(Jim Halpert and and Tim Canterbury argue over which version of The Office is better)
It's been a while since I've done reviews on here so I thought I'd start giving them a go again, and luckily enough there are two brilliant horror films in cinemas right now that I would highly recommend. These are A Quiet Place and Ghost Stories, two very different but very refreshing horror films that I think are both definitely worth seeing. Of course, Truth or Dare is also out but I haven't gotten around to seeing that one yet (and I don't think I ever will by the looks of it). So here we go then, my reviews of A Quiet Place and Ghost Stories.
Ghost Stories- (Andy Nyman & Jeremy Dyson, 2018)
Co-written and co-directed by Andy Nyman (Dead Set) and Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen), Ghost Stories is based off their stage play of the same name. Structured as an anthology-style film reminiscent of the portmanteau's of the 60's and 70's, Ghost Stories follows the skeptical Professor Philip Goodman (Nyman), a man whose livelihood involves disproving incidents of the superstitious and paranormal. However, Goodman soon finds his rational mindset challenged when he is faced with three supernatural cases with seemingly no rational explanation, leading him down a twisted road that plays with his sanity itself.
The first case involves a cranky night watchman (Paul Whitehouse) and his encounter with spirits while doing his rounds one night. The second sees timid teen Simon (Alex Lawther) stranded in the woods following a car accident, where dark forces await him. The third case follows cocky businessman Mike (Martin Freeman) whose home fell victim to a poltergeist on the day his wife went into labour. The segments are tied together by an overarching plot involving Goodman's attempts to solve each case as he gradually begins to lose his grip on reality. The film boasts excellent performances all round, although Lawther deserves a special recognition for his portrayal as the always on-edge Simon. Nyman meanwhile, manages to inject a certain degree of pathos into his cynical professor Goodman, allowing us to become more invested in his journey when things progress.
Ghost Stories plays out like a carnival ghost train in the sense that it's full of scares that will initially make you jump before you laugh about them straight after, it's a fun ride all round. Yes, I'll admit that some of the scares are a bit derivative, but they're often preceded by some well-built senses of tension. Where the shocks sometimes fall a bit flat however, they are compensated by the excellent writing of Nyman and Dyson. 'The mind sees what it wants to see' repeats Professor Goodman throughout, and that's also relevant in a meta-sort-of-way to the film itself. Just when you think you've copped what exactly is happening, Nyman and Dyson pull the rug out from beneath your feet and catch you off-guard. If you're not frightened by Ghost Stories, then you'll at least be able to appreciate it's sharp script and clever plot.
Ghost Stories is an old school British horror film in essence, and pays tribute to the good ol' days of Amicus and Hammer horror. While it doesn't always succeed in its scares, it certainly makes up for such instances with Nyman and Dyson's incredibly sharp script and the great performances from its four leading men. Creepy, clever, and darkly-comical, Ghost Stories is a refreshing entry into the modern horror landscape and is sure to gain a cult following in the years to come.
A Quiet Place- (John Krasinski, 2018)
John Krasinski is the triple threat of this post apocalyptic horror-thriller, acting as co-writer, director, and leading man Lee. The film follows Lee and his family as they attempt to survive in a world dominated by predatory creatures with hypersensitive hearing. In order to stay safe from the creatures, the Abbott family communicate through sign language and avoid making any sort of noise so that the creatures won't be alerted.
Krasinski is joined by Golden Globe winner, and real life wife Emily Blunt, who portrays his onscreen wife Evelyn here. Noah Jupe (Wonder) plays their son Marcus, while their deaf daughter Regan is portrayed by Millicent Simmons. The family dynamic is felt strongly in A Quiet Place, right from the beginning. It lays the foundations for the films emotional heart and allows us to easily empathise with each individual character, as well as their connection as a family. It's very much an emotional experience as it is a thrilling one. All of the actors do a wonderful job considering their minimal dialogue as well, with each of them displaying incredible physical acting throughout. No one outshines the other, which further strengthens that family theme that's present throughout.
Of course as director, Krasinski deserves special recognition as it was undoubtedly challenging for him to convey everything from the script with such little dialogue. He and his D.O.P. Charlotte Bruus Christensen wonderfully manage to bring the world of A Quiet Place to life, capturing even the smallest details and interactions to add another layer of realism to the film. Even though most of the action takes place in or around the one location, there is so much detail poured into the lives of this one family and how they survive the world around them. An example is during the scene where Regan and Marcus play monopoly using soft objects instead of the usual metal figures, obviously to avoid making any noise.
Above all however, A Quiet Place is an excruciatingly tense film, accentuated by the way in which silence and noise are used. Much like Don't Breathe, silence is preferable in the world of this film and any sort of noise acts as a threat to our protagonist. The consistent silence is usually accompanied by this underlying sense of suspense, that gradually builds whenever sound comes into play. There's one particular sequence where Blunt's character attempts to hide from one of the creatures, and the way in which silence and noise come into play here is incredibly smart. Not only does it effect how the audience feels, but it also works within a narrative context and raises the stakes for our characters. While some of the CGI might seem a bit average at times, it never underplays the films nailbiting suspense.
A Quiet Place is an incredible exercise in tension that is anchored by a strong sense of emotional resonance due to its central theme of family. Krasinski does a wonderful job from both an acting and directing standpoint, while Blunt, Simmons, and Jupe all give equally strong performances as well. A Quiet Place marks a promising directorial debut from John Krasinski and marks one of this years strongest horror efforts so far.
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