Sandy Kenyon reviews 'A Quiet Place,' 'Chappaquiddick'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Every so often, a film just sneaks up on you. And such was the case with "A Quiet Place."
A publicist who knows my taste made me go see the film just before all the buzz began. And it turns out, Patricia was right to insist.
The movie is called "A Quiet Place" because a family in upstate New York must remain silent so as not to be attacked by aliens who can't see. But they do respond to sounds, so they will hurt you if they can hear you.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinki are married on screen, just as they are in real life, while two extraordinary young performers -- one of them deaf -- play the couple's children. In an interview, Millie Simmonds used sign language to tell me John and Emily are "so open minded, and they're so calm, and they know exactly what they want."
Both of them welcomed the kids into their own home during filming.
Krasinski, who also wrote and directed this film, has made us laugh so often, he admits he never expected to do a horror movie.
"I don't think my name is the name where people say, 'that guy is gonna do a horror movie one day,'" he said. "And I certainly wouldn't believe that either."
But "A Quiet Place" grew out of his experience as a father of two young daughters, and the film gave him his first chance to work with his wife.
In the movie, they have lost a child and expecting another, which gives extra depth to action that starts slow and builds throughout the film.
I scare easily, which is why I tend to avoid horror movies. But this one is made so well -- without a single wasted second -- that it's the rare film I can recommend without reservation.
More from Krasinksi and Blunt:
Turning to our second title, I didn't expect to like "Chappaquiddick" as much as I did.
The story of how a young woman came to drown in a car alongside Senator Ted Kennedy is riveting.
Jason Clarke doesn't look much like him but somehow manages to embody his mix of arrogance and intelligence. The behind-the-scenes drama to save Senator Kennedy's political career is a fascinating portrait of a cover-up.
Clarke is from Australia, yet he has proven himself to be a true chameleon and worthy of playing a politician who was more charismatic than most movie stars.
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