Despite the need to keep quiet in the film, critics have not stopped talking about “A Quiet Place”.

The new thriller starring real-life couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt was released in theaters April 6. The film marks Krasinski’s directorial debut.

The film’s premise revolves around a family living in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world where no one can make a sound for fear of being killed by Demogorgan-like monsters that hunt their prey by sound. The film, however, fails to explain how or why these monsters exist, except for panning over a few newspaper clippings. Although this leaves an air of mystery in the plot, it can leave some viewers frustrated not knowing this seemingly important detail of the plot.

Because the characters cannot make any sounds, the cast completely communicates in sign language with translations provided on the bottom. Except for a mere two or three spoken lines, this is the only way the characters communicate with each other, which means that in order to understand the movie, be prepared to read along while watching the scenes unfold.

Where the film fell short was character development. Writers left out much- if not all- of the family’s backstory. The tragic ending as well as the motivation of the characters would have been stronger felt by the audience. Krasinski stated that the theme of the film revolves around parenthood, so highlighting the relationships between the characters would have made the story even more impactful.

Perhaps the most impressive performance in the film is Blunt’s. You can feel the pain, misery, and relief in her facial expressions, and makes the nail-biting atmosphere turn even more frightening and unimaginable.

What makes this film interesting is what the characters- and the audience- are scared of. Many modern horror movies rely on repetitive jumpscares to get viewers’ hearts pumping, and its nice to see a different type of horror movie in theaters. This movie is even more memorable because it’s not the monsters that are intended to scare viewers yet a simple, familiar concept: sound. You won’t even want to munch on your popcorn in fear of being too loud.

Overall, “A Quiet Place” is an impressive new attempt to redefine horror films. With its interesting concept and remarkable acting, critics and viewers won’t quiet down any time soon.