on June 28, 2024.


See also

*
List of films featuring the deaf and hard of hearing There is a body of films that feature the Deafness, deaf and hard of hearing. The ''Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series'' wrote, "The world of the deaf has received little attention in film. Like blindness... it has been misused as a ...
*
List of horror films of 2018 This is a list of horror films that were released in 2018. References External links Horror films of 2018on Internet Movie Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Horror films of 2018 * 2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over ...
* Sign-language media * Disability in horror films


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Quiet Place, A 2018 films 2018 horror films 2010s American films 2010s English-language films 2010s monster movies 2010s pregnancy films A Quiet Place (film series) American monster movies American post-apocalyptic films American pregnancy films American science fiction horror films American Sign Language films Apocalyptic films English-language science fiction horror films Films about alien invasions Films about deaf people Films about disability in the United States Films about families Films directed by John Krasinski Films produced by Andrew Form Films produced by Bradley Fuller Films produced by Michael Bay Films scored by Marco Beltrami Films set in 2020 Films set in 2021 Films set in the future Films set on farms Films shot in New York (state) Films using motion capture Films with screenplays by John Krasinski Paramount Pictures films Platinum Dunes films Satellite Award–winning films Saturn Award–winning films Films shot in the Hudson Valley