Quiet Ones, The (Blu-ray / DVD)
Starring Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Erin Richards, Olivia Cooke, Rory Fleck-Byrne
Directed by John Pogue
Distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Was anyone all that excited when, in 2007, Hammer Studios, the venerable institution of English horror, was revived? Once an absolute powerhouse of genre films – featuring legendary actors, steady direction, and loads of gorgeous production design – the glory days had been over for decades; all the old guard had moved on in one way or another. The gesture to keep the name going is commendable, if not a bit hollow. It would be like if someone resurrected Cannon Films in today’s market.
So far, in the seven years since re-opening the studio has been fairly harmless in terms of output. They’ve partnered up to release a few pictures that were moderately well received – Let Me In (2010) and The Woman in Black (2012) – though nothing that has really shown the flair many of their classics are known for. Hammer’s latest film, The Quiet Ones (2014), doesn’t venture outside the middle of the road, either. It’s another haunting/possession tale – because those are hot right now – but it’s got no pulse. There’s no tension here. No earned tension, at least. Supposedly based on “actual events” (which are usually so distorted by filmmakers all that reality is thrown out the window), this is one of those movies you can make it to the end of easily enough before the credits roll, you shrug your shoulders, and then head out the theater door to get some Chipotle, where your burrito will be remembered more fondly than the film you just watched. It does not warrant much post-screening discussion because it provokes no feeling. It’s all “been there, seen that”, with nothing new brought to the table.
Set in 1974, the film concerns a group of students who are taking a course on the supernatural. Their teacher, Prof. Coupland (Jared Harris), examines strange phenomena from a skeptic’s point of view, attempting to prove there is no such thing as true possession. To prove his point he’s been conducting a secret experiment that Brian (Sam Claflin) has just been invited to film. Prof. Coupland, along with two assistants – Krissi (Erin Richards) and Harry (Rory Fleck-Byrne) – has been trying to provoke a supernatural reaction out of Jane (Olivia Cooke), a young girl with supernatural abilities who has essentially been abandoned to their care. The group keeps her awake at all hours with loud rock music (which, in this case, is playing Slade’s “Cum On Feel The Noize” on an endless loop) hoping the lack of sleep will force her to manifest something, since unexplained activity has been known to emanate from her sporadically. Their location on campus, however, doesn’t make for the ideal setting, so they all move to an isolated house in the countryside.
At the new home, the parameters of the experiment are continued, with Jane locked behind a door 24/7 while music is fed into her quarters. Coupland is relentless in his pursuit of disproving the supernatural, but he’s been pushing Jane so hard that she’s been producing things that cannot just be explained away. Her negative energy is projected into a doll, Evey, which she claims is the spirit of a young girl who died under mysterious circumstances. Despite the increase of strange events, Coupland refuses to stop the tests. Brian finds himself empathizing with Jane, while both Krissi and Harry feel the test is not disproving the paranormal but proving its existence. Things come to a head when a sigil appears out of nowhere, singed onto Jane’s flesh. Brian leaves the house to learn more, uncovering the history of the home they’re in currently. The symbol on Jane relates to a local cult, one that worshiped the devil and experimented on young girls. All the members of that cult died in a fire, in that very home, including a girl named… you guessed it… Evey. Brian returns with this knowledge, provoking heated reactions from both Coupland and Jane. Soon all truth is revealed and a climax full of horrible death ensues.
It’s easy to write about films both good and bad, but the mediocrity of The Quiet Ones spurs little creative thought. Haunting film scripts are like a Mad Libs book; only the character names and locations seem to be unique. Very few deviate from the typical formula. Even a great film like The Conjuring (2017) hits many of the same notes, the only difference is that was a well-made picture that relied more on atmosphere and less on jump scares (but there were a few too many of those, too). The Quiet Ones connects the usual dots before reaching an ending with a twist that should surprise exactly no one. This is also a case where you can blame too many cooks in the kitchen, as the film’s script was written by no less than four credited screenwriters (which usually means there are a few more that went uncredited) and almost a baker’s dozen of producers. Since the story was lacking, they must’ve figured jump scares would make up for it because the film tries in vain to elicit scares. Oh, does it try. I don’t think a single scene went by without at least one loud thump, half of which were, of course, something other than ghostly events.
Let’s face it, in any given year most of the horror films released are utterly forgettable. Big studios rarely allow filmmakers the kind of freedom to make good, original horror, leaving it up to the independents and DTV market to give us gold. Hammer’s output hasn’t been down in the dumps, but their pedigree suggests they could be doing better. The Quiet Ones isn’t a total slog to get through (thanks to competent actors); it’s just nothing with any replay value whatsoever. The haunting angle feels rehashed, much of the story is frustratingly bad (it’s very clear supernatural events are occurring but Coupland still refuses to believe), every scare is a jump scare; even the title makes no sense, referring to a throwaway line heard late in the film. If run of the mill doesn’t bother you, by all means give this a spin; just don’t go in expecting much more than English accents, lots of smoking and endless jump scares with little payoff. Sounds enthralling, doesn’t it?
If you can’t be good, at least look good, right? The Quiet Ones mostly succeeds with that endeavor, featuring a 1.78:1 1080p image that switches both aspect ratios and film quality in an effort to make it look more vintage. The film proper features a generally strong, stable image that is bathed in darkness more often than not. Much of it takes place in that old country home, where lighting is minimal and shadows cover nearly everything. Detail holds up well enough under these conditions, improving dramatically when the action moves to an outdoor setting. Colors are limited to earthy tones in most scenes, only allowing vibrant hues to come into the frame sporadically, like during a moment of levity in the nearby gardens. The palette is intentionally bleak. About 1/7 of the film is shot “found footage” style, with Brian operating a camera to document Coupland’s work. The footage is shown at a ration close to 1.77:1 and with lots of dirt, scratches, etc. It’s like someone put the “grindhouse” filter on a camera. Despite being made to look very old, hi-def elements still look congruent with the rest of the picture. It suggests old footage without actually looking like true ‘70s film.
Thump. THUMP. THUMP! Get used to it because those sounds make up a big part of the film’s English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound track. This is no one-trick pony, though. One thing most films of this ilk get right is the audio mix, which is aggressive and expertly separated. Dishes smashed in another room are heard from the right rear speaker, voices travel seamlessly across each speaker, ghostly sounds explode from every direction; there is much activity occurring in nearly every scene. Even something as simple as source music fading in and out of a scene is done well. Stingers in horror films are typically a loud, piercing sound, but this film uses a quick burst of bass to convey the same sense of danger. There isn’t much subtlety to be found here. The track is boisterous and atmospheric, which should be a delight for audiophiles who yearn for a forceful mix. A Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy surround sound track is also included. Subtitles are included in English SDH and Spanish.
Director/co-writer John Pogue and producer Tobin Armbrust are featured on the audio commentary track. Pogue takes the reins here, talking first about the decision to shoot digitally and then tweaking the image in post. The film started life as a spec script, which was then redone numerous times by different writers. All the pertinent info you’d want is in here. Welcome to the Experiment: Making The Quiet Ones is a lengthy piece that’s a combination of behind the scenes footage and interviews with the cast & crew. The long rewrite process is discussed, as is the decision behind how each actor was cast in their roles. Some of the cast talk about their inspirations and how they felt about their characters.An Ominous Opening talks about how the film was originally going to have no opening credits at all, then they wisely chose to not only have opening credits but to make them awesome. The title designer speaks about his techniques and inspirations, including the decision to use wood cut artwork. A reel of deleted scenes and a reel of outtakes are also included.
Special Features:
2 out of 5
7 out of 5
Categorized:Reviews
