A Quiet Place parents guide

A Quiet Place Parent Guide

Like other good horror/thrillers, this one produces a lingering effect that may have you trying to stay very quiet for a while after the credits roll.

Overall B+

In a post-apocalyptic world, a family tries to avoid detection from the unknown beings that destroyed mankind. They are only in danger if they make a sound… but it is hard to live in total silence.

Release date April 6, 2018

Violence C-
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is A Quiet Place rated PG-13? The MPAA rated A Quiet Place PG-13 for terror and some bloody images.

Run Time: 90 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

If you’re struggling with a persistent cough after last week’s cold you may want to shop for another movie. Being a journalist with a deadline, I didn’t have a choice. So into A Quiet Place I went, armed with throat lozenges and a large drink. And yes, this is a very quiet horror movie.

Offering the typical alien monster formula, the creators of this fright fest came up with a unique twist: What if the monsters rely only on ultra-sensitive hearing to hunt their prey? With that concept in hand, the film opens in a small town that looks like something really bad has happened. A title on the screen gives us a clue – it’s day four-hundred-and-something… (Apologies, I was fishing for another cough drop and didn’t get the exact number.)

At the center of this dystopian landscape we meet a little family, Lee and Evelyn (John Krasinski and Emily Blunt) and their three children – Regan, Marcus and Beau (Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward). While the family silently scrounges the near barren shelves of an abandoned store for a little food and some leftover medication, little Beau sets his eyes on a space toy. The thing looks like something you’d want to yank the batteries from after Christmas Day… and that’s exactly what Dad does the moment he sees it. But Beau is determined, as little kids often are. When we see him refitting the double-As on the silent walk home, we know we’re about to meet the enemy.

Once the shaken family gets back to their farmhouse, we observe how humans adapt to difficult situations. Shoes are banned. Dishes and cutlery and gone. Even a game of Monopoly requires careful rolls of the dice on a soft surface. Communication relies on sign language. It’s a hushed life that is always stressful, and when a camera shot reveals Evelyn’s growing abdomen, the audience gasps at the ticking time bomb that’s coming.

Teens considering this title will likely enjoy the thrills that come with the bonus of watching a close knit family learning to depend on each other to survive. The obvious content issue will be inevitable visits from the alien creatures. Attacks are fast and furious, and the depicted remains of humans and animals include significant blood and a brief view of entrails. A birthing sequence and an injury add to the gore.

Most horror movies have a large cast of “bait” for the ubiquitous monster. This script is bold enough to have fewer innocents to choose from and none are insignificant. And that means it better have something or someone to cheer for by the time the credits roll. For the most part, the film pulls it together, but not without some unexpected turns. And while the concept is unique, some plot holes will leave you with, “Why didn’t they… ?” questions on your way home from the theater.

Yet, like other good thrillers, this one still produces a lingering effect that had me trying to stifle a badly need cough in the parking lot, lest something should prey upon this vulnerable film critic!

Directed by John Krasinski. Starring Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, Cade Woodward. Running time: 90 minutes. Theatrical release April 6, 2018. Updated

A Quiet Place
Rating & Content Info

Why is A Quiet Place rated PG-13? A Quiet Place is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for terror and some bloody images.

Violence: Characters (adults and children) in this film are in constant peril from alien monsters that are large, fast and (by our standards) ugly. When anyone makes the slightest noise, the monsters viscously attack, which we see very briefly (the attacks are so fast, it’s difficult to perceive details). We do see a couple depictions of the aftermath: one character is dead on the ground with a large slash, blood and what may have been entrails, covering the abdomen. One of the creatures is shot in the “head” at close range, resulting in expelled tissue and fluids. A woman is in labor, we see her water break (clear fluid dribbling on the floor) and later we see blood in a bathtub where she is lying. A character steps on a protruding nail, later we see the foot being pulled loose from the nail. Children fall into a grain silo and begin “drowning” in the grain.

Sexual Content: A pregnant woman is in labor. A married man and woman share a dance together and embrace.

Profanity: None noted.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Medicinal drugs are depicted.

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A Quiet Place Parents' Guide

It is common for horror movies to introduce a large cast of characters and kill off individuals throughout the movie, until only the protagonist and one or two other key members remain. How does this movie modify that formula? Are you surprised at who survives and who dies? How does using a family with children (instead of a group of tourists or even adult friends) alter your empathy and concern?

Alien creatures in movies seem to share certain characteristics. What traits do these aliens have in common with ones you've seen in other films? How do they look and sound similar? How do they act? Do we understand what motivates them? If you made a movie about extra-terrestrials, what would your aliens be like? Why do you think most movies portray them as fierce and frightening?

News About "A Quiet Place"

John Krasinski plays more than a lead role in the movie, A Quiet Place. He also directs the film, and helped rewrite the screenplay, which was originally a spec script by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. Krasinski's character is the father of the family in hiding. His spouse is played by his real-life wife, Emily Blunt. The couple's children in the film are depicted by Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds. To communicate, the family uses American Sign Language. (Simmonds has an advantage in her role: The actress is deaf, having lost her hearing as an infant because of a medication overdose.)

Horror movies usually take advantage of things that go bump in the night, so you can expect this one to really take advantage of squeaky doors and creaky floors. It also plays on the fear of the unknown, because we don't know what the enemy looks like. I'm curious to find out if the movie uses a musical score, or if the whole setting will be a quiet place.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of A Quiet Place movie is July 10, 2018. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: A Quiet Place
Release Date: 10 July 2018
A Quiet Place releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following extras:
- Creating the Quiet – Behind the Scenes of A Quiet Place
- The Sound of Darkness – Editing Sound for A Quiet Place
- A Reason for Silence – The Visual Effects of A Quiet Place

Related home video titles:

Emily Blunt stars in The Adjustment Bureau and Edge of Tomorrow. And John Krasinski appears in The Muppets and Big Miracle.