I walked into ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ slightly skeptical of what was going to transpire, and if they were able to pull off a prequel to the two already existing and overall beloved films in the franchise, and I must say that I walked out pleasantly surprised.

Michael Sarnoski’s ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ focuses on the very beginning of the end of the world (as we know it, atleast), and we get to watch it all unfold in the worst place possible for sound-chasing murdering titans; Manhattan.

Image courtesy of © 2023 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

As the opening credit states, New York City emits about 90 decibels at all times, which is the same as a constant scream. Although this movie has a different director (the two previous films being directed by John Krasinski), it very much follows the same storytelling formula. We’re introduced to our main character Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a former poet that is sick with terminal cancer. She’s a patient in a hospice center where she’s accompanied by her service cat Frodo.

During a trip to a marionette show, the sudden invasion begins, throwing us right into the very chaos of it all. It spirals quickly into a devastating collapse of society in mere seconds. Sam is eventually reunited with her group outing’s leader, the nurse Reuben (played by Alex Wolff) as they all hide in the run-down building while military forces try to get a grip of the quickly unfolding crisis outside. It’s established pretty quickly that the alien attackers are drawn to noise, and everyone must therefore remain quiet. As the conditions worsen, Sam sets out on her own quest, which involves getting to (possibly the last) slice of Pizza in the city. A strange motivation, many may think. But we’ll get to that in a second.

Image courtesy of © 2023 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Along the way, her cat Frodo accidentally orchestrates a run-in with our other main character, Eric (Joseph Quinn). The two of them decide to stick together, although somewhat reluctantly on Sam’s part, as they make their way to Harlem for a slice of Patty’s Pizza. I want to really emphasize that if you were expecting a detailed backstory of the arrival of the ‘Death Angels’ to Earth, any hints as to why they picked our planet specifically, a lot of military style fighting sequences, and the gradual fall of society, you will be disappointed. We still don’t know why they are here.

The film is packed with a lot of devastating scenery of a ghostly silent and empty Manhattan along with a lot of intense close ups of the actors, and sometimes not so much attention on the brutality of the aliens as they decimate the city. There is one scene that may possibly, and very vaguely hint at some sort of terraforming? But as this is never revisited in the story, we are left clueless. This is really Sam’s story, and the alien invasion is a very dynamic backdrop. Sam has already come to terms with death, knowing that it awaits her no matter what she decides to do. She doesn’t necessarily have a strong yearning to survive this apocalyptic event. So naturally, she decides to stick to her mission, which is to get some pizza.

Image courtesy of © 2023 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Eric’s character is the complete opposite, and vocally shares his fear of death as well as his desire to survive. This sets up a strangely ironic dynamic between the characters, but also works well in terms of having them carry each other through the things they need to come to terms with. It is definitely a challenge to build up a meaningful relationship between two people who have just met, and make it convincing during a 1h 39m run (which is relatively short compared to some blockbusters), but the gruesome circumstances makes me buy the instant closeness and trust slightly more.

Although the tone of this film is a bit different from the first two, the suspense is still there. There were definitely points in the film where I was holding my breath, and it kept me on the edge of my seat when it was supposed to. It even got a few good jumpscares in. But there are some interesting choices with the cinematography here. At times, the choice to deflect the lens away from the destruction happening around the characters, and instead focusing on the faces was very bold. But I do believe it paid off for the most part. Not being able to always see exactly what is happening, but instead only hearing it, adds a complete new layer of dread and nerves that I think really made some of these moments stand out. The star of this show is undeniably the sound. A riveting approach that really engulfs you into the universe and the moment. But don’t fret, there’s plenty of instances where you see exactly what is happening.

Image courtesy of © 2023 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The acting is incredibly strong, and since we don’t get too much dialogue the actors are able to shine through their non-verbal portrayals of some very intense emotions. Lupita Nyong’o commands every scene she’s in, and is complemented very well by Joseph Quinn. Alex Wolff was a joy to watch, and it was fun to see a familiar face from one of the previous films, Djimon Hounsou’s character Henri. We must also give a special shoutout to the cat, of course!

This movie stands at a pretty strong 4/5 for me. And even though I enjoyed it, I do think this is a good stopping point for the ‘A Quiet Place’ universe. I’m not entirely upset about the mystery surrounding the arrival of the Death Angels. And I’m okay with possibly never knowing, as in none of the films that seems to be the main point. These movies have so far been very character driven, and usually center around the underdog. All of the main characters in this franchise have the odds stacked against them in one way or another, and are not usually the people you would bet on to survive major catastrophic events. It is if anything, a story of the wonders of the indomitable human spirit and our ability to adapt.

RATING: 4/5