A Quiet Place Movie Review

A Quiet Place (2018)

Watch the trailer
Written by: Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski (screenplay by), Bryan Woods & Scott Beck (story by)
Directed by: John Krasinski
Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Skirt
Rated: PG-13

Plot
A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

Verdict
The sparse dialog is the hook, but it isn't a gimmick. This movie delivers. The pacing is quick with information revealed through facial expressions and sign language. The actors do a great job, and the sound mix really is incredible, taking on a heightened importance. It follows a three act structure,  and the last act is intense. This is the type of movie where you forget to breathe as you are so wrapped up into what's happening. It's intense, quick, and incredible.
Watch it.

Review
If you hadn't seen the trailers, you'd wonder what's going on when the first scene starts. A family is barefoot, tip toeing through a store in an abandoned town, using sign language to communicate. We realize staying quiet is important, and the movie quickly reveals why when the family's youngest kid pulls out the toy rocket ship he took from the store and it produces a loud sound. Everyone is panicked and with a blur across the screen, the kid is gone. It's an amazing introduction.

Was the idea conceived by parents of small children tired of the loud toys? The lack of dialog isn't a gimmick. The sound mix is amazing. There is very little dialog and sound is the driving force. Any noise above a whisper could mean death. The daughter is deaf and the movie often switches to her point of view which means complete silence. It's used to great effect.
Without dialog, actors have to actually act, relying on expressions, emotions, and sign language to communicate. This also gives the words that are spoken more importance. You don't have throw away lines here.

This isn't Krasinski's first directing job, he's done film and began by directing episodes of The Office, with his break through role starring as Jim Halpert. The directing is great, from the shots to how it drives up the tension. This family hits a perfect storm of bad luck, and while I could pick at some of the details, they don't detract from the experience. This family is perfectly suited to survive as long as they have by living on a farm and knowing sign language. I wondered how much the monsters could hear. They don't seem to pick up breathing. Do they only hunt humans? Movies often hurt themselves explaining too much, this gives us just enough. Taken at face value, it's a wild ride.

 

This is the kind of movie where you're holding your breath and gripping the arm rest. It's primarily a thriller with a few properties of a horror movie. It's got two jump scares, but they didn't feel cheap. We do eventually see the monsters.
The first third sets up their predicament, the middle develops the conflict, and the last third is the resolution. The last third is intense. The entire movie has great pacing and feels short. It never stalls or lags. The ending is just perfect. There are consequences, victory, a bit of foreshadowing, and a fair amount of blood.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 24, 2018

The Quiet Earth (1982) Last three people on Earth form a love triangle while trying to discover where everyone else went. The Kiwi's come through again with thoughtful Sci-Fi. TIL: The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, which means it's a very lonely place.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Tough Ninja The Shadow Warrior (1986) - "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Though I love graffitis and I often take pictures when I see some pretty good ones, I know absolutely nothing about street art. Those beanies with "Obey" written on them? I had absolutely no idea a street artist made them --the same guy who made those famous Obama posters, by the way-- I just assumed it was some expensive brand. So that's one of the things I learned watching Exit Through the Gift Shop.

But mostly, I learnt about the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles whose obsession with filming literally every single moment of his day brought him first to meet some of the most famous street artists, Shepard Fairey (the Obey/Obama guy) and Banksy, and later to become a street artists himself. 

Made by Banksy himself, I don't know how much of the story told in this documentary is actually true or if it is just Banksy trying to be in the spotlight while acting like he wants to avoid the spotlight, and feeding/growing the mystery that surrounds him. What I know is that, real or not, Exit Through the Gift Shop works. It works because it's put together in a way that is provocative and charming but most of all highly entertaining.

But that's not all. This documentary poses some pretty interesting questions about art. What is art really? What does it mean to people? How does it make people feel? But most important, what is talent? 

Revolver Entertainment, Producers Distribution Agency

Arguably the most interesting aspect of Exit Through the Gift Shop is its subject, Thierry Guetta. This character, whether real or a work of fiction, is absolutely ridiculous. He definitely has some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder if not a mental illness --a guy who records everything on tapes, only to pile them up in his basement to never watched them sure has some kind of problem--, but he is such an intriguing and entertaining personality, and that's mostly because, just like Tommy Wiseau, he takes himself and all the stuff he does very seriously. And it's through Thierry Guetta that Banksy successfully shows that, sometimes, drive is more important than talent when it comes to art. 

