We know John Krasinski as a loveable everyman from The Office, and even as an action hero from 13 Hours, but few could have guessed the guy had a potential all-timer horror movie in him as a filmmaker. The SXSW Film Festival is currently underway in Austin, Texas, where the state capital plays host to the debut of a number of interesting genre films, and Saturday night marked the world premiere of A Quiet Place, Krasinski’s third feature film as a director. Krasinski co-wrote the script with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck and also stars in the film opposite his real-life wife Emily Blunt, and the story revolves around a family of four who must navigate their lives in silence for fear of drawing interest from mysterious creatures that hunt by sound.

The trailers for A Quiet Place have been incredibly effective, teasing a horror film in which sound is absolutely key. Krasinski made his directorial debut with the indie drama Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and followed that up with the James L. Brooks-esque family dramedy The Hollars, which was sweet if a little familiar. But with A Quiet Place, Krasinski mixes things up significantly, diving head first into the horror genre with a filmmaker-driven hook: the idea that sound is vital to every single frame of the film.

So how’d it play? Tremendously, as it turns out. The SXSW crowd went nuts for A Quiet Place, praising Krasinski’s talents as a filmmaker to use sound so effectively, resulting in a variety of organic jump scares. Moreover, given the premise, many described the film as gripping from beginning to end, with more than one critic saying they were physically ill/affected by Krasinski’s use of suspense.

This is exciting, and while I was already intrigued by the trailers for the film, these reactions make A Quiet Place an absolute must-see. Check out the first reactions from critics to the movie below. The film opens in theaters on April 6th.