What are the monsters in A Quiet Place? Everything we know about the creatures

For three A Quiet Place film installments, the deadly monsters with heightened hearing have forced every human within the entire globe to not make a peep, or they’ll be ripped to pieces.

Within the post-apocalyptic horror-thriller world that director John Krasinski co-built (and died in as in-universe character Lee Abbott), it’s clear what those four-legged Demogorgon-like (from Stranger Things) creatures hate: sound.

But there are so many other mysteries surrounding them. Where did they come from? What are their true weaknesses? What the heck are their names? Here’s everything you need to know about the Quiet Place monsters. 

What are the Quiet Place creatures’ names?

While never explicitly called by anything within the films, the online fandom has dubbed the creatures “Death Angels.” The name comes from the first movie. In the scene where Lee is writing general questions to himself on the whiteboard, including the infamously memed, “WHAT IS THE WEAKNESS,” above the whiteboard is a newspaper clipping with an article's headline reading, “Death Angels.” Though it sounds like the name of a biker gang, leave it to one witty, in-universe journalist to coin the term.

However, according to A Quiet Place: Day One’s writer/director Michael Sarnoski, the crew doesn’t call the creatures “Death Angels” behind the scenes. Since the first installment, VFX company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) have referred to them as “Happy” and they either call them that or “the creature” during effects work. Oh, the sweet irony in calling the deadliest creature the cheeriest of names.

Where did the Death Angels come from?

As established in the first installment and the latest released prequel, the Death Angels/Happy — we’re going to use the former for consistency purposes — came from space. Oh yeah, the Death Angels are alien invaders!

According to Krasinski in an Empire podcast interview from 2018, when he was developing their origins, he mythologized that they were from a planet with no humans and no light. They were an “evolutionarily perfect machine.”

When their planet was destroyed, they hitched a ride on asteroids and dropped straight onto Earth. And in their rude, noisy arrival, it was game over for the human race.

What are the Death Angels' abilities?

The Death Angels are the most sensitive sensory creatures in film history. They bear the power to listen intimately to anything, whether in proximity or from many miles away. While it’s never explained how far their abilities allow them to hear — mainly because nobody in the entries has been that bold (or stupid enough) to test the theory and live — it’s known that any high frequency sounds or a crinkle of glass is enough to trigger them.

Besides their hypersensitive hearing abilities, the Death Angels have armor-plated flesh, making them impenetrable to mere bullets. They’re so powerful, even the U.S. military waved their white flag as the first installment features another background newspaper article clipping stating, “We can no longer protect you.” 

What are the Death Angels’ weaknesses?

The Death Angels already go after every minuscule sound known to man, but if anything is at a raging high frequency as say, a continuous loud ringing sound prompted by a microphone and hearing aid on collision (like Coca-Cola and Mentos), it causes the Death Angel to dizzy out of control. In response to their torment, their armored heads open up wide as you see their fleshy, smiley-shaped face. It's the only time they are vulnerable to weapons.

As seen by the epic first film’s conclusion, when Regan Abbott (Millicent Simmonds) puts her hearing aid against a microphone, emitting a high frequency sound against the raging Death Angel in her home, the creature spirals out. Her mom, Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), then shoots it in the face with a shotgun, killing it instantly. Cut to black! Such a strong ending.

Another weakness of the Death Angels is similar to a cat: water. They can't swim, and the sound of running water can mask noises like humans talking.

Set pieces within A Quiet Place Part II and Day One exemplify this as characters evade Death Angels by jumping into the ocean and swimming to a nearby surface for safety. In one instance, during Part II, Regan and Emmett (Noah Jupe) jump into the water and a Death Angel instantly drowns in an attempt to catch them. 

How can someone avoid a Death Angel attack?

Make no sound whatsoever. Be mindful of your surroundings and oxygen choices. Try to talk in the most hushed tones — or better yet, learn sign language. Much of the first two installments of A Quiet Place’s dialogue are spoken through American Sign Language (ASL).

When can someone talk freely without getting killed by a Death Angel?

The only occasion when someone can talk at whatever volume they like is during a loud thunderstorm. The sheer noise of water droplets across an encompassing location confuses the Death Angels. In A Quiet Place: Day One, star-crossed survivors Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) and Eric (Joseph Quinn) are given the solace to scream in pain and anguish during a thunderstorm.

Loud, natural terrains like waterfalls also grant the people the freedom to speak out loud. During the first flick, Lee takes his son Emmett to a waterfall for a little father-son bonding moment where they yell with glee.

Smaller locations with running water, like fountains, are also applicable. In Day One, Sam goes to a loud fountain at a park to feed her cat Frodo a can of food. Once she loudly pops his can open, she’s at the mercy of the fountain overflowing with noise.

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