---
title: "A Quiet Place: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-quiet-place/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-quiet-place"
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 23
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# A Quiet Place (2018): what the critics said

Critics' score 84 from 23 reviews: 22 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics find A Quiet Place a tightly controlled, frightening thriller whose family drama gives the scares emotional weight. Praise centres on the sound design and near-silence, with reviews repeatedly noting how ordinary acts of survival become tense set pieces under John Krasinski’s direction. The performances also draw broad approval, particularly Millicent Simmonds and Emily Blunt, while several critics see the family’s predicament as an effective way of exploring parental fear and responsibility.

The spread runs from enthusiastic praise to one mixed assessment, with no outright negative reviews. Reservations concern plot logic, thinly drawn family dynamics and how much the film offers beyond its central idea. Variety admires the suspense but finds the construction contrived and too pleased with its premise. The Ringer is the clearest dissenter: it finds the survival thriller engaging, but argues that implausibilities and an overly serious tone prevent the drama from earning its intended weight.

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 5/5. 

The critic hails it as a sensational shocker and instant sci-fi horror classic blending family drama and creature feature. It singles out the masterclass in evoking unbearable tension through economic storytelling, choreographed scares, tremendously effective sound design, and the creatures as the stuff of nightmares.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5x8hss/a-quiet-place/)

## The Times — Ed Potton

Rating ★★★★★. 6 April 2018. 

The critic calls it the scariest film seen in years with a devastatingly simple premise, horrible monsters and genuine emotional oomph. They single out the masterful execution of terror through near-total silence.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/film-review-a-quiet-place-f3h2npz2v)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2018. 

The high-concept monster movie narrows its focus effectively to deliver relentless suspense set-pieces. It features great creature design and a standout performance from Millicent Simmonds.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/quiet-place-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 2018. 

The critic finds it a sensationally gripping and emotional thriller, praising how it immerses viewers in the minutiae of everyday survival and the commanding performances, especially from the deaf actress and Krasinski as the father.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-a-quiet-place-review-20180405-story.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2018. Festival review. 

The critic calls it a nail-biting genre hit and smart, spiky successful thriller bound to do roaring business, with Krasinski ratcheting up tension through a wholly convincing performance from Emily Blunt. It singles out the rare use of special effects sparingly to amplify drama, strong performances, and how it brings elemental questions of family love and sacrifice to the genre framework.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-quiet-place-review/5127825.article)

## Sight and Sound — Nikki Baughan

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2018. 

The critic praises Krasinski's film as a masterly evocation of silent terror, both a devastating allegory about protection and paranoia and a genuinely frightening succession of jump-scares. It singles out the deep emotional level achieved through the prism of a single family's struggles with grief and guilt, alongside pitch-perfect filmmaking and immersive sound design.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/quiet-place-review-masterly-evocation-silent-terror)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 2018. 

The critic finds the film a brilliantly suspenseful thriller in which a family must remain silent to avoid giant predators. They single out its simplicity and punch as evoking classic sci-fi films like Planet of the Apes.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/apr/05/a-quiet-place-review-john-krasinski-emily-blunt)

## The Hollywood Reporter — John DeFore

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2018. Festival review. 

A terrifying thriller with a surprisingly warm heart, this is a monster-movie allegory for parenting in a world gone very wrong. It delivers relentless action beats with emotional pauses in the final third and uses the fantastic to convey parental fear and responsibility.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-quiet-place-review-1093580/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2018. 

The critic describes the film as a robust and frightening fable fashioned from a splendid premise, praising its fat-free storytelling, sound design, and the standout performance by the young deaf actress, noting it is enjoyable and coherently plausible.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/16/you-were-never-really-here-and-a-quiet-place)

## Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 April 2018. 

The film is a tense, high-concept horror that builds suspense through its sound-sensitive premise and family dynamics.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-quiet-place-review/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2018. 

