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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

A Quiet Place
Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds
Synopsis: What would a parent do for their child? That's a question that lies at the heart of "A Quiet Place," the best new film of the year so far. Starring Blunt and Krasinski as a married couple living in a dystopic future where monsters stalk and kill anything that makes sound, they struggle to keep their children safe. It's a struggle that becomes even more pressing as Blunt is set to give birth again. The family relies on sign language to communicate, mostly, and an intricate system at their farm to keep themselves safe. The sign language already came in handy as their daughter (Simmonds) is deaf. But the creatures continue to prowl the area, and the family knows danger lies in every potential dropped dish or spoken word. This is a unique concept, based on the script from Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and Krasinski. Krasinski also steps behind the camera as director, and does a beautiful job with the look and feel of this film. He's also blessed with some rich performances. The children — Jupe and Simmonds — do a great job, particularly Simmonds, who has a very emotional arc to play. Krasinski is quite good himself, playing the father who is struggling with the burden of protecting his family and the grief over the one he couldn't protect. He has a scene near the end, too, with Simmonds, that is done simply with facial expressions and sign language that is nothing short of incredible and beautiful. But perhaps the best work comes from Blunt, a decorated and award-nominated actress, who has to do a lot of very intense, physical and emotional work with relatively little dialogue. This is a simple story, but one that's beautifully and powerfully told. I was on the edge of my seat, and often moved, throughout my viewing experience. This is the best film I've seen so far in 2018.
Rating: PG-13 for terror and some bloody images.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Rampage
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Naomi Harris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jake Lacy and Malin Akerman
Synopsis: Loosely based on a video game, "Rampage" is about a company doing illegal genetic editing work in space until it crashes back to earth and infects a gorilla, wolf, and alligator — creating a trio of super monsters. The company owners — Lacy and Akerman — a brother and sister duo, see it as a chance to build a new super weapon. Their former head researcher (Harris) wants to stop what her work has become. A government agent (Morgan) is out to make sure the damage is contained. And the gorilla's handler (Johnson) just wants to save his friend. This movie is what you'd expect it to be. There's some laughs, there's some big action sequences, and it's all part of a plot that's fairly straightforward and easy to follow. Brad Peyton does a nice job bringing the story to life, based on a script from four writers including Carlton Cuse. Johnson is perfect in these kind of roles, and Harris is a good companion/sidekick. In addition Morgan — channeling a lot of Negan from "The Walking Dead" — is kind of fun as the government agent who at first appears to be a foe, but soon becomes a friend to Johnson's character. This isn't a deep or complicated film, but it's one that's entertaining and achieves its aims.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence, action and destruction, brief language, and crude gestures.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, April 20 — "Duck Duck Goose," "Super Troopers 2," "Dolphins," "Traffik," "I Feel Pretty"
Friday, April 27 — "Avengers: Infinity War," "Animal Crackers"