A Quiet Place Review

            A Quite Place is the kind of film that feel like it was originally meant to be some kind of vanity/arthouse horror project that was somehow warped into a more conventional horror film. It features a rather creative high concept premise that requires the actors to act almost exclusively through their body language and facial expressions. It has a lead actor who also directed, co-wrote and co-produced the film and is the kind of film that would otherwise be so overwhelmed by the ego of said actor that it would be impossible to take seriously. Yet despite all of the warning signs, A Quite Place actually tuned out to be a solid little horror film and is a decent way to spend an hour and a half.

            The film takes place in the United States roughly a year and a half after a race of creatures began appearing, seemingly out of nowhere and began killing off the world’s population. No one seems to know what they are or where they came from. All that anyone seems to know is that are blind, have incredible hearing that can pick up a noise from miles away, very fast, very dangerous and very tough to kill. Our story focuses around a family of upstate New York farmers who are trying to live their day to day lives while trying to make as little noise as possible lest they attract the monsters. And that’s about it.

            This is one of those of films that is sold on a single original idea but is otherwise rather formulaic. The plot isn’t elaborate and doesn’t really get any more complicated beyond that. Whether or not it’s actually any good relies on how well they execute said original premise and incorporate it into said formulaic plot. But, in this case, the execution is, for the most part, spot on. What makes it work is that there is a subtle air of tension is every single scene. It doesn’t constantly shove it in your face with jump scares or moments where the characters almost make a noise but just manage to avoid doing so. You are, however, always aware that any misstep made by these characters could cost them all their lives. It takes what would otherwise be tedious, mundane scenarios and turns them in to life or death situations

            This all eventually comes to a head in the second half of the film when one of these characters actually makes one of these missteps and kicks off the film’s climax. From then on you can cut the tension in every shot with a knife as the monsters creep around while the family desperately tries not to make a sound in situations where all you want to do is scream. The crown jewel, however, has to be at the film’s midpoint and adds several layers of tension to what was already a tense, nail-biting film. I won’t spoil what it is but it’s the kind of event that tremendously raises the stakes and has you praying that the characters can keep quiet while knowing that it is all but impossible.

            What ultimately glues it all together, however is the family. You buy that this family is legitimate. It’s clear that the father loves his kids but has some trouble expressing it to his eldest daughter, possibly due to an early film tragedy. The daughter clearly has issues with the dad regarding this tragedy and feels neglected as a result. The son has a great turn as a kid who has responsibilities thrust upon him that he clearly unready for but none the less has to take on. The only real weak link in the cast is the mother. This is mainly because the film doesn’t give her much to do beyond being the terrified housewife though she does sell the hell out of it and does have some badass moments at the film’s end. But for the most part the character relationships work and help keep the stakes high by successfully making us care about them,

            That’s not to say, however, that the film doesn’t have problems. We never really get any kind of explanation as to what the monsters are or where they come from which is a tad bit frustrating. It has to be said that their designs are rather generic and boring looking like a generic mutant from the Resident Evil games or something. It also has to be said that the film has a bit of a structuring problem as it seems to lack a clearly defined third act. You have the first half where everything is quiet and the characters go about their daily lives and the second half where they’re hiding from the monster and there doesn’t seem to be anything resembling a finale in the film. If anything, it seems to end right before the third act was suppose to start and ends up feeling like we were cheated out of the actual ending as a result. But these things only slightly take away from the overall experience.

            In the end, A Quiet Place is by no means perfect but is an otherwise decent way to spend an hour and a half. It’s suspenseful, dramatic and a welcome breather from all the hundred million-dollar projects that that we have and will be bombarded with over the spring/summer season. I say give it a look.

Overall

8/10

          So until next time, please be sure to follow the site, Like my page over on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my other work over at The Nerd Hub and Heroic Hollywood and please considering donating to my personal Pateron to support this article and other projects like it. Until then, lets hope that the summer season has some more good movies to bring.

Jessica Jones Season 2 Review

Of all of the things that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced, it’s various Netflix shows seem to be the ones that draw the most mixed emotions. The first seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones are both widely well regarded and were both big successes with audiences and critics alike. Then the second season of Daredevil was released to a more mixed reception and the whole enterprise followed in suit. Luke Cage was a series that actually caused Netflix to crash on the night of its premier and seemed to be the superhero series that a lot of people were waiting for.  But the show also had a boatload of pacing issues and suffered from an extremely convoluted plot that seemed to confuse and frustrate more then reward as its various twists were revealed. Later on, in 2017, The Punisher would make several similar mistakes while feeling like a step backwards from its title character’s characterization from Daredevil. Iron Fist is often seen as the MCU’s first objectively bad product and The Defenders suffered as a result, as so much of the crossover was built off of it. But thankfully the second season of Jessica Jones has finally broken that mold.

