John Krasinski made a major splash in 2018 with his debut horror feature,A Quiet Place. Along with co-writing and directing, Krasinski also starred in the film oppositeAcademy Award nominee Emily Blunt(his real-life wife). The thrilling film takes place in the near future, afterEarth has been overtaken by violent aliens that hunt by sound.The audience is put in the shoes of a family who struggles to survive in a world in which making noise could result in certain death.
A Quiet Placewas not only a hit in the horror community, but actually gained a massive audience around the world, as it ended up appealing to many people who wouldn’t typically enjoy horror. Part of this is due to the way the film relies more heavily on suspense, as opposed to things like gore andexcessive jump scares. The inclusion of a clever, captivating plot and several great performances attracted even more support for the film. For those who found themselves loving these elements ofA Quiet Place,these other horror films are perfect to check out next.
Bird Box
Cast
Bird Box shows the apocalypse through the ears of Malorie Hayes (Sandra Bullock), a mother of two who tries to get her children to safety after realizing that the demonic entities who are ravaging the world only affect their victims through their eyes. The 2018 Netflix hit is based on Josh Malerman’s 2014 novel of the same name.
Interestingly, another horror movie with a very similar premise toA Quiet Placewas also released in 2018, although it came several months later. Based on the Josh Malerman novel of the same name,Bird Boxtakes place in a world overrun bymysterious creatures that drive people to cause their own deathsafter they see the creatures.
Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie Hayes, a woman who must use her cleverness and strength to not only survive around the deadly creatures, but to protect a pair of children as well. From the minute it was released, it was clear that viewers would be making comparisons betweenBird BoxandA Quiet Place.
Bird Box: 20 Weird Details You Never Knew About The Creature
One of the central mysteries of Bird Box is what the monsters are. Nobody knows how they look, but that’s more than enough to make them terrifying.
Although the stories are definitely different, both films occur in a world in which the characters must essentially eliminate one of their senses in order to survive.Bird Boxis a great option for someone looking for a different twist on the concept ofA Quiet Place, while maintaininghigh levels of suspense, as well as the element of a parent-and-children relationship at its core.
Arcadian
Arcadian is a sci-fi thriller film by director Benjamin Brewer and released in 2024. Set after the events of a near-world ending event, Arcadian follows Paul and his twin sons as they battle against unseen forces from beyond the stars that look to destroy anything they lay eyes on.
Anotherfilm with clear similarities toA Quiet Placewas actually released in 2024, but definitely flew much more under the radar, especially compared toA Quiet Place: Day One, which was released at around the same time. The film, titledArcadian, followsa father and his two sons as they attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth, one dominated by bloodthirsty creatures whose main weakness appears to be light.
Together, the trio must do what they can to live and defend their home from the beings that attack each night.Arcadianstars Nicolas Cage as Paul, with Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins playing his two sons, Joseph and Thomas. The film was praised for the strong performances by the three main actors, as well as for its ability to capture a believable family dynamic in this horror-fueled setting.
Arcadianis consistently suspenseful and frightening, but pleasantly grounded in an intelligent story about family.
Arcadianisconsistently suspenseful and frightening, but pleasantly grounded in an intelligent story about family. The film also packs the added bonus of some genuinely terrifying creatures, ones that make it clear that they pose a deadly threat despite their weakness.
It Follows
It Follows is a horror-thriller film released in 2014 and follows a college student named Jay who is terrorized by a specter of a woman that follows her everywhere she goes. When Jay has sex with her new boyfriend, he ties her up and reveals that this mysterious woman will now haunt her until she passes it on to another or is killed by her. Now haunted by a woman that only she and those once afflicted by her can see, Jay will attempt to survive and find away to break the curse.
It Followstook audiences and critics alike by surprise in 2014, offering a surprisingly thought-provoking social commentary in the form of a chilling horror movie.This unique horror film is centered around a mysterious entitywhich follows its potential victims at a walking pace, never stopping until it has successfully attacked its target, before moving on to the next one.
The film was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, and stars Maika Monroe as Jay, a young woman who must convince her friends of the creature’s existence before it is too late.It FollowsandA Quiet Placemay have completely different concepts, but they do take a very similar approach to horror.
Both are very intelligent films, never resorting to using cheap tricks to scare their audiences. Instead, each thrives at building suspense, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats as they wonder when the terrifying creatures will strike next. To make it even more enticing,It Followsfeatures an endingthat is guaranteed to keep viewers thinking about the film long after the credits roll.
