A Quiet Place is not what I was expecting, and here’s why that’s a good thing

I’m a scaredy cat. I hate haunted houses, I never let my feet dangle off the bed in case a monster decides to snatch them, and I went ad-free on Hulu because I was tired of seeing previews for The Boy, the unnecessarily terrifying horror film from 2016. So when given the opportunity to see A Quiet Place and speak with John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe about it, I was stuck in a real pickle. The price of meeting them would be sleepless nights and brand new nightmares. But I decided to suck it up and go for it. (Hello, it’s Emily freaking Blunt, people.)

I’m so glad that I set aside my fears because A Quiet Place is phenomenal. It’s not at all what I was expecting — in the best way possible.

A Quiet Place is a horror film. There are scary circumstances, terrifying creatures, and jump scares galore. But to label A Quiet Place as just a horror film does it a huge disservice. Despite the vibes that its creepy poster gives off, it’s so much more than a scary movie. It’s about survival, really. When I spoke with Krasinski, who co-wrote, directed, and starred in the film, I mentioned that I keep describing it to people as “a family movie.”

"I'm so glad you are because that’s exactly what I see it as. I don’t think my name is a name that you would think, 'Oh, that guy’s gonna go direct a horror movie,'" Krasinski said. "The truth of the matter is — and it looks insane from looking at this [movie] poster — this is a love letter to my kids. This is truly a story about, 'What would you really do for your children in order to protect them?' The family stuff is so emotional for me. So I'm really glad you said that. Yes, you can say it's a family movie."

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I never expected to love a movie with the tagline “If they hear you, they hunt you.”

A movie that caused me to take off my glasses during movie theater previews not once, but twice, because I was too scared to watch. But I did love it.

A Quiet Place leads to so many thoughtful discussions: Why do people choose survival in the face of adversity? How do you form meaningful connections when you can’t use your words? Do we carry around more grief when we can’t talk about it? Could you give birth in a bathtub alone without making a sound?

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So, all that is to say, you should definitely see A Quiet Place. If you like horror, paranormal, suspense, or family movies, you’ll find something in the story to enjoy.

Oh, and one more thing I need to get off my chest: John, I wore earplugs when watched A Quiet Place. I’m so, so sorry. I knew there were going to be jump scares and I needed to dull the suspense a little bit. At my core, I’m still a wimp.

A Quiet Place is now playing in theaters! If I, the ultimate scaredy cat, can sit through it, you can too. Promise.