The Quiet Ones Movie Poster Image

The Quiet Ones

age 16+
(i)

 

Loud jump shocks and blood in irritating horror movie.
Watch
Write a review
See all 5 user reviews
  • Review Date: April 24, 2014
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Genre: Horror
  • Release Year: 2014
  • Running Time: 98 minutes

The Quiet Ones gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

The main message is probably not to meddle in things you don't understand. A scientist professes to be helping a disturbed young woman, but he seems to be doing it for personal reasons rather than selfless ones. Characters mostly argue and fight, rather than working together, and nothing is learned or achieved.

Positive role models

One character seems like a good guy, and he tries to do the right thing, though he's motivated by romantic feelings rather than a sense of right and wrong. And his efforts come to nothing.

Violence

Many loud, sudden noises/movements. In flashbacks (old films), there are some disturbing "possession" scenes involving a young boy. The college-age possessed girl undergoes a series of unsettling tests. In one, she's burned with a candle. Her hands are mysteriously burned, and she's shown bleeding, covered with blood, and even spitting up blood. Two dead bodies are shown, covered in blood. A man's hand is cut, covered in blood. Characters punch and slap each other, and one is bashed with a cricket bat. Characters have devil signs burned into their flesh.

Sex

A brief glimpse of a woman's backside and breast. One female character sleeps with her boyfriend. Their lovemaking is heard through a door; after a loud crash, the shirtless man opens the door and explains that they broke the bed. The same female character is later shown kissing her professor and trying to seduce him. She's also shown taking a bath, although nothing sensitive is shown. The possessed girl tries to seduce the cameraman, with some kissing and reaching down his pants (off screen). 

Language

Language is very infrequent but does contain at least one use of "f--k," plus "s--t," "piss," and "screw." One character may or may not say "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation) during a noisy scene.

Consumerism
Not applicable
Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Several characters -- an older professor as well as younger college students -- smoke cigarettes all the way through the film (accurate for the era). They also share a champagne toast in one scene.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Quiet Ones is a supposedly fact-based horror movie that's set in 1974 England. There's lots of arguing, fighting, punching, and bashing with cricket bats, plus some burns and bloody corpses, but the bulk of the movie's scares consist of loud, sudden jump shocks. A disturbed college-age young woman undergoes a series of unsettling tests and is often heard screaming. One of the female characters is shown to be in a sexual relationship with two of the male characters; some brief nudity is shown (glimpse of a breast and backside), and the sounds of sex can be heard through a door. Language is infrequent but includes at least one use of "f--k" and "s--t." Characters smoke lots of cigarettes (accurate for the era the movie takes place in).

What's the story?

In 1974, at Oxford, professor Joseph Coupland (Jared Harris) teaches his students that the so-called supernatural only consists of things we don't yet understand. Then he gathers up two students, plus a cameraman, Brian (Sam Claflin), to conduct an experiment on a disturbed young woman, Jane (Olivia Cooke), who appears to be possessed. Joseph believes that Jane invented the secondary personality, called "Evey," and that she has the power to make "Evey" disappear as well. But after much arguing, filming, and some painful-looking experiments, Jane starts to exhibit behavior that's not so easily explained. Can the academics solve the problem?

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Supposedly based on a true story -- which four different writers then adapted to the screen -- THE QUIET ONES doesn't actually tell a story or develop any kind of rising suspense or tingling chills so much as it presents a series of jump-shocks and sudden, loud noises. Half of these are actually related to the movie, and the other half are false scares, like a champagne cork going off or someone accidentally dropping something. And the annoying, abrasive musical score makes noises like a repeating staple gun that simply grow louder. 

Rather than developing the main five characters, building a dynamic, and increasing the stakes, director John Pogue simply shows the characters arguing with one another and Jane screaming or undergoing some kind of cruel test. Harris gets in a few stylish moments, and the 1970s outfits are amusing, but otherwise the experience of watching The Quiet Ones is more agitating than it is scary or fun.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about The Quiet Ones' violence. How does it compare to what you've seen in other horror/scary movies? How do the violent scenes make you feel? How do the filmmakers achieve this?

  • Is The Quiet Ones scary? What's the difference between a "jump shock" (or a loud, sudden noise) and something that causes tingles and feels truly frightening?

  • If this movie is based on a true story, how much of it feels real? How much seems to have been invented to become a horror movie? How does it compare to other "true story" horror movies you've seen?

  • The movie takes place in the '70s, which is likely why the characters smoke so much. Is it jarring to see that happening on screen, or does it reinforce the era the movie takes place in? How are things different today?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:April 25, 2014
DVD release date:August 19, 2014
Cast:Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke
Director:John Pogue
Studios:Lionsgate, Hammer Film Productions
Genre:Horror
Run time:98 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:intense sequences of violence and terror, sexual content, thematic material, language, and smoking throughout

This review of The Quiet Ones was written by

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging; great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

About these links

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support.

Read more

About Our Rating System

The age displayed for each title is the minimum one for which it's developmentally appropriate. We recently updated all of our reviews to show only this age, rather than the multi-color "slider." Get more information about our ratings.

Great handpicked alternatives

  • The Conjuring
    Terrifying paranormal horror movie based on a true story.
    age 16+
  • The Innkeepers
    Well-crafted haunted hotel movie has drinking, some gore.
    age 17+
  • Oculus
    Outstanding horror flick has gore, children in peril.
    age 18+

For kids who love scares

Best Horror Movies
Scary Movies for Kids
See all recommended movie lists

Browse more movies

Top advice and articles

What parents and kids say

See all user reviews

Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review

A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines

Teen, 14 years old Written byDEADMOUSE May 7, 2014
age 14+

BEST MOVIE EVER

I WOULD LET YOUR KIDS SEE IT
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old Written bydancingbubble38 April 26, 2015
age 13+

PG-13

It really was not that scary in my opinion. While watching it they did have theses scary suspenseful scenes with that creepy music, but after watching it I wasn't that scared. There were a lot of bare backs shown for it being PG-13
What other families should know
Too much sex
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old November 20, 2014
age 13+

AR4U CERT - 13

Contains moderate horror, strong supernatural threat, brief strong violence, bloody images, moderate sex references, soft drug use (including smoking throughout) and one use of strong language.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 

See all user reviews

Poll

Did our review help you make an informed decision about this product?

Family Media Agreement