When we think of horror franchises, we always think of movies from the 90s and 00s. In the last 20 years, it seems that the ability to create great horror franchises has been lost, with the notable exception of Blumhouse and everything that has come out around the Insidious/The Conjuring universe. But the reality is that there is at least one other franchise that has managed to take off in recent years, and it did so almost unexpectedly. Taking its director to almost instant stardom.
This franchise is A Quiet Place, or Un lugar tranquilo in its original title for the American audience. A franchise that currently spans three movies and a video game, with a fourth installment announced, and whose first two films are now available on streaming services for you to enjoy.
An unexpected success for the industry
The original movie premiered in 2018 under the direction of John Krasinski. Starring Emily Blunt and Krasinski himself, the film placed us in a terrible situation: civilization has ended due to a species that has invaded us and hunts us down. Fortunately for us, they are blind. Unfortunately, they have very sharp hearing. The film narrates the daily life of a mother and father struggling to raise their children in a post-apocalyptic world where any sound, at the wrong moment, can lead to death.
Using sign language very ingeniously and placing a strong emphasis on the visual, the film stood out for the cleverness of its premise. Here, the terror does not arise from the threat itself, as much as from its presence: everything becomes a potential threat, since the slightest sound can be a death sentence for the whole family. And the film constantly exploits this by putting them in situations where it is difficult not to make any sound. Accidentally or not.
With a modest budget of 17 million, Paramount Pictures must have celebrated with champagne when they saw the numbers the movie was generating. Reaching a worldwide gross of 341 million, even with the insane 86 million dollar advertising campaign they had invested in it, they managed to make it a resounding success.
Even among audiences and critics, it seems to have worked spectacularly. With an 82 out of 100 on Metacritic and a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it is one of the most celebrated films of 2018.
Lowering expectations, but staying strong
A Quiet Place Part II, like any worthy sequel, arrived shortly after. Although not without problems. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to delay the release by almost a year, the film’s budget increased to nearly 60 million, and the marketing budget skyrocketed. But with Krasinski back at the helm and his main actors reprising their roles, now adding Cillian Murphy and Noah Jupe to the cast, the film developed the themes of the first one, emphasizing the particularities of the unique universe they had created.
Something that didn’t seem to be enough. Although it was a success, it wasn’t the same success as the previous one. It raised just under 300 million dollars and the critics would be notably less passionate. Although with a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, it would barely achieve a 71 on Metacritic, leaving the feeling that it was a worthy sequel, but perhaps not as impactful and well-rounded as the original.
Its third part, A Quiet Place: Day One, and its video game, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, both premiered in 2024. In both cases, it can be summarized that they followed the path of the previous sequel: relatively low-budget productions compared to Hollywood blockbusters or AAA video games, which did not achieve the success or impact of the original film, but performed well with critics and exceeded box office and sales expectations. These are two more successes for the franchise.
Now the first two movies of the franchise are coming to HBO Max, so you can see if this franchise is really that great. And if you want more, A Quiet Place: Day One is available for streaming on SkyShowtime. Even if you’ll still have to wait a bit to see its fourth installment: until July 9, 2027.
