Samira (Lupita Nyong’o) is living in a hospice, facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. Offering her comfort and joy is a sweet black and white cat named Frodo. After she attends a group counselling session, Samira’s nurse, Reuben (Alex Wolff), invites her to join other patients on a bus trip to watch a performance in the city. Although Samira initially plans to call it a night, she changes her mind after Reuben mentions pizza as part of the outing.
However, an emergency is declared during the outing when an unknown alien race attacks the city, attacking anything that makes a sound. While fellow survivors plan to travel to a safe destination, Samira is uninterested and instead chooses a different route in the hope of finding joy in life once again. During her journey, Samira encounters Eric (Joseph Quinn), another fortunate survivor who once aspired to become a prominent lawyer. When Eric learns about Samira’s health and personal journey, he refuses to leave her alone and wishes to travel with her. Samira, Eric, and Frodo embark on a journey through “The Quiet Place” in search of peace and freedom.
In case you missed it, A Quiet Place: Day One is the third movie in the popular horror series “A Quiet Place.” Unlike the previous two films directed by John Krasinski, this instalment is a prequel and was directed by Michael Sarnoski. It shows how a once bustling city transformed into a quiet place and the survivors’ first encounter with the alien-like creatures. Sarnoski, known for his work on the 2021 movie Pig, excels in creating intense drama and compelling characters.
The film’s main goal is to introduce new characters and show audiences what the alien attack looked like. Seeing how the invasion impacted the lives of many, including Samira, held my curiosity. However, the pacing does feel slightly repetitive, with the main characters aiming for a destination only to be interrupted by a noise or an obstacle, leading to an encounter with an alien. Our leads must then carefully manoeuvre around the obstacle or find a new route. Will audiences understand more about the alien creature due to this film? No, sadly, not at all.
The performances in the film are delightful, especially from Lupita Nyong’o, who is terrific. I loved seeing her character undergo significant progression from feeling like her life was over to gaining hope for a more fulfilling future. The visual effects were also impressive, creating a realistic and tense portrayal of a city destroyed and the chaos. The alien creature designs were once again satisfying, and the threat in this film was shown more prominently than ever before, making it less frightening but still delivering effective jump scares.
Overall, as a prequel to the popular franchise, this film introduces new, likable characters while providing further insights into the chaos of Day One for fans of the past two movies. The main story is compelling, infusing creepy, tense moments and effective jump scares. The leading performance from actress Lupita Nyong’o successfully elevates the plot and creates a gripping drama. While there are fewer horror moments and less tension than the previous films, this story remains a worthy instalment, leaving viewers wanting more.
7.2/10
2nd July 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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