Title: The Quiet Ones

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: John Pogue

Starring: Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

What It Is: Professor Joseph Coupland (Harris) is convinced that possession is a manifestation of telekinetic energy, and that by tranferring that energy into something else (here it’s a baby doll) that he and his team can cure Jane Harper (Cooke) of whatever has hold of her. To assure their study can be proven Prof. Coupland hires, even though he isn’t paying him Brian, a young videographer eager to start shooting anything. What they discover could either blow Prof. Coupland’s entire hypothesis, or win the guy a nobel prize. But one has to wonder if the Professor has any ulterior motives, and what of Jane? What is her motivation to get “cured”?

What We Think: Let me brace this by saying I don’t get scared by jump scares. They’ve just never worked for me. I much prefer imagery and atmosphere in my horror films. That being said The Quiet Ones only had jump scares, and for me as I mentioned none of them worked. The mood really wasn’t there and the lack of interesting parts kept the film from being breezy even at 98 minutes. Olivia Cooke was interesting as the guinea pig young woman searching for a cure, and Sam Claflin was tolerable. Jared Harris however just didn’t click for me. I wanted to like this film as I do every movie, it just didnt work though.  

Our Grade: D, The lack of legitimate scares hurts a movie built on scaring people. The Conjuring came out around this time last year, and surprised the hell out of everyone, The Conjuring this was not…not even close. I’ll hope Hammer can nail their next production as for The Quiet Ones, well the less said…the better.