Few movie genres are so closely tied to the concept of death like horror. Humans, in one way or another, fear death, and the horror genre plays on said fears to elicit visceral reactions from its audience. Therefore, it is unsurprising to see many horror fans react in shock, terror or frustration when a character prematurely dies in a frightful flick for one reason or another.
But what if the character(s) embrace their demise in order to achieve a much-needed victory against the antagonistic forces? Ideally, a character dying in a feature might symbolise defeat and the ultimate loss, but this is not neccessarily always the case, as there are those rare times where victory might only be achieved by making the ultimate sacrifice.
This is especially true in horror films where the villain has superhuman/supernatural abilities, and the protagonists are woefully underpowered, poorly equipped or disadvantaged in some shape or form. These deaths can be narratively satisfying, if not emotionally rejecting, but they are usually the only way for a story’s conflict to be resolved (sequel-bait or retcons notwithstanding).
Serving as director John Krasinski’s stunning breakout feature, A Quiet Place is rightfully regarded as one of the best horror movies from the late 2010s. A combination of wonderful performances, excellent sound design, and its concept led to the film becoming a critical and commercial success, giving way to a solid franchise and place in current pop culture.
A Quiet Place’s exploration of parenthood in the face of adversity – in this case, the sound-seeking Death Angels – reaches its emotional peak in the third act, where family patriarch Lee Abbott (Krasinski) sacrifices himself in order to save his children Regan and Marcus from impending doom at the hands of the vicious extraterrestrials.
Lee does so by yelling in order to draw the creature’s attention away from the young siblings, but not before reaffirming his love for a guilt-ridden Regan. Said creature attacks him, but in the process, the children are able to escape in their father’s truck.
This victory, although small-scale in nature, is in line with the story’s familial themes and intimate scope. In short order, Lee is able to give his children a second chance at life despite the overwhelming odds they would have to face.
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