Greetings, and welcome back to October Horror Fest! Guys, I promised you that I would have some BANGERS coming up for our final two weeks, and I did not lie. Tonight, with exactly thirteen days until Halloween (peak spookyness), I decided to watch one of the most famous and best horror films of recent years, and I was NOT disappointed. I have been dying to watch this film ever since I saw the third one in theatres BEFORE the first two (smile situation all over again). But, I am SO happy to venture in with all of you now. Hold onto your hats, dear readers, and please, SHHHHHHH. Without further ado, sit back, relax, turn off the lights, grab some Candy and Popcorn, and let’s review…

A Quiet Place

Our film opens on a title card revealing the words “Day 89”, as we see the sight of a ruined streetlight. We see a supposedly completely abandoned small town. We meet our cast of characters, where we see a woman steal medicine for her child. There are three children, a mother, and a father. However, the MOST striking thing about this typical movie setup is that there is virtually NO noise. All of the dialogue is spoken through sign language, and the score is the only thing with us as we watch like spectators into this family’s adventure. We see a little boy play with a rocket ship toy, and he says to his sister that they will use it to fly away and get out of where they are. However, the story is told to us perfectly, as we see the rocket drop, and the sister RUSH to grab it before it touches the ground. No noise is allowed. The little boy gives the rocket to his father, who takes out the batteries. The family sets out away from the abandoned store, while the little boy puts the batteries back in without anyone noticing. The family sets back out across a bridge, until the little boy turns the rocket on, blaring noise. The mother falls to her knees in horror, as the father runs to the little boy. However, he cannot make it to his son in time. AN ALIEN CREATURE appears from the forest, swiping at the little boy with horrific speed. His rocket falls to the floor, as we cut to black. THAT WAS A COLD OPEN. HOLY.

We cut to the title of the movie, and then to the words “Day 472”. Let’s get some exposition out, shall we? The name of the family are the Abbotts, and the young boy who died was their four year old son named Beau. The family now consists of Lee, the father (played by the insanely talented John Krasinski, who DIRECTED this movie as well), his wife Evelyn (played by the also insanely talented Emily Blunt, who is John’s irl wife), and their children, Regan and Marcus. Evelyn is PREGNANT, and we find out that Regan is deaf. The situation our cast finds themselves in is as follows. 472 days ago, an alien invasion occurred on Earth (I saw a quiet place day one before any of these movies like I said before). The aliens are ruthless, with impenetrable armored skin and insane hearing. However, these aliens are blind. Even without sight, they decimated most of the human population. The family live in Upstate New York on a fortified farm, where they only walk around on sand paths, use ASL to communicate, and avoid anything that makes noise. Let’s get back to the film, shall we?

Most of the film is just amazing atmospheric shots of the family living in this world without sound, so anytime there IS sound, it makes for a horrific or beautiful moment (for example, whenever something crashes, we are afraid because an alien is coming. However, there is a scene where Evelyn uses earbuds to listen to music with Lee while dancing, and it is SO beautiful). So, due to that reason, I can’t cover every single scene of the film. However, everyone NEEDS to watch it because it is so good. We see Lee tirelessly trying to make a working hearing aid for Regan, as the life of the family continues in this world. Lee presents the aid to Regan shortly after he makes it, but she turns it away, getting into a silent argument with her father, saying that the aid won’t work. I’m sure we’ve all picked up on it, but Regan feels HORRIBLE guilt over Beau’s death, and struggles to cope, often feeling like her family hates her. One day, Lee goes to take Marcus fishing. (our boy Marcus is very timid and is afraid of the world, but Lee wants him to be brave to take care of his mother). Regan, upset that she can’t go, decides to walk to Beau’s grave. THIS is the most important setup for this film. It’s honestly really short (hour and thirty), but packs in SO much. So, important to know: Lee and Marcus are out hunting together, Regan is at Beau’s grave, and Evelyn is alone at the farm.

