SXSW: Opening Night Film 'A Quiet Place' Gets Glowing Reviews

von Clayton Davis · 11.03.2018

The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. Movie stars, that is. If it's March, then that means that the South by Southwest Film Festival is going on in Austin. SXSW kicked off with the John Krasinski helmed horror flick "A Quiet Place," and the first words have been flowing in about it. Apparently, the third time is truly the charm for Krasinski as a filmmaker, with this genre outing is getting career best reviews for the multi-hyphenate. Below you'll be able to see some of the initial reviews, via Twitter, as well as a bit more about the movie. Suffice to say, this seems like one to look out for. Krasinski has delivered what may very well be the horror film to anticipate in 2018.

The film, co-written, directed, and starring Krasinski, is a post apocalyptic horror movie. Krasinski co-stars with real life spouse Emily Blunt as the heads of a family surviving in upstate New York. Along with children, played by Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds, they live in isolation and silence, attempting to stay safe. Should they speak, monsters all around are just waiting to take them down. The premise is tremendously intriguing, and many of the early reviews for "A Quiet Place" at SXSW said just that. Twitter was abuzz right after the debut screening and in the full write ups afterward.

Here is a sampling of the Tweets from right after "A Quiet Place" screened at SXSW:

Jason Bailey of Flavorwire

A QUIET PLACE: Ruthlessly efficient and brutally effective stuff. Krasinski knows how to move his camera, and how to build bomb-under-the-table suspense. Went in skeptical; an excellent surprise. #sxsw

— Jason Bailey (@jasondashbailey) March 10, 2018
Meredith Borders of Fangoria

Holy shit, A QUIET PLACE is for real. John Krasinski made a horror movie that’s wholly original and, btw, really, REALLY scary. #sxsw

— Meredith Borders (@xymarla) March 10, 2018
Erik Davis of Fandango

DAMN! #AQuietPlace is John Krasinski’s best film as a director. So brilliantly intense and one of those films that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, literally. Just catching my breathe now#SXSW pic.twitter.com/KTlrigxtfz

— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) March 10, 2018
Angie Han of Mashable

#AQuietPlace is INCREDIBLY effective; my hands hurt from clenching my fists this whole time. So tense people were actually screaming. #SXSW2018

— Angie Han @ SXSW (@ajhan) March 10, 2018
Erick Kohn of IndieWire

A QUIET PLACE is basically a silent monster movie, and totally riveting as a fresh riff on an old formula. John Krasinski, who knew? My review from #SXSW https://t.co/rtbkEIjhCT

— erickohn (@erickohn) March 10, 2018
Neil Miller of Film School Rejects

Here’s the thing... Audible horror is my kryptonite. A QUIET PLACE is the MOST audible horror movie I’ve ever seen. Emotionally, I’m spent. Intellectually, I recognize that this movie fucking rules. Krasinski, Blunt, the kids, all top notch. #SXSW pic.twitter.com/o3ymd7r63V

— Neil Miller™ (@rejects) March 10, 2018
Alicia Malone of Fandango and TCM

A QUIET PLACE: Holy moly what a ride! I now suspect @johnkrasinski to be a cruel human, because he absolutely tortures the audience... albeit in a wonderful, terrifying & emotional way. I barely breathed throughout the whole film #SXSW pic.twitter.com/e4jA528Dbp

— Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone) March 10, 2018
Kristy Puchko of Pajiba

#AQuietPlace is a masterclass in suspense. It weaponizes your own screams against you. The tension is so taut your stomach will turn in relentless knots. Totally deliciously terrifying. #SXSW18

— Kristy Puchko ➡️ SXSW (@KristyPuchko) March 10, 2018
Scott Weinberg of Nerdist

Hoooly shit. A Quiet Place is a kick-ass horror flick. Masterful use of sound design. Audience went pretty nuts for this one. #sxsw

— Scott Weinberg (@scottEweinberg) March 10, 2018
"A Quiet Place" opens in theaters on April 6th and really does seem like a must see now. A top notch horror film as well as a step forward for an emerging actor turned filmmaker? Sounds tremendous. SXSW has delivered another winner.