A Quiet Place’s Oscar campaign has apparently already begun. John Krasinski’s horror film was a huge critical and commercial success when it hit theaters this past April - earning an astounding 95 percent score on review-aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes - turning the small-budget flick into a blockbuster hit. So, it isn’t surprising that it’s considered to have awards potential.
The film marked Krasinski’s first foray into horror/thriller, and he’s already begun work on A Quiet Place 2 with producer Andrew Form. But what made the project so special to begin with was the film’s family drama that centered and grounded the post-apocalyptic story. Of course, each performance - in addition to writing, directing, and producing - is what elevated the film compared to other thrillers this year, which is what voters will remember when awards season starts up. But there’s no harm in getting the promotional campaign going already.
According to THR, ID, the public relations firm that represents both Krasinski and Emily Blunt, has begun to reach out to entertainment journalists to remind them of the critically lauded film. The PR firm sent a letter, a DVD of A Quiet Place, and a running list of positive quotes from reviews to select writers preparing for awards season coverage. The letter began with a simple statement on the forthcoming awards season and a call to remind journalists of the film. A part of the letter also included a more personal touch about the film:
Awards season is a hectic time for both entertainment journalists and all the players who pour their time and efforts into their projects. While the team behind A Quiet Place seems to be starting early, the general process is there. Distributors will primarily back a handful of films, then sending screeners to journalists. But as the thick of awards season comes closer, events will be held and “For Your Consideration” phrases will be used to gain the confidence of Academy members, journalists, and guild members, among others. Pushing boundaries even further, production and distribution teams will frame narratives around their films to gain even more favor. It’s a complicated process, but it remains obvious when it’s awards season.
“While the film is viewed as a terrifying, nerve-shredding horror, Krasinski did not take this project on for the scares. He was influenced by the story’s universal message around family. This film is a ’love letter’ to his daughters. He visually demonstrates how it feels to be a parent in this day and age, and the lengths in which a parent will go to protect their children.”
Around this time last year, another independent horror film began to make waves and became an early awards contender. The film was Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out, which would go on to win Peele the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, among its four nominations. Like Get Out, A Quiet Place is a critically acclaimed and crowd pleasing film. With Krasinski only at the beginning of his directorial efforts, it is an achievement for the film to have gained this success. While it is still very early in the process for awards season, A Quiet Place could pull off the same type of success as Get Out. The film takes a dramatic spin on the horror genre with an original idea. With the film’s actors having to convey so much of what they’re saying without speaking, their performances likely won’t go unnoticed either. It is early on to be discussing awards season, but A Quiet Place is a film to remember in the coming months.
More: Screen Rant’s Top 5 Favorite Movies of 2018 (So Far)
Source: THR