We see Regan try the new hearing aid, and just like she thought, it does not work. The poor girl breaks down, as we see Evelyn doing laundry downstairs, accidentally causing a nail to be pulled upright from the stairs (of course, we as horror movie fans KNOW that a nail that gets an extra long shot on it before cutting is going to be incredibly important, probably for the WORST reasons). During fishing, Lee reveals that the river is loud, and covers up the talking between him and his son. In an AMAZING scene, the two boys yell and holler behind a waterfall, finally speaking. Lee tells his son not to be afraid, and to be brave in everything he does. He promises that he will always protect him. Back with Evelyn, she sits in Beau’s empty room, crying while she holds onto her pregnant stomach, as we see Regan heading to Beau’s grave. Marcus and Lee have a conversation, where Lee says he doesn’t blame Regan for what happens. Marcus says she blames herself, and he asks if Lee still loves her. Lee obviously says he still does, and Marcus tells his father that he needs to TELL Regan that he loves her. We see Regan dropping the toy rocket off at Beau’s grave, and sitting next to it. As our two boys make their way back to the house, we get one of the most HORRIFIC scenes in the entire movie. We see an elderly couple, but something is horrifically wrong. The wife is slashed through the middle, her dead body lying on the grass, obviously killed by an alien. Next to her is her husband, who looks distraught. Lee hides Marcus behind him, telling the man to be quiet. However, the man, unable to contain his anguish, screams, wanting to die. Marcus and Lee BOOK IT to cover and wait, as an Alien appears, killing the man. (I was NOT prepared for this scene).

Back at the house, in what might possibly be the worst timing in all of horror, Evelyn goes into labor. She descends the steps to the basement, where she STEPS ON THE NAIL. She drops the photo frame of Beau she was carrying, and it SHATTERS. She horrifically takes her foot off the nail, switching the lights on the property from yellow to red. However, she looks up the stairs, AND AN ALIEN IS ALREADY THERE. Evelyn smartly sets up a timer, and escapes the basement, still trying not to scream due to the immense pain from her labor AND her injured foot. (THIS MOVIE IS SO GOOOOODDDD). Our boys arrive back to the property, and see the red lights. They SPRING into action, as Evelyn continues to try and hide WHILE ACTIVELY IN LABOR inside the house. Outside, Lee has a heart to heart with his son, telling him to be brave, and that his mom needs his help. He can do it. Marcus BOLTS after the heart to heart in order to activate the fireworks on the property, hoping to lure the alien (known as Death Angels btw, like come on when you think this movie couldn’t get any better). Evelyn finds her way to the bathtub, as it fills with blood. Unable to contain it anymore, Evelyn SCREAMS, as the Death Angel works its way towards her. However, the SECOND the scream comes out, Marcus sets the fireworks off. (WOOOOOO!!!) (also, death angels mess with lights and electricity whenever they are near, alerting their presence AND being just as cool as when Stranger Things does it)

Seeing the fireworks, Lee BOLTS to the house with his shotgun, and Regan runs back to the property. Our man ascends the stairs, finding the bloody bathtub and breaking down. HOWEVER, a bloody handprint hits the shower wall, and LEE finds his wife in the shower, exhausted and bloody, but holding their safely born baby. Back with Marcus, our boy is pursued through the cornfields around the property by an ANGRY death angel, until he runs headfirst into a tractor buried deep in the fields. We cut away from our brave kid to Lee, Evelyn, and the baby. The baby is, of course, crying, and Lee is able to get his family into a room under the barn, the opening being sealed by a mattress. The baby is equipped with an oxygen mask, and put into a sealed box to prevent his (it’s a boy!) screams from penetrating the air. We FINALLY meet up with Regan, where we get one of the most important scenes in the entire movie. A death angel approaches the deaf girl, until her hearing aid sets out a frequency, causing her great discomfort, but ALSO causing the alien to FREAK OUT, its armor literally tearing itself off its skin. It bolts back into the fields, as we cut back to Evelyn, who wakes up from a dream about Beau.

The family are safely under the barn, and it is soundproof, so they can talk. Evelyn asks where the kids are, and Lee swears he will find them. He knows the kids will be safe, as Evelyn says their child is a boy. She then says her guilt over Beau, saying that she would have been able to carry him on that fateful day, and he would still be with them. Lee says she NEEDS to stop blaming herself, but she doesn’t respond to that, asking her husband who they are if they cannot protect their own children. She tells Lee to SWEAR to her that he will protect them. Lee, with a look of sadness, fear, guilt, happiness, and determination on his face (John is SUCH a good actor), sets out to find his children. In the cornfield, Regan reunites with Marcus, and the siblings share a hug. Lee leaves the barn, covering the entrance to the underground room, as we see a broken pipe that a death angel split in two. Water POURS out of the pipe and all around the room. We cut back to Regan and Marcus, who climbed on top of the corn silo on the property. They light a fire, as Lee desperately searches for them on his cameras, before eventually setting out on foot. Marcus SWEARS to his sister that their father will find them, but she shakes her head. Back with Evelyn, things are going from bad to worse, as our girl wakes up to a FLOODED room. The baby is LITERALLY floating away in his box, as Evelyn sees a death angel in the room with her. Evelyn grabs her child, literally walking in the same water that the beast is hiding in, and hides behind the rushing water to hopefully protect herself and her baby from the alien.