This is a refreshingly unglossy creature-feature thriller that works as a blockbuster for those who dislike typical Bay productions. It highlights strong performances, particularly from Millicent Simmonds, and effective sound design.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-quiet-place-refreshingly-unglossy-thriller-is-an-ultra-sound-blockbuster-a3807411.html)

## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel

Rating 4/4/3. 1 April 2018. 

The critic finds much to admire in this muted horror, noting its tense monster apocalypse with all the muted feels and how it presents domestic units and protective parenting as salves in despair. It singles out the cat-and-mouse tension akin to Don't Breathe but complains of big teeth but little to digest afterwards.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/a-quiet-place)

## The i Paper

Rating ★★★★. 4 April 2018. 

It is one of the most terrifying and original horror films in years, with a strong premise and heartfelt performances that elevate it beyond a creature feature. Krasinski's direction excels at ratcheting tension.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/a-quiet-place-review-horror-141156)

## Time Out — Ian Freer

Rating 4/5. 28 March 2018. 

The critic calls it a smartly-executed monster movie that grabs you and doesn't let go, thriving on a nifty premise of survival in a sound-deadly world. It singles out the pure bold cinema with minimal dialogue, nerve-shredding set pieces, and a neat allegory for parenting challenges, while noting the family dynamics lack nuance.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-quiet-place)

## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2018. 

The critic calls it an effective old-fashioned creature feature with a simple hook about sound-hunting monsters, praising the skillful direction that uses silence to heighten attention to facial expressions and strong performances, especially from the young deaf actress.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/movies/a-quiet-place-review-john-krasinski-emily-blunt.html)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2018. Festival review. 

The critic calls it a tautly original genre-bending exercise that is technically sleek with vivid scary moments, praising the suspenseful scenes and Krasinski's direction while noting it is a bit contrived and in love with its own premise.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/a-quiet-place-review-sxsw-emily-blunt-john-krasinski-1202722603/)

## Vulture

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 April 2018. 

The gimmick of avoiding sound is thunderously effective and makes the film aggressively scary, with strong performances creating a convincing family. It lacks an obvious endgame and is not as fun as similar recent horror like Don't Breathe.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/04/john-krasinski-a-quiet-place-movie-review.html)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Rating 5/5. 19 March 2018. 

The critic finds the film damn near unmissable, praising its innovative use of sound and silence in horror, the performances especially Emily Blunt's, and its emotional depth alongside scares.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-quiet-place-review-2/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 3 April 2018. 

The critic calls the film a genuinely effective and brilliantly executed piece of horror, a truly terrifying movie that earns its screams by turning off the sound. He singles out Krasinski’s direction for creating edge-of-your-seat anxiety through silence and sound design.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2018/04/a-quiet-place-review-john-krasinski-emily-blunt-1202357845/)

## The Wrap — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2018. 

The critic finds it a meticulously muscle-clenching exercise in gimmicky horror with a clever idea that gets a healthy workout. He singles out the well-acted family dynamics and precise use of sound and silence for building tension.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/a-quiet-place-film-review-john-krasinski-emily-blunt/)

## Collider — Haleigh Foutch

Rating B+. 5 April 2018. 

The film succeeds as a tense horror movie that emphasizes family bonds and parenting under extreme pressure. Strong performances, particularly from Emily Blunt, and effective atmosphere stand out as highlights.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/a-quiet-place-review-emily-blunt-john-krasinski/)

## /Film — Meredith Borders

Rating 8/10. 10 March 2018. Festival review. 

The critic calls it a scary and effective monster movie with outstanding sound design, creature work, and tension-building set pieces, along with strong wordless performances from the cast. Some plot logic issues are noted as occasional distractions from the spell.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/556820/a-quiet-place-movie-review/)

## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 2018. 

The movie is engaging but undermined by its overly serious tone and implausible elements that verge on silliness. It works best as a vicarious thriller about survival but falls short of fully earning its dramatic ambitions.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/04/05/movies/a-quiet-place-film-review-john-krasinski-emily-blunt)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-quiet-place.md