Horror Club: A Quiet Place

John Krasinski's "A Quiet Place" smashed the box office this past weekend as it debuted in theaters around the country, and it's incredible to see a horror film get so much love in its opening weekend. Krasinski - who most are probably familiar with as Jim Halpert from "The Office" - directed and stars in the new film alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt who play the father and mother to three beautiful children living a terrifying life. The year is 2020, and the world has become overrun and humanity destroyed by some sort of alien/demon predators who are blind, however their sense of hearing is seemingly unmatched. They can hear the slightest sound from incredibly far away, which causes any human survivors to live their lives as absolutely quiet as possible. In a world where even the slightest sound could possibly attract the horrifying creatures, you best learn to watch every single step you take and every single move you make... because if they can hear you, they can hunt you.

"A Quiet Place" follows this loving family as they struggle to keep silent but still enjoy life to the fullest extent that they can. Survival becomes a day-to-day nightmare, and as the parents to three children, Krasinski and Blunt's characters Lee and Evelyn have their hands full every waking moment: from caring for the kids to trying to reach out for additional survivors to soundproofing rooms to ensure their safety. It appears that much of Lee's day is spent not only protecting his loved ones, but trying to figure out how to destroy the creatures entirely. But after a precious life is pulled from right under them, the Abbott family has a new goal: simply surviving. This film follows their story, in a world where a single noise can cost you everything.

After word got out about "A Quiet Place" after its debut at SXSW in early March, I knew this film was something I needed to see as soon as possible, and I can honestly say without hesitation that it lived up to the hype and expectations that I had for it. This film tells a story that we're all familiar with - a family in distress, struggling for survival against the odds - but "A Quiet Place" does it differently. In their world, every single noise needs to almost be predicted and justified - the quieter you are, the safer you are. Living in this type of environment will, no doubt, leave you stressed and on-edge almost all the time. A Quiet Place brings that tension and anxiety from their world into ours as the awkward and unsettling silence in the movie theater continues to grow and grow. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of light background noise and music, but in a movie with barely any verbal speaking and a fear of noise, expect plenty of dead air as the family presses onward each day to make it to the next. This silence and anxiety you feel in the theater is going to bring you right into their world, as you await each movement and action to see what happens next. It's an incredible phenomenon that I don't think I've experienced in a theater before so that alone makes this film worth your money.

But the excellence of this film doesn't end there. It won't take long for you to fall in love with the Abbott family just like I did - both the parents and children play such a lovely group and its hard not to really feel for the family after the tragedy they go through. But as far as the monsters go - goddamn, are they terrifying. I don't want to give too much away about them, so I'll just say that they may not be the most unique looking characters, but they definitely will strike fear into the heart of anybody who sees one. And for those of you worried that this movie might pull a Cloverfield-esque stunt in regards to the monsters - don't worry, they get plenty of screen time for you to bask in all their terror.

Overall, A Quiet Place ranks incredibly high in my list of awesome movies to come to theaters in recent years. It's a crazy world with crazy monsters and a messed-up demand: stay silent, stay alive. I think it is more than worth spending the money to see it in theaters, as the feeling of tension and anxiety the silence in the theater will bring you is unmatched. Krasinski - along with writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck - should be super proud for delivering a fresh, horrifying story to theaters: one that I can't recommend enough!

Check out the trailer below for A Quiet Place - in theaters now!