Back at the silo, Marcus keeps telling his sister that Lee will be there, and she says he will only come for Marcus, not for her. However, right in the middle of this, Marcus FALLS through the roof, dropping into the suffocating corn. The noise alerts the death angel in the house, and it books it for the children. Regan jumps into the corn after her brother, and the two siblings hide out on a piece of broken roof as they avoid getting sucked into the corn (this scene had me STRESSING OUT). However, right after they get out of the corn, a death angel RIPS into the silo, attacking the kids. They hide out under the piece of roof, as Regan’s hearing aid (cochlear implant) once again lets out the same frequency, causing the alien to run. The kids escape through the hole the death angel made, and Lee reunites with his children, holding onto them both while Evelyn watches from the cameras in the house.

However, things are about to get so, so much more heartbreaking. The death angel is not satisfied without its meal, and the kids hide out in the truck near their location. Lee grabs an axe, and walks around in the silence, as he hears the Death Angel growl. He tries to swing at it with an axe, but it SWIPES AT HIM, causing our man to be flung away. Marcus SCREAMS for his father, as the two kids hide in the front seat, and the alien begins FULL FORCE attacking the truck. Remember, Evelyn can see ALL of this. Regan’s cochlear implant begins its noise once again, but she switches it off, the pain being too great. (I don’t even want to type what happens next but I have to.) For one of the rare times in this movie, music plays. It is somber and emotional, as the wounded, blood covered Lee rises to his feet, dropping his axe to the floor, causing the Death Angel to look at him. He looks at Regan in the truck, and signs the following words to her. “I love you. I have always loved you.” Evelyn and Regan look on in horror, as Lee lets out one of the most emotional screams I have ever heard (John Krasinski the actor you are). It is filled with fear, sadness, love, pain, everything. Marcus takes the opportunity to get the truck moving, as Regan watches on as the Death Angel kills her father. (I shed a tear.)

The kids make it back to the house, and emotionally hug their mother. However, the fight isn’t over yet. A Death Angel growl is heard, as our family descends into the basement. Lee never allowed Regan down in the basement, and now she sees everything he was doing. Littered on the desk are the cameras, and HUNDREDS of articles on the Death Angels, and human hearing. She looks around, and sees all of Lee’s attempts to make a cochlear implant for her. The young girl sits down on her father’s abandoned chair, and sobs, her mother crying with her. Marcus sits in the corner, holding onto his baby brother. However, the lights start to flicker, and a Death Angel descends into the basement. Evelyn holds a shotgun up to the alien, as Regan finally understands. She looks at one of her father’s notes, “WHAT IS THE WEAKNESS”, as she looks down at the cochlear implant in her hand. She turns it back on, and even though in immense pain, KEEPS IT ON. The alien begins to writhe in pain, and falls back, seemingly dead. However, it rises back to its feet (like Randy said, the killer always comes back for one last scare). Regan takes her implant and JAMS IT onto the microphone in the basement, amplifying the sound and causing the alien’s armor to completely open up, exposing its head. Evelyn takes her opportunity, and delivers a NASTY headshot. In one of the most iconic endings in horror history (THAT’S how much of an impact this movie had), we hear the footsteps of an advancing pack of Death Angels who heard the shot, and see the aliens advancing on the farm through the cameras. Regan turns up the volume on the mic, as Evelyn stands ready, and cocks her shotgun…

THERE WE HAVE IT! Guys, this movie was SO SO SO insanely good. I CANTTTT. I honestly need you guys to check this one out, because it really is that good. There is SO much detail and love woven into this movie, and I wish I could just sit here and gush about it. UGH. Everyone, we are almost on the twentieth day, and Halloween approaches. The final chapter is almost here… Thank you ALL for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoyed this one!