Spectacular silence and the ends of moviegoing: The cinema as A Quiet Place (c. 2021)

Cenciarelli, Carlo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7162-9509 2025. Spectacular silence and the ends of moviegoing: The cinema as A Quiet Place (c. 2021). Music, Sound, and the Moving Image 19 (1) , pp. 1-26. 10.3828/msmi.2025.1

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Abstract

The theatrical release of A Quiet Place Part II (AQPII) in May 2021, following months of cinema closures due to COVID-19, was dubbed a ‘referendum on the future of moviegoing’ (Paramount). The film imagines a post-apocalyptic future where humans must remain silent to survive, and the film-makers were adamant that the much-delayed sequel, just like the first instalment, would have to be experienced in cinemas. Whereas the ‘permanent campaign for moviegoing’ (Acland) historically has tapped into the loudness of cinematic sound, the marketing campaign for AQPII showcased ‘spectacular silence’ instead of ‘spectacular sound’ (Grainge) as its unique selling point. This article argues that the franchise’s reversed sonic economy is part of a broader shift in the meanings and values of the cinema as a place for listening. By zooming in to a specific musical gesture pivotal to the film and its promotion, and examining film trailers, pre-show announcements, and audience surveys, I suggest that the Quiet Place franchise is indicative both of the increasing importance of silence in indexing the specificity of the cinematic experience and of a growing tension between traditional cinemagoing and ideals of sonic control and privatisation that are endemic to the technological interfaces of late capitalism.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Music
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BH Aesthetics M Music and Books on Music > M Music M Music and Books on Music > ML Literature of music N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR
Publisher:	Liverpool University Press
ISSN:	1753-0768
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	1 February 2025
Date of Acceptance:	25 October 2024
Last Modified:	26 Jun 2025 08:57
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/173412

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