Netflix NEWS 04.24.2018

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

Kevin James: Never Don’t Give Up (April 24)

Netflix Comedy Special

This is his first special since 2001's Sweat the Small Stuff. He recently starred in the Netflix original True Memoirs of an International Assassin (read my review).
Watch the trailer

Psychokinesis (April 25)

Netflix Original Korean Language Movie

From Yeon Sang-Ho, the director of the zombie thriller Train to Busan, this focuses on the theme of superpowers where a father sets out to save his troubled daughter with superpowers that suddenly appeared in him one day.
Along with Psychokinesis, Yang Woo-seok's Steel Rain and Kim Hong-sun's The Chase will also be available on Netflix globally as a part of the partnership with Content Panda.
Announcement

Enissa Amani: Ehrenwort (April 26)

Netflix Comedy Special

After years of appearances on comedy stages, in TV shows and movies, the multi-talented German comedy prize winner now gets her own special. The Iranian-born German-Persian conquered the country's biggest stand-up stages in no time at all. On January 8th fans witnessed the live-taping of her new show in the St. Pauli Theater on Hamburg's Reeperbahn.
Announcement 

3% Season 2 (April 27)

Netflix Portuguese Language Original Series

This sci-fi series depicts a world where society is divided between progress and devastation. Every year only 3% of applicants to the 'good' offshore island are admitted. We watch the candidates in the 104th process.
It's based on creator Pedro Aguilera's own 2011 web series.
Read my Season 1 review - Watch it
Watch the trailer 
Season 2 Started filming in July 2017 
Offshore teaser video 
Date Announcement video 
Watch the trailer

Bobby Kennedy for President (April 27)

Netflix Documentary Series

On March 16, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy declared his candidacy for President of the United States in the U.S. Senate Caucus Room, the exact location where his late brother John F. Kennedy had proclaimed his candidacy in 1960. His run lasted 83 days.
Announcement 
Watch the trailer

Candy Jar (April 27)

Netflix Distributed Movie

Dueling high school debate champs who are at odds on just about everything forge ahead with ambitious plans to get into the colleges of their dreams. Starring: Christina Hendricks, Helen Hunt, Uzo Aduba.

The New Legends of the Monkey Season 1 (April 27)

Netflix Original Series - 10 episodes

Inspired by the 16th century Chinese fable Journey to the West, this series follows a girl and a trio of fallen gods on a perilous journey as they attempt to bring an end to a demonic reign of chaos and restore balance to their world.

The Rachel Divide (April 27)

Netflix Documentary

Rachel Dolezal becomes an social phenomenon when she passes herself off as an African American and becomes the head of her local N.A.A.C.P. chapter.
Watch the teaser

The Week Of (April 27)

Netflix Original Movie

The fourth of the original four movie deal from October 2014 with a new deal announced in March 2017 for four additional movies, this stars Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.
When two very different fathers come together for their children’s wedding, everything that could go wrong, does. Watch the hilarious hijinks as the two try to keep everything afloat, while dealing with their families...and each other. Before they get to the big day, they have to go through a long week. 
Announcement
Teaser video 
Watch the trailer 

Netflix Trailers
Greg Davies: You Magnificent Beast trailer - Now Streaming
Forgive Us Our Debts trailer - May 4
The Innocents Season 1 trailer - August 24
Candy Jar trailer - April 27
Anon trailer - May 4
Safe Season 1 trailer - May 10
The Rain Season 1 trailer - May 4

Netflix Previews & Videos

Aggretsuko - Sanrio Anime
The Joel McHale Show - Nicole Byer Announces New Fragance
Netflix True Crime Documentary Showcase 
GLOW Season 2 Date Announcement 
Cargo Attack clip
The Joel McHale Show - This Happened in a Classroom
Lost in Space - A Boy's Best Friend

Netflix News & Announcements
Angela Bassett & Patricia Arquette Negotiating to Star in Comedy Otherhood

Cary Elwes and Jake Busey Join Stranger Things Season 3 Cast 

New Horror Series - The Order 

First Original Dutch Series

New German Series The Wave 

Turn Up Charlie Series - Produced and Starring Idris Elba 

Netflix Reveals 7 New Series, 2 New Documentaries, and More 

The Staircase and Evil Genius Crime Documentaries Announcement

Making the Wild Wild Country Soundtrack 

Seven Seconds Canceled 

Mindhunter S2 - David Fincher Returning to Direct

Noah Emmerich Cast in The Spy 

Netflix Acquires Rights to Tell Me Everything 

Creators of Cargo Interview 

GLOW's Betty Gilpin Interview 

The Witcher to Debut in 2020 with 8 episodes

Lost in Space Creators Working on Season 2, Yet to Get Greenlight

Stranger Things Season 3 Begins Filming

Marseille Canceled [French Language]
DeWanda Wise Talks She's Gotta Have It Main Character Nola Darling
Dreamworks Bringing The Fast and the Furious Animated Series to Netflix

Hype List
Black Mirror Season 5 (2019, projected)
Disenchantment Season 1 (2018)
Arrested Development Season 5 (2018)
Anon (2018 May 4)
Stranger Things Season 3 (2018, projected)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (unconfirmed)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020)
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Dark Season 2 (2018, projected) 
The Umbrella Academy Season 1 (2018)

Witness to Murder (1954)

I was feeling like watching an old movie and Witness to Murder caught my attention for two reasons. First, I had never heard of it and yet it was on my IMDb watchlist. Weird, right? Second, and most important, the title. 

