Director: Michael Sarnoski
Writers: Michael Sarnoski, John Krasinski, Bryan Woods
Stars: Joseph Quinn, Lupita Nyong’o, Alex Wolff
Synopsis: A woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultrasonic hearing
There is something fundamentally wrong with the script of A Quiet Place: Day One from the moment the first waves of acute audiophile aliens touch down in New York City. However, that doesn’t mean the prequel to A Quiet Place doesn’t offer an exciting, suspenseful, and armrest-grabbing experience. In fact, it’s a killer monster picture.
A Quiet Place: Day One may not offer the same original thrills, but the prequel gets the job done, predominantly because of another gripping performance from its star, Lupita Nyong’o.
The film begins with residents of a hospice group home sitting in a circle, each reading their own poetry. Reuben (Alex Wolff), the behavioral nurse, encourages a young resident named Samira (Nyong’o) to read hers aloud for the group. However, her recitation offends those around her. She is acting out because she’s dying from a terminal disease.
Reuben convinces Samira to join him in the city for a show. She agrees only that they can get pizza from the urban center, home to America’s finest pizza (none of that small-town cardboard crust). Samira gathers her cat, Frodo (played by Hollywood felines Nico and Schnitzel), to watch a man perform with a few marionettes on stage.
That’s when chaos erupts. Army trucks race through crowded borough streets, and tension mounts as a few F-35A Lightning II jets streak through the sky. Camouflaged soldiers fill the streets. Most significantly, the New York City skyline explodes as unidentified flying objects plummet from the heavens, bringing Death Angels into our backyard.
John Krasinski steps away from the camera and hands over the reins to director Michael Sarnoski (Pig), who has the impossible task of maintaining the same quality as the original two science fiction horror modern classics. For one, the novelty has worn off. We know what the creatures look and act like.
Also, the canon of the film being quiet is naturally not part of the story until later, taking away that ominous tone and feel. Additionally, I would like to talk about the fundamental flaw of Sarnoski’s A Quiet Place: Day One’s script. After the initial invasion, everyone flees, scared, screaming, and running for their lives.
From the very moment around the start of the second act, every character knows to be quiet. Sarnoski had a chance to build some dramatic irony immediately, which would have led to greater audience engagement with the story. Instead, the audience is aware, but the characters should not be at this point. This takes away a lot of suspense and originality from the experience.
That being said, A Quiet Place: Day One is worth watching as an extension of the first two films. Accepting the film on those terms is good fun, with some genuine moments of spine-tingling suspense. Djimon Hounsou, who reprises his role as Henri, and Wolff have the best two scenes in the film.
The addition of Stranger Things’s Joseph Quinn, from Stranger Things, reverses the damsel-in-distress trope, as Nyong’o’s character looks after the damoiseau. While Quinn’s performance is acceptable, his character arc sputters and remains one-note. Nyong’o’s portrayal, however, deserves praise. The Academy Award-winning actress puts a cap on the histrionic acting here, giving the role a three-dimensional quality that can be haunting at times.
I’m not sure A Quiet Place: Day One would be as effective without Nyong’o’s fully realized turn. She plays Samira with subdued urgency, suffering quietly with great fear. Alongside high-octane action invasion sequences, expertly plotted setups, a scene-stealing Frodo, and a few well-timed jump scares, Sarnoski’s film may be a flawed gem.
Nonetheless, it offers escapist entertainment tailor-made for the big-screen experience, which will get your palms sweaty and your heart pumping.