The Invisible Man
Inspired by H.G. Well’s novel of the same name, The Invisible Man is a modern retelling of the sci-fi horror classic. After narrowly escaping her abusive and powerful tech mogul boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is relieved to hear of his death. However, she soon becomes convinced that he’s watching her, and little by little, she comes to believe that he’s found a way to not only cheat death but the laws of reality, too.
Over the last two decades, Leigh Whannell has made quite a name for himself in the world of horror, thanks to films likeSawandInsidious. However, these films (and their subsequent sequels) seemed to be geared more toward hardcore horror fans. His 2020 feature,The Invisible Man, though, is an excellent option for people with any level of experience with the genre.
The film stars Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia,an architect who finds herself being tormented by her invisibility-suit-wearing ex-boyfriend, only for her fear to be compounded by the realization that no one seems to believe her.The Invisible Manreceived widespread praise from critics and audiences alike, largely thanks to its impressive commentary on domestic abuse.
Elisabeth Moss Says Invisible Man 2 Is Very Close To Happening
Cee Kass actor Elisabeth Moss says Invisible Man 2 is very close to happening, four years after the original horror movie remake hit theaters.
The film effectively takes a classic horror figure and reinvents it into something more relevant to modern society, making it all the more terrifying in the process.The Invisible Manachieves its terrifying effect through various psychological tactics, particularly by capitalizing on the inherent fear that arises when no one seems willing to help.
Signs
Signs is a sci-fi horror film by director M. Night Shyamalan. It follows devout priest Graham Hess and his family as they find themselves in the middle of a mysterious event where crop circles appear in the middle of their farmland. Then, seeing the entire world begin to experience similar phenomena, the family starts to worry about their safety and the end of days as they ponder what may be coming.
A Quiet Placetakes place many days after the alien creatures have arrived on Earth. The two sequels, however, each take at least a little bit of time to explore what it was like when these deadly beings first landed on the planet. M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 horror feature,Signs, employs a story very similar to this.
Set in rural Pennsylvania, this eerie film explores a global alien invasionthrough the eyes of one everyday family. In doing this, the film offers a refreshingly grounded perspective of this global phenomenon, very similar to the approach used inA Quiet Place. In addition to its captivating perspective and layered story,Signsis boosted by many strong performances.
Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin, and Rory Culkin star as the members of the main family, with each performance not only feeling impressive on their own, but fully believable as a family. This dynamic plays a major role in the film, similar to its importance inA Quiet Place. For those with questions about how the alien invasion inA Quiet Placemay have begun,Signspresents an excellent option for some answers.
Us
Us is a horror film directed by Jordan Peele, depicting the unsettling vacation of the Wilson family, led by Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide and Winston Duke as Gabe. Their beach house retreat turns sinister when unexpected guests, identical in appearance to the family members, disrupt their peaceful getaway.
Much like John Krasinski, Jordan Peele also made the bold leap from comedy television to horror movies. Although all three of his horror films have proven to be quite successful thus far, his 2019 feature,Us, is perhaps the best choice for fans ofA Quiet Place.Usfollowsa family as they fight for their survival when attacked by a group of doppelgängers, each one closely resembling a different member of the family.
Matters get even more complicated and deadly when more of the “tethered” (as they are called in the film) begin rising up and attacking their doubles. Fans of theQuiet Placefranchise are bound to recognize the main star ofUs, Lupita Nyong’o, as she also starred in the 2024 sequel,AQuiet Place: Day One.
Ushas a 93% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
Nyong’o shines in both films, but especially inUs, as she effectively manages to embody two separate characters who are, despite their clear similarities, quite different.Usisincredibly effective as a horror film, using unsettling imagery and perpetually increasing suspense in order to thoroughly unnerve its viewers.
Don’t Breathe
In Don’t Breathe, three friends looking to escape their lot in life decide to act on information that could change their fortunes forever; a blind veteran with hundreds of thousands of dollars lives alone in a deserted neighborhood. When the trio decides to perform the heist on his home, who they thought to be a feeble aging man with no sight turns out to be far more dangerous and capable than they could have anticipated.
LikeA Quiet Place, Fede Álvarez’s 2016 horror movie,Don’t Breathe,forces the main characters into a situation where they must remain silent, but this time, there are no aliens involved.Don’t Breathefollows a trio of young thieves who break into the house of Norman Nordstrom, a blind Gulf War veteran who recently lost his daughter in a car accident.