            The season picks up sometime after the events of The Defenders. Jessica has gone back to work full time as a private investigator. Her best friend and adopted sister, Trish, has taken her career in a more journalistic direction with a great new boyfriend to book. Jessica’s former junkie neighbor, Malcolm, has dedicated himself to helping her as her assistant and seems to have gotten his act together. Matters, however, are complicated when Trish begins looking an organization known as IGH that seems to have given Jessica her powers and the people connected to it begin dying. This leads the group to investigate further which reveals some startling revelations regarding Jessica’s past that threaten to shatter her present. And the whole thing is a massive improvement over its previous season.

            The first noticeable thing that it does right is that it actually feels like a detective story. Whereas in the first season we knew who the bad guy was and what he could do from the start, this season has a genuine mystery that draws you in. As Jessica and her friends discover more about IGH and the people connected to it the audience does as well and really makes you wait for answers. Saying anything more would constitute as a major spoiler, but it is a prime example on how you take what appears to be a convoluted retcon and turn it into something interesting and meaningfully dramatic. This mystery, in turn, eventually gives every character in the series a more well-defined arc then they had in the previous one, resulting in what is perhaps the most character driven season of any of the Marvel Netflix shows.

            In this season Jessica actually seems to grow and develop as a character. Whereas the previous season and The Defenders kind of had her reset to where she was at the start, this time she seems to have dramatically changed and severally ruptured the status quo of series. What makes it interesting, however, is that her development isn’t necessarily for the better. She starts out as a mess of a human being who is constantly pushing her friends away despite them having her best interests at heart. By the time the season ends it seems like she is moving forwards in certain aspects of her life but is an even worse mess then when she started in others. This, in turn, seems to be the motif of every other character but often digs into the themes of broken families, friendships, addiction and the idea that sometimes damaged relationships are irreparable.

            Trish, for example, makes big strides in her journalistic career and love life. Unfortunately, as the series goes on she gradually sends it all down the drain, possibly for good, due to her own substance abuse problems and feelings of inadequacy around Jessica. This leads her to make some very questionable decisions throughout the season that may have permanently shattered her relationships with her friends. By the time the season ends it seems like she may have gotten past some of this but the damage that she caused through her actions just might be irreparable. Similarly, Malcolm starts off well enough and makes strides towards staying clean and actually helping people. Unfortunately, by the time the season ends his life seems to be in order and heading in a more productive direction but it just might have come at the cost of his own morality and sense of right and wrong.

            Additionally, supporting character and Marvel Netflix go to lawyer, Jeri Hogarth, has her own twisted arc as well. After being diagnosed with a fatal condition she initially makes strides to improve her own morality and tries to better herself as a human being. Unfortunately, it all comes to a less then positive end, resulting in her gaining a renewed sense of purpose in life but arguably becoming a much bigger monster then she was before. Even our primary antagonist goes through similar loops as well before the season ends. Saying to much would be spoiling some otherwise good plot turns but let’s just say that you will root for this character to become better and will find yourself crushed by the end results. All of which makes the season a compelling watch and more then worth your time and energy.

            That’s not to say, however, that the show is perfect. The whole idea that Jessica is a destructive force for her friends and loved ones seems entirely lifted from Daredevil. The season’s antagonist, while good, isn’t as entertaining as Kilgrave nor anywhere near as compelling as Wilson Fisk. And, like many other Netflix shows, the whole thing feels about three episodes to long. It’s not nearly as noticeable as it is in a lot of other series but it once again feels like the show runners could have trimmed off some extra fat and condensed the season a bit. But it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.

            All around, the second season of Jessica Jones is a vast improvement over its predecessor and easily the best thing that the Marvel Netflix shows has produced in a long time. It has an interesting plot full of fantastic twists and turns and gives each of it’s characters a great arc and makes you interested in seeing what comes next. Overall, it’s more then worth your time.

           So until next time please be sure to follow the site, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my work over at The Nerd Hub and Heroic Hollywood, and please consider contributing to my personal Patreon to support this and other projects like it.