‘It does manage to thrill, just not at levels you would expect from this kind of thriller.’

We are dramatically introduced to Sandra Bullock’s character telling us to do as she commands. We are going to take a journey that will take a long time and will be dangerous. Most importantly, we mustn’t open our eyes. Quite an intense opening for a film that I hoped would keep me on the edge of my seat. But after just over two hours I have to say I was considerably disappointed. Very few films can take on an apocalypse and make successful thriller with it. This film has received quite a buzz and has even been called “Netflix’s sensation”. After the success of John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place, I was apprehensive that it could be as equally eminent. After all, it follows a similar story, of a family struggle when the end of the world is near. A Quiet Place works so well because of the simplicity of its story. The straightforward plot and clean concept. The enigma surrounding the horror and adding height to it. Netflix’s new edition to the apocalyptic thrillers marketed itself on A Quiet Place’s success, however, it does not thrill in the same way.

The premise; strange creatures appear and when anyone lays eyes on it, they see their worst fears, their eyes glaze over and they are driven mad to the point of suicide. Quite a simple concept when you think about it, and certainly one that can be full of fear. The opening scene suggests we are about to sit through a claustrophobic and stressful journey. However, immediately following those intense first few minutes, we are presented with a series of flashbacks. What I imagine are intended to further the narrative, explain the premise around these mysterious monsters. Any attempt to build fear in the audience fails from here on. Although a curious story, it is certainly nothing new. It came across to me as a rehash of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening. People are driven mad and commit suicide in all sorts of disturbing ways. Bird Box also has plenty of smashing and bashing, blood splattered deaths. But in the exact same way, the film is floored. Any attempt to explain why you must fear the monster is the moment it stops being scary.

The greatest monsters in Hollywood history are enigmatic. They are mysterious and secret in their own ways. This is why the monsters in A Quiet Place are so scary. We don’t know where they’re from or what they are doing on earth. What is feared more than the unknown? An unexplained monster will be the scariest. This is crafted so well in Alien or Cloverfield. We fear these monsters because we don’t know what they are. As soon as you provide an explanation, they are no longer scary. There are some intense moments crafted into this film. Being blind alongside the main characters contributes to the film’s best characteristic. Of course, being blind is scary! Navigating from A to B when you cannot see your pathway it is terrifying. But in an almost naïve way, the film doesn’t play to its strengths. It comes across as very confused, like it doesn’t know what it is trying to be. Classical horror elements are thrown in for good measure, which overall creates a mess. It does manage to thrill, just not at levels you would expect from this kind of thriller.

Performances from John Malkovich, who plays brutally responsible Douglas, and Trevante Rhodes’ charming character Tom are certainly attempts to make up for where this film lacks. Netflix regular, Sarah Poulson once again proves her potential on the screen. However, it doesn’t quite seem enough. This film is unfortunately wasted on the long list of talent with generally uninspired characters. We aren’t provided with much back story. We can expect better from writer Eric Heisserer (who penned 2016 Arrival). The characters are shallow, and hard to connect with. Considering how much dialogue they are given you would expect a little more. They are all forced into a house to survive together however, we don’t feel any emotional attachment to them if they survive or not. The random horror moments are all thrown in together in an attempt to keep the story moving forward.

At just over two hours long, this disappointing viewing experience certainly didn’t learn from the words “less is more”. It is a considerably unoriginal story, unsuccessfully told. There were realms of potential that could have worked in its favour, but they were played out poorly. It is unengaging, and only slightly intense at the best of times. Certainly not worth its buzz that it seems to have acquired and yet another hyped product that lacks substance.