THE QUIET HOUR *** U.K./Ireland 2014 Dir: Stephanie Joalland 82 mins
Aliens have invaded Earth and for two one hour slots a day everything is safe. Sarah (Dakota Blue Richards) and blind brother Tom (Jack McMullen) are trying to peacefully live out what bit of humanity is available to them on their farm. That is until Jude (Karl Davies) comes to their home seeking shelter but he also brings trouble with him. He has killed someone in a different group and now they are coming after him for revenge.
Not only do they want him but they are determined to take over the farm and make it their own place of safety in this post-apocalyptic world. It is up to the three of them to protect what is theirs from the enemy on Earth and from space. Big on characterisations and little on alien activity, this is well crafted and is more about how people would survive in any given situation. If it wasn’t for the occasional look at the sky where we see alien ships hovering about you would forget there was even an alien invasion going on. Why are the aliens here? Apparently they are mining for minerals from the Earth, what minerals we have no idea. The aliens also leave the planet as soon as they have arrived with no explanation. Stephanie Joalland’s feature film directorial debut doesn’t give us anything we haven’t seen before, but what it does show is that the ability to create a film in what is basically one location can be done well.
Review by Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins