Film Review - A Quiet Place: Day One
Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Directed by Michael Sarnoski (who helmed the touching Pig starring Nic Cage), A Quiet Place: Day One follows cancer patient Sam and her cat Frodo during the early days of an alien invasion, as they embark on the only mission any self-respecting New Yorker could undertake in an apocalypse: find pizza. Day One finds itself positioned awkwardly for a prequel, free from ties to any of the franchise’s usual Abbott family, and lacking much in the way of enriching lore around its sound-driven monsters, instead playing out more like A Quiet Place: B-side Edition.
First off, let’s talk about the performances. Lupita Nyong’o as Sam is, unsurprisingly, fantastic, bringing a depth to her character that’s both touching and, at times, almost too real for a horror flick, her expressive face making up for the customary lack of dialogue. Of course, there’s only so much chemistry a woman and a feline can have (and further kudos to Nyong'o, who apparently isn't a cat person off-camera), which is where Joseph Quinn’s Eric enters the film, a panicked young man whose introduction is awkward, but once Sam and Eric get some time to chat, his presence feels more natural. Quinn’s chemistry with Nyong’o is palpable, and their interactions provide some of the film’s more heartfelt moments. There's also a thematic dichotomy that I really enjoyed between Sam being a cancer sufferer who has come to accept her fate and wishes to die on her terms, compared to Eric who has been forced to confront his own mortality for the first time.
However, where Day One really drops the ball is in its use of the series' iconic alien antagonists. Despite the usual goal of a prequel being to provide audiences with a refreshing new angle on the ongoing conflict of the main series, or to otherwise flesh out missing details, the film functions more or less as its own unconnected story, while also reducing the monster element to mere set dressing. They're obscured by smoke, murky water, and dim lighting, but the intent seems more to hide the effects work than add any kind of mystery or tension to their reveal. After all, we've had two full movies that show off the creatures in all their CG glory - which looked shockingly great and detailed in the first film, thanks in no small part to some Michael Bay money courtesy of Platinum Dunes’ involvement - but here they look relatively amateur, almost as if the Quiet Place franchise is now ashamed of its prestige horror roots.
There just doesn't seem to be all that much thought put into how this might satisfy fans of the previous films, let alone persuade newcomers, or even fence-sitters like myself, who enjoy the films on some level but are praying for the entry that takes the concept and does something truly innovative with it. I feel like Oliver Twist asking for “some more” the way I'm out here practically begging on my knees for just one good set piece. Hell, even just a tiny little blip of a moment that makes me forget I'm watching a movie, is it really too much to want to feel something? On another note, you're telling me that in a film set in New York, not one person stayed strapped? In the capital city of America, you know, the gun capital of the world, absolutely no one tried to pull up with the tool on E.T. Yes, we as audience members know from the first film that they're impervious to gunfire due to their armored exoskeletons, but there's no reason the civilians in the middle of ground zero should. A prequel offers the opportunity to reinforce the rules of the franchise, or show them in a new light, but alas, too often did I feel ahead of the curve in regards to the film's tensest moments.
Like its predecessors, A Quiet Place: Day One is another frustrating mixed bag of a sci-fi/thriller. It’s got strong performances, particularly from Nyong’o, and some genuinely touching moments. But it’s also plagued by a lack of narrative conviction and tension, winding up as yet another horror movie that fails to make use of its New York backdrop. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll likely find plenty to enjoy - for all of my issues, I still believe it's the strongest entry so far thanks to a strong, if dramatically inert emotional throughline. I know having both a compelling apocalyptic drama and a fun, frightful monster flick rolled into one package sounds like a tall order, but I can't help but imagine how good things could've been. So, grab your popcorn, silence your phone, and sit down for A Quiet Place: Day One - just don’t expect it to leave you anywhere near as speechless as its survivors.
Follow Eli on Letterboxd, Twitter/X and Instagram.
A Quiet Place: Day One is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.