The thieves quickly discover that they may have bitten off more than they can chew, though, as Norman wakes up ready to protect his home and his belongings at all costs. Álvarez is certainly no stranger to the genre, having also directedEvil Dead, as well as the 2024 film,Alien: Romulus.
Through hisclever filmmaking and storytelling tactics, he manages to create a horrifying character who consistently poses a deadly threat to the main trio despite his inability to see. Norman embodies the same level of threat as the aliens inA Quiet Place, but with an added element that makes him an even more frightening antagonist: humanity.
10 Cloverfield Lane
From Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young woman who awakens after a car crash in a bunker alongside two strangers. Howard (John Goodman) tells her that it’s not safe to leave, and that he saved her life, but Michelle becomes increasingly suspicious of Howard’s motives and his past and begins to plan a daring escape to see what exactly has happened to the outside world.
Part of what makesA Quiet Placeso captivating is the way it manages to depict the impact of a worldwide alien invasion by focusing solely on one specific location. Released just a couple of years beforeA Quiet Place,10 Cloverfield Lanetakes a very similar approach. Thisstandalone sequel toCloverfieldtells the story of a young woman who wakes up to find herself being held captive by a strange man who claims that the outside world has been overtaken by aliens, and that they must remain in the bunker together, or else risk certain death.
10 Cloverfield Lanehas a strong mystery element to it, as the viewer (like the protagonist) is constantly unsure of who can actually be trusted, and what is really going on in the outside world. This allows the film to build immense levels of suspense as more and more information is gradually revealed. For those who found themselves taken by the grounded perspective of an alien invasion inA Quiet Place,10 Cloverfield Laneis an excellent option.
Hush
Hush is a thriller directed by Mike Flanagan, starring Kate Siegel as Maddie Young, a deaf-mute author living in isolation. The film chronicles Maddie’s survival as she becomes the target of a masked intruder. With limited senses, Maddie must use her resourcefulness and intellect to outwit the assailant.
One of the most captivating characters inA Quiet Placeis Regan, the deaf teenage daughter of Krasinski and Blunt’s characters. Being unable to hear, Regan must use her intelligence and carefulness in order to survive. The 2016 horror movie,Hush, places the primary focus on a protagonist in a very similar situation. The film follows a horror author namedMaddie asshe is forced to fight for her survivalafter a serial killer breaks into her home.
BothA Quiet PlaceandHushpresent compelling stories about deaf individuals using their resources to find brave, creative ways to survive in the face of a deadly threat.
BothA Quiet PlaceandHushpresent compelling stories about deaf individuals using their resources to find brave, creative ways to survive in the face of a deadly threat. To make matters even more complex, Maddie is deaf, which makes it much easier for the killer to sneak around undetected.
Although both stories are actually quite different in terms of the specific situations the characters find themselves in, this element does create a clear tie between the films.Hushis an excellent option for another horror moviefor viewers who loved the character of Regan, although it is worth noting thatHushcan get to be quite a bit more gory thanA Quiet Place.
Although it definitely manages to stand out from most others,A Quiet Placeis, at its core, a movie about aliens attacking a group of people. IfA Quiet Placemade you realize that this kind of movie may be right up your alley,Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror classic,Alien, is an absolute must-see.Alienis easily among the most iconic alien films of all time, becoming highly popular among critics and audiences alike.
Alien: Romulus' Sequel Can Finally Tell The Xenomorph Story None Of The Alien Movies Have
When the sequel to Alien: Romulus continues Rain and Andy’s journey through space, it can do something no previous Alien movie has done.
The film follows the crew of a spaceship as they begin to be picked off one-by-one by a deadly creature they accidentally let onboard.A Quiet PlaceandAlieneach feature some of the most frightening extraterrestrial characters ever brought to life on screen. Both immediately manage to establish their deadly abilities, making them a clear threat from beginning to end.
Alienadds another interesting dynamic to the standoff between humans and aliens, though, asthe film occurs entirely in outer space. The characters in the film don’t have the same comforts of home possessed by the family inA Quiet Place, making their journey all the more perilous.
A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place, directed by John Krasinski, follows a family navigating a post-apocalyptic world where they must live in silence to evade deadly creatures that hunt by sound.
