Movie of the Week 67

Spooktober 2021

Here in Colorado the seasons are changing. Fall has arrived and the aspens are turning gold and orange. The cool weather is perfect for outdoor hikes and picnics, and when the sun goes down you might find yourself in the mood for a spooky movie. Here are some suggestions for your Halloween watch list. 

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A Quiet Place   2018   drama horror

A Quiet Place is a post-apocalyptic thriller co-written, directed, and starring John Krasinski with his real-life wife, Emily Blunt. The couple (Eve and Lee Abbott) and their three kids (not-real life) are living in rural isolation and silence to avoid a pack of mysterious, seemingly indestructible, creatures that are blind and hunt by sound. The monsters are vicious killers. In the opening scene the family is “shopping” in a deserted drug store. In fact, the whole town is deserted. We watch them quietly go about the store, barefooted and close mouthed. They use sign language to communicate. A sense of doom hangs in the air and the suspense tightens – When will something happen? No spoilers, but when the monster strikes it is shockingly fast and brutal. I was riveted to the screen.

Not only the horror aspect was good, but the dynamic between the family members is also very well done and gives the film a heart. I liked these simple characters and truly felt that this is a family that loves each other. The family home is not specified, but judging from the large corn fields and grain silos, I have to guess somewhere in the Midwest. The Abbotts do a heroic job of surviving a catastrophe – putting food on the table, home schooling the kids, and all the mundane chores of day-to-day life in the face of constant danger. We are in awe of their resourcefulness and bravery. Then it all goes terribly wrong – how will our characters survive?

No spoilers, but I will add that John Krasinski has come a long way from quarreling with Rainn Wilson over paper clips and action figures (dolls). I suggest you put this movie on your Halloween list. It’s the best monster movie I have seen in years. 

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