I saw A Quiet Place on opening day at 10AM on a gloomy, rainy, day in New York. The theater was packed, always a sure sign the movie will be a monster hit over the weekend. I’ve got to hand it director John Krasinski- the movie has a killer premise. A family living in a remote country setting who are surviving an unspecified post-apocalyptic universe by following specific rules. There are creatures out there that seem to have decimated the planet in the course of a year. But they’re blind, they only react hungrily (and quickly) to any sound. So, everyone has to be really, really, quiet. Krasinski plays the handsome, strong-willed dad. Emily Blunt, as usual, is luminous as the pregnant mom. Their daughter is deaf, which complicates matters, but later on becomes a significant plot point. By setting this up so carefully you become very invested in this family, so, when things go terribly wrong it’s all the more frightening. Also, the fact that the movie is practically dialogue-free (except for sign language) has the audience tensely listening for any discordant sound that will alert the creatures. Being that freaked out so early in the morning is a sobering, but exhilarating, experience, and the theater exploded with applause at the end. That always cracks me up. Yes, Emily Blunt heard that and yelled “Thanks!” from L.A.
But the experience did make me think back on other movies with a similar theme. Where there are genuine monsters outside that protagonists have to sensitively navigate around in order to stay alive. Here are 10 of my favorites:
The Day The World Ended (1956) Another Roger Corman quickie about an Atomic Bomb blast that has decimated the planet. But a few have survived the radiation in a secluded mountain home with a generator. More lost souls wander into the story, including a gangster and his moll girlfriend and a grizzled prospector and his beloved mule. Soon they come under attack by a horned, three-eyed, four-armed, radioactive mutant with telepathic powers. The mutant costume was created and worn by famed American International Pictures monster maker Paul Blaisdell. “A new high in naked shrieking terror!” screamed the ads.
Signs (2002) Mel Gibson plays an ex-Priest (groan) who discovers mysterious crop circles in his cornfield. He lives with an asthmatic son, daughter, and younger brother (Joaquin Phoenix) and reported alien sightings around the world have them all paranoid. Sure enough, they end up barricaded in their farm house under attack by hostile, otherworldly, beings. I could have done without the “regaining my faith” sub-plot but the finale is pretty suspenseful. “E.T. Go Home” should have been the ad for this M. Night Shyamalan’s film.
The Mist (2007) Frank Darabont’s film version of a great novella by Stephen King. Set in Maine (of course) a father (Thomas Jane), 8-yr.old son, and ornery neighbor (Andre Braugher) head into town to the local mall after a particularly violent thunderstorm. While they are there a heavy fog-like cloud envelopes the store and anyone who ventures forth is killed by all sorts of hideous monster insects lurking in the “mist”. Truly one of the bleakest endings to a sci-fi movie I’ve ever seen.
The Monster (2016). Another simple, but effective, set up. An abusive, divorced, alcoholic, mom (Zoe Kazan) is driving her 10-year-old daughter (Ella Ballentine) to her dad’s house. It’s his custody time. Driving down a lonely country road they hit a wolf and wreck their car. While waiting for the tow-truck they inspect the huge claw marks on the injured animal and realize to their terror that there’s something big and scary out there. Directed by Bryan Bertino (The Strangers), I’m always impressed when you can set up a premise like this and keep it going for an hour and a half. There definitely are some genuinely alarming moments.
The Day Of The Triffids (1962) Based on a terrific John Wyndham sci-fi novel, this monster attack has more to do with sight than sound. A meteor shower causes all those who witnessed it to go blind. This puts most of the world at a disadvantage and in peril from giant carnivorous walking plants that are rampaging the countryside. A couple on an island lighthouse battle with the killer shrubs and find a way to defeat them.
Grabbers (2012) Tentacled alien creatures wash up on the shoe of a remote Irish island. The only one of the first targeted victims that escapes unharmed is the town drunk. So, everyone heads to the local pub and gets hammered to remain immune to the monster. Director Jon Wright creates wonderful fleshed out characters, and the creatures are fabulous.
The Deadly Spawn (1983) I have such wonderful memories of seeing this at one of those seedy movie palaces on Times Square. The audience (and I) just loved it. A meteor crashes to earth and cracks open, letting loose some toothy replicating monsters. It’s up to some teens at a country home to figure out how to neutralize this invasion. Admirably directed by Douglas McKeown this is one of those low budget wonders chuck full of sardonic humor, outlandish scares, and inspired creature design.
The New Daughter (2009) Why isn’t this movie better known? An author and divorced father (Kevin Costner) moves his young son and sullen teen daughter to a rambling country house in South Carolina. But what’s with the sets of muddy footprints on the front porch at night? The loaded shotgun hidden inside the piano. The strange, huge, burial mound out at the edge of the forest. The mysterious disappearance of the former tenant. The unnatural changes in his daughter’s behavior. This film directed by Luis Berdejs builds with frightening intensity to a really terrifying finale.
The Hallow (2015). A supremely spooky supernatural chiller superbly directed by Corin Hardy that mixes folklore and frights with equal dexterity. Joseph Mawle plays Adam, who arrives to survey a dense woodland in Ireland with his wife Claire (Bojana Novakovic) and their baby. He is examining the trees in the forest and is warned repeatedly by neighbors not to disturb the restless spirits there. His first inkling that things are not right is when he discovers a desiccated deer carcass covered in black goo. And then frightful creatures appear and lay siege to their house.
The Ritual (2017) Now streaming on Netflix is a neat little thriller by David Bruckner about four friends hiking in Ireland who take a shortcut through a dense forest. This puts them on a collision course with a huge mythological beast who starts picking them off one at a time. This has great atmosphere and some bizarre and unnerving moments towards the end. And there’s enough “we’ve got to remain quiet or we’ll get eaten” moments to include it in this list.