An impressively cinematic journey is to be had in the recent release of A Quiet Place: Day One. Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o carried the lead role as the horror franchise took an empathetic turn with their traditionally suspenseful theme. The very first Quiet Place was epic as it showed the story of a family being unwillingly pulled into a life or death predicament. Day One takes on a story of solitude as we watch the oncoming demise of a woman in the same situation take on the troubles alone. Even though the movies aren’t chronologically connected, the dilemma continues from the last movie, A Quiet Place 2, as the human population is being threatened by monstrous, blind creatures who prey on humans for their survival. It’s a never-ending hunt, with the alien-like monsters using their keen hearing to find whoever is nearby to feast on. A story of survival for both the villain and its victims. Directors John and Michael Sarnoski worked well together to create a visual masterpiece that has an equally valuable story line.
Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress popularly known for her work in distinctive movies like US, Wakanda Forever, and Star Wars. Her impressive acing has won her multiple accolades including an Academy Award, Critic’s Choice Award, NAACP Image Award, and many more. In A Quiet Place: Day One, she plays Samira, referred to as Sam; a dry humored author living in a hospice after being diagnosed with cancer. Sam is tired of the mundane life and often escapes on walks into the city to have a whiff of freedom outside of this Debbie downer of a place. Her emotional support cat Frodo struts along as her sidekick throughout the film, occasionally going on their own detour. Sam reluctantly meets Eric, played by Joseph Quinn, who is an overly caring guy with a special eye out on her mental and emotional state. During an outing in the city, their lives take a sudden turn as the city is infiltrated by the horrendous monsters looking for food, aka humans. So much of the film is dark, quiet, and anxiety driven but the cinematography of the movie is starkly serene. The camera shots are consistently stunning. Contrasts between Sam and her surroundings add a sense of depth to each scene’s meaning. One of the safe places many people hid was a church, where fans of the other two Quiet Place films might recognize a few old characters. The softest noises like rocks on the ground, or breathing are all intensified, adding to the anticipation of not knowing where the creators are or who would be to blame for the next noisy mistake. Being on edge 24/7 freezes some people in fear and leads others to creative ways to hide their day to day noises as they attempt to live as normal as possible. Those who like to be on the edge of their seats will enjoy the drawn out drama and occasional jump scares. There’s a bit of romance that wasn’t expected that some people have applauded online as a humane way to add an emotional layer to the Sci-Fi horror. Sam finds herself as the center of a love interest that forces her to make a hard decision in the midst of what’s already a chaotic situation.
Original director John K. didn’t work on this one, instead it was brothers John and Micheal Sarnoski. This is Micheal’s eight film, previously working on movies Fight Night Legacy, IF, The Death of Robin Hood and Pig. While working on Day One, they wanted to keep the bizarre creatures that audiences love to hate, but wanted to be sure to change major dynamics from part one that would make this story original. Instead of being in a small town, this time the characters are set in New York City. The eerie silence in a place that is usually bustling with people is shown to be a completely silent ghost town ripped apart by random acts of violence. On top of that, adding a sickness to the main character was Michael’s way of giving Lupita’s character a soft spot in the audiences heart for her constant need for medical attention while running for her, and Frodo’s, life. The cat Frodo quickly became an audience favorite. Turns out the cat was actually played by two similar breed kittens who underwent 12 hours of training to prepare for their roles. In a behind the scenes look of the movie, Michael explained his mission in framing Day One into the work it has become. “I had seen both of the Quiet Place films in theaters when they came out and they are (both) really special movie going experiences to watch with an audience. I just loved how fundamental and essential those stories were, we got to follow intimate character dramas while also faced with this very primal and visceral challenge of these creatures that hunt by sound. I liked the simplicity of that, that allowed you to explore nuanced characters.”
Quiet Place: Day one had an impressive opening week with $170 million grossed in the first week of release. Not too shabby for the initial $67 million budget it took to create the movie. If you’re a huge fan of part one who loved the roller coaster of creepy silence and family trauma then you might, just might, find part three a bit slow and unnecessarily romantic. However, the film is a nice heartfelt journey. If you think about it, since there is only about 5 to 8 minutes worth of dialogue spoken in the entire movie, the plot somewhat gives a new-age definition of “silent films”. The panoramic views and scenic shots definitely make this worth seeing on the big screen instead of at home. The jump scares are sporadic, and highly detailed which is possibly an ick for those who have a weak stomach. There’s no need to see part 1 or 2 to enjoy this third edition. Nice work to the directors, the digital creators, and Frodo for one of the most decent horror film of 2024 so far.
