John Krasinski made a major splash in 2018 with his debut horror feature, A Quiet Place. Along with co-writing and directing, Krasinski also starred in the film opposite Academy Award nominee Emily Blunt (his real-life wife). The thrilling film takes place in the near future, after Earth has been overtaken by violent aliens that hunt by sound. The audience is put in the shoes of a family who struggles to survive in a world in which making noise could result in certain death.

A Quiet Place was not only a hit in the horror community, but actually gained a mᴀssive audience around the world, as it ended up appealing to many people who wouldn’t typically enjoy horror. Part of this is due to the way the film relies more heavily on suspense, as opposed to things like gore and excessive jump scares. The inclusion of a clever, captivating plot and several great performances attracted even more support for the film. For those who found themselves loving these elements of A Quiet Place, these other horror films are perfect to check out next.

10

Bird Box (2018)

Directed By Susanne Bier

Interestingly, another horror movie with a very similar premise to A Quiet Place was also released in 2018, although it came several months later. Based on the Josh Malerman novel of the same name, Bird Box takes place in a world overrun by mysterious creatures that drive people to cause their own deaths after they see the creatures.

Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie Hayes, a woman who must use her cleverness and strength to not only survive around the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly creatures, but to protect a pair of children as well. From the minute it was released, it was clear that viewers would be making comparisons between Bird Box and A Quiet Place.

Although the stories are definitely different, both films occur in a world in which the characters must essentially eliminate one of their senses in order to survive. Bird Box is a great option for someone looking for a different twist on the concept of A Quiet Place, while maintaining high levels of suspense, as well as the element of a parent-and-children relationship at its core.

9

Arcadian (2024)

Directed By Benjamin Brewer

Another film with clear similarities to A Quiet Place was actually released in 2024, but definitely flew much more under the radar, especially compared to A Quiet Place: Day One, which was released at around the same time. The film, тιтled Arcadian, follows a father and his two sons as they attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth, one dominated by bloodthirsty creatures whose main weakness appears to be light.

Together, the trio must do what they can to live and defend their home from the beings that attack each night. Arcadian stars Nicolas Cage as Paul, with Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins playing his two sons, Joseph and Thomas. The film was praised for the strong performances by the three main actors, as well as for its ability to capture a believable family dynamic in this horror-fueled setting.

Arcadian is consistently suspenseful and frightening, but pleasantly grounded in an intelligent story about family.

Arcadian is consistently suspenseful and frightening, but pleasantly grounded in an intelligent story about family. The film also packs the added bonus of some genuinely terrifying creatures, ones that make it clear that they pose a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly threat despite their weakness.

8

It Follows (2014)

Directed By David Robert Mitchell

It Follows took audiences and critics alike by surprise in 2014, offering a surprisingly thought-provoking social commentary in the form of a chilling horror movie. This unique horror film is centered around a mysterious enтιтy which follows its potential victims at a walking pace, never stopping until it has successfully attacked its target, before moving on to the next one.

The film was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, and stars Maika Monroe as Jay, a young woman who must convince her friends of the creature’s existence before it is too late. It Follows and A Quiet Place may have completely different concepts, but they do take a very similar approach to horror.

Both are very intelligent films, never resorting to using cheap tricks to scare their audiences. Instead, each thrives at building suspense, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats as they wonder when the terrifying creatures will strike next. To make it even more enticing, It Follows features an ending that is guaranteed to keep viewers thinking about the film long after the credits roll.

7

The Invisible Man (2022)

Directed By Leigh Whannell

Over the last two decades, Leigh Whannell has made quite a name for himself in the world of horror, thanks to films like Saw and Insidious. However, these films (and their subsequent sequels) seemed to be geared more toward hardcore horror fans. His 2020 feature, The Invisible Man, though, is an excellent option for people with any level of experience with the genre.

The film stars Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia, an architect who finds herself being tormented by her invisibility-suit-wearing ex-boyfriend, only for her fear to be compounded by the realization that no one seems to believe her. The Invisible Man received widespread praise from critics and audiences alike, largely thanks to its impressive commentary on domestic abuse.

The film effectively takes a classic horror figure and reinvents it into something more relevant to modern society, making it all the more terrifying in the process. The Invisible Man achieves its terrifying effect through various psychological tactics, particularly by capitalizing on the inherent fear that arises when no one seems willing to help.

6

Signs (2002)

Directed By M. Night Shyamalan

A Quiet Place takes place many days after the alien creatures have arrived on Earth. The two sequels, however, each take at least a little bit of time to explore what it was like when these ᴅᴇᴀᴅly beings first landed on the planet. M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 horror feature, Signs, employs a story very similar to this.

Set in rural Pennsylvania, this eerie film explores a global alien invasion through the eyes of one everyday family. In doing this, the film offers a refreshingly grounded perspective of this global phenomenon, very similar to the approach used in A Quiet Place. In addition to its captivating perspective and layered story, Signs is boosted by many strong performances.

Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin, and Rory Culkin star as the members of the main family, with each performance not only feeling impressive on their own, but fully believable as a family. This dynamic plays a major role in the film, similar to its importance in A Quiet Place. For those with questions about how the alien invasion in A Quiet Place may have begun, Signs presents an excellent option for some answers.

5

Us (2019)

Directed By Jordan Peele

​​​​Much like John Krasinski, Jordan Peele also made the bold leap from comedy television to horror movies. Although all three of his horror films have proven to be quite successful thus far, his 2019 feature, Us, is perhaps the best choice for fans of A Quiet Place. Us follows a family as they fight for their survival when attacked by a group of doppelgängers, each one closely resembling a different member of the family.

Matters get even more complicated and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly when more of the “tethered” (as they are called in the film) begin rising up and attacking their doubles. Fans of the Quiet Place franchise are bound to recognize the main star of Us, Lupita Nyong’o, as she also starred in the 2024 sequel, A Quiet Place: Day One.

Us has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nyong’o shines in both films, but especially in Us, as she effectively manages to embody two separate characters who are, despite their clear similarities, quite different. Us is incredibly effective as a horror film, using unsettling imagery and perpetually increasing suspense in order to thoroughly unnerve its viewers.

4

Don’t Breathe (2016)

Directed By Fede Álvarez

Like A Quiet Place, Fede Álvarez’s 2016 horror movie, Don’t Breathe, forces the main characters into a situation where they must remain silent, but this time, there are no aliens involved. Don’t Breathe follows a trio of young thieves who break into the house of Norman Nordstrom, a blind Gulf War veteran who recently lost his daughter in a car accident.

The thieves quickly discover that they may have bitten off more than they can chew, though, as Norman wakes up ready to protect his home and his belongings at all costs. Álvarez is certainly no stranger to the genre, having also directed Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, as well as the 2024 film, Alien: Romulus.

Through his clever filmmaking and storytelling tactics, he manages to create a horrifying character who consistently poses a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly threat to the main trio despite his inability to see. Norman embodies the same level of threat as the aliens in A Quiet Place, but with an added element that makes him an even more frightening antagonist: humanity.

3

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Directed By Dan Trachtenberg

Part of what makes A Quiet Place so captivating is the way it manages to depict the impact of a worldwide alien invasion by focusing solely on one specific location. Released just a couple of years before A Quiet Place, 10 Cloverfield Lane takes a very similar approach. This standalone sequel to Cloverfield tells the story of a young woman who wakes up to find herself being held captive by a strange man who claims that the outside world has been overtaken by aliens, and that they must remain in the bunker together, or else risk certain death.

10 Cloverfield Lane has a strong mystery element to it, as the viewer (like the protagonist) is constantly unsure of who can actually be trusted, and what is really going on in the outside world. This allows the film to build immense levels of suspense as more and more information is gradually revealed. For those who found themselves taken by the grounded perspective of an alien invasion in A Quiet Place, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an excellent option.

2

Hush (2016)

Directed By Mike Flanagan

One of the most captivating characters in A Quiet Place is Regan, the deaf teenage daughter of Krasinski and Blunt’s characters. Being unable to hear, Regan must use her intelligence and carefulness in order to survive. The 2016 horror movie, Hush, places the primary focus on a protagonist in a very similar situation. The film follows a horror author named Maddie as she is forced to fight for her survival after a serial killer breaks into her home.

Both A Quiet Place and Hush present compelling stories about deaf individuals using their resources to find brave, creative ways to survive in the face of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly threat.

Both A Quiet Place and Hush present compelling stories about deaf individuals using their resources to find brave, creative ways to survive in the face of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly threat.​​​​​​​ To make matters even more complex, Maddie is deaf, which makes it much easier for the killer to sneak around undetected.

Although both stories are actually quite different in terms of the specific situations the characters find themselves in, this element does create a clear tie between the films. Hush is an excellent option for another horror movie for viewers who loved the character of Regan, although it is worth noting that Hush can get to be quite a bit more gory than A Quiet Place.

1

Alien (1979)

Directed By Ridley Scott

Although it definitely manages to stand out from most others, A Quiet Place is, at its core, a movie about aliens attacking a group of people. If A Quiet Place made you realize that this kind of movie may be right up your alley, Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror classic, Alien, is an absolute must-see. Alien is easily among the most iconic alien films of all time, becoming highly popular among critics and audiences alike.

The film follows the crew of a spaceship as they begin to be picked off one-by-one by a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly creature they accidentally let onboard. A Quiet Place and Alien each feature some of the most frightening extraterrestrial characters ever brought to life on screen. Both immediately manage to establish their ᴅᴇᴀᴅly abilities, making them a clear threat from beginning to end.

Alien adds another interesting dynamic to the standoff between humans and aliens, though, as the film occurs entirely in outer space. The characters in the film don’t have the same comforts of home possessed by the family in A Quiet Place, making their journey all the more perilous.