The Quiet Ones (2014)

A university professor and a team of students conduct an experiment on a young woman, uncovering terrifyingly dark, unexpected forces in the process.

Director:

John Pogue

Writers:

Craig Rosenberg (screenplay by), Oren Moverman (screenplay by)

Stars:

Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jared Harris	...	Professor Joseph Coupland
Sam Claflin	...	Brian McNeil
Erin Richards	...	Krissi Dalton
Rory Fleck Byrne	...	Harry Abrams (as Rory Fleck-Byrne)
Olivia Cooke	...	Jane Harper
Laurie Calvert	...	Phillip
Aldo Maland	...	David Q
Max Pirkis	...	David Q (older)
Tracy Ray	...	David Q's Mother
Richard Cunningham	...	Provost
Eileen Nicholas	...	Angry Neighbor
Rebecca Scott	...	Student #1
Aretha Ayeh	...	Student #2
Max Macintosh	...	Student #3 (as Max Mackintosh)
Harman Singh	...	Student #4

Storyline

In 1974, Oxford professor Joseph Coupland invites introspective lad Brian McNeil to film his experimental treatment of subject Jane Harper, aided by student assistants Krissi Dalton and Harry Abrams. Jane, a young woman with no memory of the past and repeatedly abandoned by foster families, believes herself possessed by a doll named Evey that gives her telekinetic power. Keeping her awake in an isolated house, Prof. Coupland intends that she puts her evil energy into an actual doll, thereafter destroying it to heal Jane. Amidst strange things happening in the house, Brian feels sorry for Jane and, researching her tattoo, learns an evil secret about Jane's past, and of Prof. Coupland's motivation.

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Plot Keywords:

experiment | 1970s | poltergeist | student | doll | 

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Taglines:

Something unspeakable is happening to Jane Harper.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, sexual content, thematic material, language, and smoking throughout

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 1974.

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Goofs

When they put the candle under Jane's arm, the 'flame' can be seen to clearly be one of the plastic 'flameless' battery operated candles - the flame is a stiff piece of paper that doesn't bend.

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Quotes

Professor Joseph Coupland: Your job would be to document every step of the experiment. I hope you don't scare easily.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Heaven Is for Real (2014)

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Soundtracks

Bertha Butt Boogie
Performed by The Jimmy Castor Bunch
Written by Jimmy Castor & John Pruitt (as John L Pruitt)
Published by Minder Music
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Tense but does not go far enough

A psychiatrist takes a team of people to a retreat with a mental health patient in order to help her. Part of the process is the conducting of a series of experiments which go terribly awry.

An initial struggle for me was how can a doctor be allowed to take a vulnerable patient away and use as a guinea pig; the ease with which it occurred, caused certain moral thrash. As the story moves on, certain inexplicable incidents occur with seem to trouble the entire team.

Of course these "incidents" have had to take place since this is after all a horror film. The events cause a certain split as the doctor in charge believes there is a naturalistic explanation behind it whilst some of the team hold the view that there is a transcendent reality beyond what we see, feel and understand.

On the whole, it is an effective horror film as the story progresses with good pace, upping the intensity with the passing of time. It is held back by a rather sense of predictability due to a highly worked story/theme (night/dark/silence interrupted by a sudden noisy intervention) and a not very believable initiating incident (the taking of a patient away for experimentation).

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Quiet Ones

Filming Locations:

Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,880,053, 27 April 2014

Gross USA:

$8,509,867

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,835,162

Company Credits

Production Co:

Caffeination, Exclusive Media Group, Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1