Review- A Quiet Place: Day One

When John Krasinski released A Quiet Place, we had no idea this small, intriguing horror film would become a big franchise. While A Quiet Place: Day One may not have been written by Krasinski this time, Michael Sarnoski has taken threads from the first two and perfectly weaved them into this new story.

This prequel does not feature the Abbott family. Instead, it focuses on Samira (Lupita Nyong’o), a woman in New York City who ends up in the center of an alien invasion that takes over the world. With her scene-stealing therapy cat in tow, Samira tries to navigate the city as the monsters attack, leading her to meet Eric (Joseph Quinn). Thrown together by fate, the two try to survive and reach safety.

The original film was shocking and unexpected. It’s hard to build upon a story and still make it interesting. Having this set as day one of the attacks in the roaring city of New York gives this film a new spark of life. Krasinski may not be behind the script or the camera on this one, but Sarnoski built a compelling film from start to end that creates the same amount of suspense as the first two films and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

The performances are outstanding. When an actor can portray every thought and emotion through their eyes, it’s a fantastic thing to see. Lupita Nyong’o carries the film with strength and poise, but Joseph Quinn is its heart. Both actors have spectacular chemistry, and through their strong bond, they deliver a compelling human story.

We are now three movies in, and we still know little about the creatures wreaking havoc on Earth. This prequel gives us a few more answers, but unfortunately, we are left with more questions by the end. I feel like there is a strong lore to these aliens, and we are still not seeing it. I just hoped we would better understand these monsters by movie number three, and it’s disappointing that we don’t.

A Quiet Place: Day One has threads tethering it to its predecessors, making it a solid prequel. This film is more drama than suspense, making it more character-driven than the former movies. Its two leads deliver outstanding, empathetic performances that help tell a compelling human story. Also, the cat steals the show… So there’s that.