‘The Quiet Ones’ Earns a 7 on the Scare-o-meter (Review)

Written by: Wesley Thomas

‘The Quiet Ones’? How ironic, as the movie is anything but!

 

Thrown in with short, choppy, jumpy scenes are loud sound effects that have your heart racing.

 

In what I like to call ‘vintage England’, a time of bad hair and questionable fashion, we have a very disturbed young girl who is believed to have a spirit attached to her.

 

We follow Jane (Olivia Cooke – Bates Motel) as she portrays a tortured soul who wants to be free of this spirit that seems intent on staying at her side.

Olivia does a fine job of expressing both a sadistic side to Jane, and the exhausted, helpless, little girl scared for her fate.

 

Experiment after experiment only proves Professor Coupland’s (Jared Harris) theory that a manifestation exists and Jane possesses the ability to bring it forth.

At first we are tricked into believing he is your typical lecherous, sexist, professor, hungry for knowledge and respect after discovering evidence to prove his beliefs.

But as the story unravels we find he has hidden reasons for being so determined and wilful when it comes to producing results.

 

There may be ear-bashing noises used to heighten terror, but the remainder of the film relies on silence to create suspense. Along with a soundtrack of British music overlaying the recuperation scenes where we are allowed a few minutes to catch our breath.

 

So thus far you have a girl being taken through her paces with endless scientific and paranormal experiments, so what else is there to the movie?

 

You have the cameraman (Sam Clafin) who develops feelings for Jane, which endangers him when she, and the entity, become aware of his.

 

Then you have another interesting character.

A provocative lady who uses sex as a tool for power, and is under the false conception that she has all the control.

This is, until the ending, where it’s clear she has been used.

 

In terms of a horror perspective I would give it a 7 on a scare-o-meter.

There are a couple of chills and several jump-out-of-your-seat sections.

But I was expecting more petrifying scenes having me crawling back in my seat, but hey, that’s just me!

 

All in all I would recommend a viewing.

It’s short and powerful scenes, admirable acting (especially from Olivia), flashing between handheld camera shots and the typical movie camera work, along with the tension that escalates between the characters, are what holds the seams together for this movie.

 

Oh, and the claps are an unusual insertion, which round the story cleverly. You’ll have to watch to understand this one!

 

Comment on this blog post if you manage to see this one, and let me know what you thought.

 

Rating: 4/5