2024 Summer Movie Season - A Quiet Place Day One: Review & Analysis

 

Sleeping City!!!!! Quiet Place Prequel Continues Trend of Suspenseful Tension and Genuine Humanity!!!

Review By Brandon Porter

Loud start to a quiet future.

Story Description

There is never a moment where New York isn’t a loud bubble of endless chaos. Despite it all, Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) is making the most of it going about her day with her emotional support cat as she navigates life in the Big Apple. But her hustle and bustle life in New York is about to get a drastic change of pace. Flaming meteorites start descending into the city and violently landing in heavily populated areas. To make matters worse, the meteors contain horrifying extraterrestrial beasts that literally kill anything that makes a sound. Now stranded in the city with these creatures around every block, Sam and a group of strangers must rely on each other and stealth to navigate a New York that has become a flaming hellscape of fire and silence.

Sam and Eric must rely on each other to survive
a city gone quiet.

Film Review

A Quiet Place was a breath of fresh air for the horror genre in 2018. Its intriguing premise, tension-filled sequences, and engaging world-building have turned this series into an event upon every release. A Quiet Place Day One switches things up a bit while continuing to expand the world. Going from the low-population small town to the bustling streets of New York, the movie aims to progress the momentum while adding some high-stakes intensity with its new cast of hopeful survivors. After traversing the deathly quiet streets of the city that never sleeps, the film is another standout addition to the horror franchise. This series may be in a genre that I don't typically gravitate towards. But for whatever reason, I am continually drawn to this world and the characters within it. A Quiet Place Day One takes us out of the perspective of the Abbott family and gives us a fresh set of characters to traverse this universe with. The result is a film that is much larger in scale while still holding on to the foundations that make this series stand out amongst others in the genre. Performance-wise, our 2 leads are fantastic and play off of each other very well. Lupita Nyong’o continues to showcase why she is one of the top-notch actresses in the industry with a wonderful turn as Sam. I'm not used to seeing Nyong’o in this type of role but it was incredibly refreshing to see her play someone with this type of personality while skillfully adding some vulnerability and layers to the character given her circumstances. She commands the screen and really displays incredible depth throughout. The same can be said for Joseph Quinn as Eric. Eric's arc is one of someone seeking to find his courage in a world where your vulnerability can be your undoing. Throughout the story, he slowly but surely transforms into a capable individual who still manages to walk by faith despite the fact he is terrified of the world around him. Quinn wears his emotions on his sleeves which is a stark contrast to Nyong’o's Sam. Together, they bring the best out of each other and it is through those trials that they "save" each other by the film's end. 

 

Watch your heads!!!

A Quiet Place Day One has a ton of things going for it throughout its runtime. The sound design and sound mixing are the best they've ever been with any hint of auditory occurrence sending a spike of adrenaline and crippling anxiety through the spine of the viewer and the cinematography brilliantly captures the massive scope of this prequel. However, the human element continues to be the most important component of these films. Much like A Quiet Place Part 1 & 2, the films are uniquely crafted human stories with heartfelt emotion and earnest nuance. While it is nice to have intense sequences that excite or keep the audience on edge, having those quieter moments with characters you are invested in makes the journey more impactful. The Abbott family was the focal point of the mainline installments. Day One introduces new characters that are just as engaging. Quinn and Nyong’o's performances make the journey of Sam and Eric one that feels earnestly rich as well as suspensefully intense. If the human element is out of place, then the story and world fall apart as a result. It is great to know that John Krasinski and the creators never lose sight of what is important no matter who the players are on screen. All in all, A Quiet Place Day One is a strong addition to the franchise that continues to move the needle forward. Despite the chaotic nature of the setting and circumstances, the characters on screen are refreshingly layered in a way that adds humanity to this alien invasion thriller. Even with all the bloodthirsty creatures tearing up the streets, the peace that is found in just being human is a sound not to be suppressed.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Adding larger-scale action with its new setting, A Quiet Place Day One still never forgets
the essential ingredients that make it stand out in the genre it inhabits.

New York's #1 Survival Companion