The Minority Report | Ashley Kim

A Quiet Place focuses on a family that has adapted to a new world in which they must remain absolutely silent to survive—or else they’ll be killed by large creatures that have killed off most of the human population. These creatures lurk in the woods and are triggered by sound.

Sounds legit.

Anyway, there’s a scene where Jim Halpbert—I mean Lee Abbott (John Krasinski), is preparing to take his son, Marcus (Noah Jupe) into the woods to teach how to hunt and find food. You know, manly man things. Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Lee’s daughter, desires to go with her dad, but he insists that she stay at home to take care of her mother. You know, womanly woman things.

I had to prevent myself from releasing an audible “WTF” in the theater. It’s 2018, and we’re still making movies that limit people to their expected gender norms?

Thankfully, the film doesn’t let this moment define the women’s role for its remainder. Instead, it serves as the beginning of the film’s responsibility in proving that the real treasures of the world—I mean, the film—are women.

Emily Blunt plays Evelyn Abbott who is pregnant for the first part of the movie. While the audience is freaking out about the baby getting the entire family killed, Evelyn along with her family prepare for the baby’s arrival. I won’t spoil the movie too much, but let’s just say her water breaks in the worst situation possible on top of having to deal with a serious injury. And then she and her baby almost die in a flood. And then she has to face the creature face-to-face. And then—well, you get the idea. Evelyn is freaking amazing.

The worst, most inspiring part is that she has to stay silent through it all. Evelyn is the face of female resiliency in the film.

It’s worth noting, too, that 15-year-old Millicent Simmonds performs beautifully throughout the entire film. Her character is deaf just like she is in real life and instead of her “disability” hindering her, it actually serves as her super power.

A Quiet Place is a must see. If not for the outstanding work of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, then for its wonderfully smart writing and spotlight on the power of women.