It follows Cheryl Draper (Barbara Stanwyck), a woman who wakes up on a stormy night and sees Albert Richter (George Sanders), her neighbour in the apartment across the street, strangling a woman. She calls the police to report the murder but when the police respond to the call, the detectives (Gary Merrill and Jesse White) don't find anything out of the ordinary in Richter's apartment so they don't believe her. Richter then tries to paint her as some crazy woman, but one of the detectives (Gary Merrill) develops an attachment to Cheryl and helps her.

The plot is very similar to Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window's (fun fact, both movies were released in 1954 but Witness to Murder was actually released months before Rear Window), only it has fewer twists, predictable turns, many plot holes and nonsensical things happening. In spite of that, it is interesting and engaging and, even though it loses its grip a little toward the end and the ending is too rushed and feels like it was just thrown in there to end the film, it keeps you glued to the screen for its thankfully short running times (1 hour and 20 minutes). 

Just like the plot, the characters suffer as well. They are interesting and nicely written at first, but as the plot moves forward, the writing gets kinda lazy. I like that Cheryl isn't just some woman. She is a middle-aged career woman without a man, which is the reason the police dismisses her so easily and probably never questions all the silly things Ritcher does. She is a strong, independent woman trying to prove she's right, but she is soon labelled as insane and put in a hospital and we have to suffer a psychiatric hospital sequence that goes nowhere.

United Artists

As for Richter, he isn't that good either. He starts off as a sophisticated writer --so it kind of make sense the police don't believe Cheryl-- and then it turns out he is a former Nazi who writes books that promote the ideology of the Third Reich. This happens for one reason only, in my opinion, the character was too bland and the writers needed something to make him a tiny bit more interesting --a theory supported by the fact that, even after we all, both audience and film's characters, know he is a Nazi, the police still don't suspect him.

All of that being said, the actors do a pretty good job. Though she struggles a little in her solo scenes, Barbara Stanwyck gives a good performance as Cheryl, a tormented woman who is driven insane, and captures the character's fear, determination and courage very well. George Sanders makes a quite impressive villain and makes the whole Nazi thing believable. Gary Merrill is decent as the detective who believes Cheryl, mostly because he falls for her.

Roy Rowland's direction is a bit flat. There are tension and suspense but it's little and the climax isn't that exciting. John Alton's photography, on the other hand, though nothing original for the genre, is excellent.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 22, 2018

The Spider Labyrinth (1988) Valiant attempt to mix Argento and Lovecraft never makes much sense, but definitely piles on the weird as only the Italians can. TIL: False gods always promise sex, money and/or power. Says more about us than it does them.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Cheerleader Camp (1988) - "The one who merely flees is not yet free. In fleeing he is still conditioned by that from which he flees." - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)

I used to watch Scooby-Doo all the time when I was younger but now I don't care much about it anymore. The thing is that they are not so bright. I did see, however, Lego Scooby-Doo: Haunted Hollywood nearly a year ago and since it wasn't bad I thought I'd give Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold a change. And honestly, I could not miss Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang teaming up with Batman. 

And that's exactly what happens in this film. After solving a mystery with the help of Batman (Diedrich Bader), the gang is invited to the Mystery Analysts of Gotham, a crimefighting organization consisting of Batman, Martian Manhunter (Nicholas Guest), Detective Chimp (Kevin Michael Richardson), Black Canary (Grey Griffin), Question (Jeffrey Combs), Plastic Man (Tom Kenny), and Aquaman (John DiMaggio). Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) and the gang have the opportunity to solve one of the superhero's unsolved cases, but before long Batman's only cold case turns hot again as a mysterious villain who calls himself the 'Crimson Cloak' wreaks havoc on Gotham.

I have to admit I wasn't sure this pairing --Scooby-Doo and the gags working with Batman and the Justice League B-Team-- would work, but the writers found a way to make it work. The plot develops in a way that Batman actually needs the help of the gang to solve the mystery. Also, there are some nice twists along the way and the possibility of not having a bad guy to unmask at the end makes the film interesting for most of its running time. 

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

What I liked the most about Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold was easily the characters. I really liked seeing all those superheroes and villains --the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Penguin, and Two-Face-- I knew already, and the film paid a nice homage to them, but my favourite was the character of Daphne. She isn't as bland as she usually is. This time around, she isn't the usual damsel in distress, but she's quite smart and actually helps the gang to solve the mystery. It was nice seeing this change in the character. 

The voice acting is overall pretty good, especially the work of Frank Welker and Diedrich Bader. The animation is very nice too. The drawings are beautiful, colourful and quite detailed. At last, the film has enough jokes and gags --mostly Scooby-Doo style-- to entertain.