A Quiet Place

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FIRST ACT:

EXT. HILLTOP - DAY

The hilltop is lined with corn. Golden and brown. Shimmering

in the morning heat.

There’s a structure in the distance...

EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY

A FARMHOUSE built from old lumber. There’s no cattle or

livestock in sight. Unusual for this fertile land.

INT. FARMHOUSE, DEN - DAY

APRIL (8) gazes out the window pane. Nervous, eager, sweet.

She has a HEARING AID in one ear.

She’s focused on a TOOL SHED one hundred feet away, isolated

under a crooked apple tree.

Her eyes drift from the shed to her older brother WILL (10)

who stands outside. He sticks his tongue out. She ignores

him. This is their dynamic.

EXT. SHED - DAY

April picks weeds outside the shed. She pockets a PURPLE IRIS

and wipes dirt on her sweater.

Will plays nearby with a GOLDEN RETRIEVER. It wears a MUZZLE.

EXT. DRIVEWAY - DAY

April empties the weeds into a tin TRASH CAN. She places the

lid back on the trash slowly, ensuring that it doesn’t make

even the slightest sound.

EXT. PORCH - DAY

Will approaches the front door. The retriever follows closely

behind. He motions for the dog to “stay”.

Then slips a pair of disposable SHOE COVERS over his feet

before entering.

2.

INT. FARMHOUSE, BEDROOM - DAY

Will’s mother, MIA (30s), holds a RED CRAYON to her lips. She

has lovely green eyes and auburn hair. She balances a LAUNDRY

BASKET next to her PREGNANT BELLY.

She stands before a CALENDAR on the wall, charting each day

of her pregnancy. She crosses off another day and hands the

crayon back to -

Will, who colors in a NEW DRAWING. His hands dig loudlythrough a tin of crayons.

Mia waves her finger. Will freezes, reprimanded for the

hundredth time.

He reaches under his parent’s bed for a pair of oversized

WINTER GLOVES. He places the gloves over each hand, then

quietly resumes his search.

INT. FARMHOUSE, HALL - DAY

Mia walks past April and collects her dirt-stained sweater

into the laundry basket.

INT. FARMHOUSE, LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY

We follow Mia to the WASHER AND DRYER. The machines have been

unplugged.

She empties the basket into the washer. Adds water and soap.

Lightly stirs the clothes with her hands.

Mia stops momentarily. The purple iris floats in the water.

An idea strikes her - she leans over to a MARKER BOARD

labeled BABY NAMES and adds IRIS to the list.

A hand cuts the frame, immediately crossing out IRIS.

JOHN (40s), the patriarch of the family, shakes his head. An

MP3 PLAYER plays MUSIC in his headphones that wecan’t hear.

John points to another name on the list: HOLLY. Mia playfully

purses her lips. He places a comforting hand over her bump.

John puts one of his EARBUDS into her ear. Our world is

filled with MUSIC - maybe a song from when they first met.

3.

INT. FARMHOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY

John & Mia slow-dance through the living room, very much in

love after all these years.

They both wear SHOE COVERS on their feet. And as they move

together about the house, a theme materializes in the

background:
Every inch of wall and floor has been

painstakingly covered with THICK PADDING. Sometimes FOAM,

sometimes WOOL INSULATION. Too ugly to be an aesthetic

choice. Must be product of necessity.

INT. FARMHOUSE, DINING ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

Mia sets the table. All of their plates and cutlery are

plastic. She gestures to John to gather the children for

dinner.

INT. FARMHOUSE, UPSTAIRS - LATE AFTERNOON

John tops the stairs. He opens a DOOR, labeled “Will” in

stenciled letters.

Will sits at his desk, finishing his drawing. John MIMES an

eating motion. Will acknowledges.

John moves on to the SECOND DOOR, labeled “April” in a flower-

patterned alphabet. Peeks his head inside...

It’s empty.

John moves further down the hall to a THIRD DOOR. No letters

on this one -only a sun-faded patch, suggesting a name was

once removed.

He hesitates before opening the door -

INT. FARMHOUSE, BEDROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

April sits on a stripped MATTRESS FRAME in a sparsely

decorated room. Looks like someone used to live here long

ago. She closes the DIARY she’s writing in, annoyed by the

intrusion.

John MIMES the eating motion and extends his hand,

encouraging her to join.

April rises from the bed and approaches, her arm outstretched

as if she’ll grab John’s hand BUT -

APRIL CLOSES THE DOOR IN HIS FACE.

4.

INT. FARMHOUSE, DINING ROOM - EVENING

The rim of the sun sets outside, casting an orange glow over

the dinner table.

The family finishes their supper. Mia clears the table.

John unfolds a MONOPOLY game board as April finally joins

from upstairs. She takes the furthest seat from John.

April’s mood changes as she tussles with Will over who gets

to roll first.

They play the game mostly with hand gestures, never speaking

a word. They roll the DICE on a soft blanket so that it

doesn’t make a sound.

Will is five spaces away from landing on April’s BOARDWALK.

He silently prays for a miracle.

Will rolls a... five.

He throws up his hands in protest.

April lets out a GIGGLE. The first sound we’ve heard this

whole time -

JOHN’S EYES WIDEN. APRIL COVERS HER MOUTH.

EVERYONE GETS DEADLY STILL. AFRAID.

AND THEN WE HEAR IT.

A SCREAM IN THE DISTANCE. IT IS NOT HUMAN.

The family exchanges worried glances.

John edges over to the window, watching the horizon for any

sign of movement. Nothing.

THEN THE SCREAM SLOWLY STARTS TO MOVE AWAY.

April removes her hand from her mouth.

Everyone starts to relax.

They go back to playing Monopoly in silence.

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