Paramount's A Quiet Place was not very silent in its April 6 debut. During its premiere weekend, it drummed up $50 million at the domestic box office.
The horror thriller, which stars John Krasinski—also the film's director—beside real-life wife Emily Blunt, depicts a family of four hiding in silence as they try to survive the mysterious creatures that hunt sound. A Quiet Place earned a 97 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82 rating on Metacritic. It received a B+ grade on CinemaScore, a website that gave Jennifer Lawrence's horror flick mother! a rare F+ rating in October 2017.
Despite a wave of praise the film has attracted from both critics and fans, there are still unanswered questions lingering following the film's conclusion. With spoilers ahead, here's a look at five unanswered questions from A Quiet Place:
At the movie's beginning, why did the parents allow their youngest child to walk behind everyone else before his untimely death?
The youngest child, Beau Abbott (Cade Woodward), desired to play with a noisy airplane toy. But Lee Abbott (Krasinski) takes the loud toy from his son and removes its batteries before placing both items down (within reach, might we add). He then explained to Beau the dangers of playing with the loud toy. Eldest child Regan Abbott (Millicent Simmonds)—who is deaf—gave the toy back to her brother without its batteries when their parents weren't looking. Beau managed to sneak the batteries without Regan's knowledge, however, as he stowed both items underneath his jacket.
As the family began their trip home, they walked in the following order: Lee (who was holding sick son Marcus Abbott, played by Noah Jupe), Evelyn Abbott (Blunt), Regan and Beau. Predictably, Beau pulled out the toy—with batteries inserted—to play. The toy sounds off, and Lee didn't make it to Beau in time to save him from being hunted by the creatures. If one parent had led the pack, and the other followed in back, Beau would've likely survived.
Why wasn't their home better equipped to prevent sound from attracting creatures?
The Abbott family's home is lacking one major thing: soundproof methods. Hiding out in silence is no easy feat. Add to that stress two young children and a newborn on the way. Since the film aims to depict the lengths you would go to for your family, creating some sort of soundproof method for the home should've been one of the first tasks the parents completed to ensure safety.
Why would the parents decide to have another child?
On Day 424, the audience learns that Blunt's character is pregnant. Newborn babies cry loudly, and that's not something that can be controlled, as we all know. In a world that's invaded by sound-hunting monsters, having babies isn't a sound decision. It automatically made the family a target for attacks, and placing a baby in a box to prevent its cries from being heard could only work for so long (yes, this happened). The family found medication to cure Marcus. Couldn't they search for condoms, too?
How were they able to obtain power?
Blunt's Evelyn has a working iPod. Krasinski's character successfully created a system that allowed him to capture surveillance footage through video cameras placed all around their home, which he monitored via multiple television screens. Considering this is a post-apocalyptic society, it seems somewhat hard to believe they're able to easily obtain power.
Why would anyone ever walk outside of their home unarmed?
There are a number of instances where Abbott family members unwisely walk around unarmed, like Regan's solo venture to Beau's gravesite in the woods and Lee searching for his children. Exiting their home was a risk from the start.
Why didn't they have a designated meetup spot in case they got separated?
As the house was under attack by multiple creatures (all thanks to Blunt's character, who let out a loud screech after accidentally stepping on a nail), Krasinski's Lee hatched up a plan to save her. We realize mom and dad were a bit preoccupied. But they didn't immediately realize Marcus and Regan (who left home without Evelyn's knowledge) weren't "safe." Lee went out to find them, and this ultimately resulted in his untimely death. Having a meetup spot could've been beneficial in this situation.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more
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