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Film: A Quiet Place: Day One
Year: 2024
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Writer: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Joseph Quinn, Lupita Nyong’o and Alex Wolff
Review:
This was a movie that when I heard about coming out, it didn’t shock me. From what I remember with the first sequel, they had things well enough in hand where I don’t know if you could continue to build on the story from there. I’ve only seen it in the theater though so I can’t fully confirm. The little that I knew before seeing this was that it was going back to the original day, which was gathered from the title. I thought that this was going to explain the people that are living on the island which had me curious. I’ve also now given this a second watch with Jaime since it is now streaming.
Synopsis: a woman named Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.
To then fill in more from the synopsis, Sam is in hospice. The nurse that oversees the group of people is Reuben (Alex Wolff). He tells Sam that they’re going into the city for a show. She’s struggling with her own mortality and is bitter. She agrees on the terms that they get pizza while they’re there. She’s annoyed when she realizes that the show they’re going to see is marionettes and for children.
Sam has a cat that she brings along, Frodo. Sitting in front of her in the theater is Henri (Djimon Hounsou) and his family. Something happens during this show that upsets her. She goes outside to get air and a candy bar. She comes back to the theater to find Reuben outside. He tells her that they must leave now. Something is happening and they need to get out of the city. She is upset, demanding they get pizza. That’s when we see something coming from above, crashing to the Earth. There are also other things like this as well.
One of the loudest cities on the planet will have to contend with these aliens that hunt by sound. The government and military try to warn people, as well as to evacuate them. Their efforts draw the creatures. Sam also meets Eric (Joseph Quinn), who is here to attend law school. He is afraid and doesn’t know what to do. He is alone, being from the United Kingdom. They spark up a friendship that makes them both appreciate life as they push to survive.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start here is that this doesn’t have the deepest story. It gives you enough if this is the first movie you’re seeing in the series. If you see both the original and the sequel, there are Easter Eggs and characters here that help to fill in backstory. As a story guy, I did appreciate that. I’m also a fan of going back to the first day again and showing a different place dealing with these alien monsters.
Now that I’ve set that up, let me delve into the setting first. This starts with text talking about how loud New York City is. I believe the number was a steady 90 decibels. This translates to a scream. Having these monsters land here is perfect. There is constant construction, alarms and vehicle noises. Having so many people also just generates sound that gets loud. I like to see the measures that were taken to strand the creatures on this island. This also traps everyone that is there as well. The only issue I have is the proximity this would be to the first movie. If they knew days after the first attack what they were doing here, how would this not get relayed to that original family? This is a nitpick, but I think this creates a plot hole for me. That tends to happen with sequels/prequels.
Let me then shift over to what makes this work since it is a simple story building on the mythology that we’ve seen in the previous installments, the acting. First, I want to discuss Sam. She’s young but dying. We know this since she’s in hospice. That tugs at my heartstrings since Nyong’o is four years older than me in real life. This outcome has made her bitter. She’s in constant pain without her medication. Stranding her in the city, away from the facility she is staying in is tough. She knows that she has limited time regardless, so she wants to make what she does count. I do commend that. She is rude toward Reuben, who wants to help her. She isn’t ready to accept that. There are similar feelings toward Eric when they meet. What I love there, he doesn’t know her for long. Since they’re both facing down mortality, they make a connection and make the time together count. I thought that Nyong’o was great here since this is character study.
Now I went a bit lighter there and not talking about Eric. He doesn’t show up until after the initial attack. He’s terrified and doesn’t know what to do. Sam directs him toward the port where the ships are leaving with survivors. Being that he’s from the UK, he has no one here. He clings to Sam due to her cat finding him when he escaped from a flooded subway. I don’t know if he has the drive to survive until meeting her. I did like how this relationship developed. Quinn was good here as well. He’s not necessarily the focal, but what he does for the Sam character is great. Both do so well with body language and facial expressions, since talking could get them killed.
I’ll then finish out the rest of the cast. I did like including Hounsou and his family to show how they ended up on the island. The knowledge they discover explains why they’re there when we meet them in the sequel. Another solid performance is Wolff. What I like there is that he helps set the stage for Sam. He cares about her. He wants to help, but she’s not ready for it. We see that through their interactions. We also know he’s a good guy. I’d say other than that, the rest of the cast are good. They help to develop little things through their interactions with the two leads.
Let’s then finish out with the filmmaking. What I like here is that we get elements you see in the original. This feels more like the sequel on a lesser scale. There are tense scenes where characters are close to the aliens. I like how they focus on what we’re seeing with no sound. That raises tension and makes the viewer almost hold their breath with the characters. There are moments though where I don’t know if characters could get quiet enough for them not to be found. That is movie magic though. Something I haven’t brought up much is the cat Frodo. I do think there are conveniences here where he disappears and then shows back up. I can be forgiving as this can be difficult since the animal doesn’t fully understand. Along with being trapped on this island, I think that raises tension as well. I’d even say that although they’re using CGI for the monsters, it works. I didn’t have issues with it. This is one that I’m glad I saw in the theater as it warrants it.
In conclusion, this was a solid installment here. I do think there is a nitpick issue that develops with how close New York City is to the original movie. That doesn’t ruin it though. This is a solid concept to set this in one of the loudest cities in the world with a creature that hunts by sound. The acting from our leads is great, so credit to Nyong’o and Quinn. The rest of the cast push them to where they end up. This is well-made. I think that the cinematography and framing are great. The effects are good, both practical and CGI. The sound design is also on point. This fits well in this trilogy and would recommend it if you like the other movies. My thoughts stayed about the same. Jaime also enjoyed this as well. It is a solid popcorn, action horror film built around a specific concept.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10