2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Somewhere Quiet is the story of Meg (Jennifer Kim). When she returns home after being kidnapped, she finds herself in another unfortunate situation. She’s trying to cope with the reality that her marriage is struggling and that new, awkward characters are being introduced in her life. As she spends some time in a remote location with her husband, Scott (Kentucker Audley), she finds that life as she once knew it is no more. As she contemplates that reality, as she deals with the aftermath of her kidnapping, she will struggle more than ever before.
For a while the storyline seems a little coincidental, and it’s not until the film has almost come to a close that viewers get answers. There are a number of aspects of the film that viewers will be able to appreciate while they watch Somewhere Quiet and try to figure out what the hell is going on–but I wanted a little more from the storyline, a little more transparency. At least that’s how I felt through the first two acts of the film, as I hoped that some answers would come my way. When the film nears its conclusion, as it begins to close out viewers are given answers–the best possible answers really. Everything that viewers could have hoped to come from the narrative comes to fruition (and, no, I don’t think that’s a spoiler because the narrative is so well developed and manipulated). Somewhere Quiet definitely takes some time to develop, but I promise you that the juice is worth the squeeze.
Sound plays such an important role in what Somewhere Quiet is able to create. Viewers are able to hear everything (everything that the filmmakers want us to hear that is), and it intensifies the story as it moves forward. Never does a moment pass when sound doesn’t play such an important role–even when sound doesn’t exist. There are moments spread throughout Somewhere Quiet when sound ceases to exist, where silence is the only thing to be heard–and that silence is deafening. When I was able to literally hear a pin drop as I watched the film, as I was able to hear the subtle changes in Meg’s breathing, that’s when the film became the most intense, that’s when I was able to feel the tension and fall further and further in love with the film.
I think that most people would consider darkness a quintessential part of the horror genre, that without some level of darkness horror can’t truly exist. Somewhere Quiet plays with darkness throughout its entirety, constantly manipulating what viewers can and cannot see. Sometimes the darkness is so thick that it becomes nearly impossible to see what’s playing out on screen, but that darkness helps to drive the story, to develop Meg, and to, again, create intensity. There were times when I felt like I was trapped, locked in a room with no windows and no doors–and there was no way to escape. This put me in Meg’s shoes and allowed me to sympathize with her throughout Somewhere Quiet.
Sometimes films just have “it.” “It” is hard to define, but it’s clear that Somewhere Quiet possesses whatever that thing is. Rarely are films able to create intensity from beginning to end, rarely are they able to create something almost palpable throughout their entirety. Somewhere Quiet differs from other films in this regard, constantly upping the ante, constantly finding ways to make the film more intense and dramatic. Whether it’s the acting, the score, or the deafening silence, every second of this film remains intense–forcing viewers to the edges of their seats throughout. Somewhere Quiet is truly brilliant, and one of the best films at this year’s festival.
Written & Directed by Olivia West Lloyd.
Starring Jennifer Kim, Kentucker Audley, Marin Ireland, Micheál Neeson, Michael J.R. Murphy, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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