A Quiet Place: Day One, review: a bold, innovative, heart-in-throat summer chiller
Many popular movies are filled with too much explanation, so it's refreshing to see a summer blockbuster that can be summed up by a man grabbing the main character and saying "shhh" in fear.
The moment in question happens about 15 minutes into A Quiet Place: Day One - but for fans of the series, this detail may not even be necessary. Just like in the first two movies from 2018 and 2020, the Earth is being terrorized by blind aliens with super sharp hearing and deadly pincers, killing anyone who makes a sound. The previous films focused on a young family, played by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, trying to survive in the wilderness. But this third installment starts fresh, providing a new and innovative take on the series' familiar yet tired concept.
After a short introduction to set the scene, there are only two more scenes in the movie where dialogue is important.
After that, all communication is done through gestures, nervous or scared expressions, and occasionally a quickly written note. And let's not forget about the quiet "shhh" moments, delivered by Djimon Hounsou, who we briefly see on his way to the events of A Quiet Place: Part II.
The story takes place in New York, following Lupita Nyong’o’s character Sam and Joseph Quinn’s character Eric. Sam is a poet and cancer patient, while Eric is a law student. They find themselves in the middle of the chaos and destruction caused by the aliens. Sam’s pet cat Frodo also plays a significant role in the film, even more so than any of the human characters. Thankfully, Frodo is not a loud meower.
This group of three people is trying their hardest to stay alive in the ruins of Manhattan. This is their only focus and it's also the main focus of the movie. A Quiet Place: Day One was created by Michael Sarnoski, who also directed Pig, a thrilling movie starring Nicolas Cage in 2021. It seems like the perfect outcome of a discussion that started with the idea of making another movie that would be worth watching.
And they succeeded. The movie was as daring and original as a third installment in a series can be, which may not be groundbreaking, but is still captivating enough to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
The movie feels more like a video game in terms of its structure, with the setting changing gradually from scene to scene (or level to level) and a strong sense of steady progress. Nyong’o delivers an exceptional performance, showcasing her talent for portraying intense fear as seen in Jordan Peele's Us. Quinn, a young British actor, also impresses with his performance, particularly in a poignant scene with Nyong'o in an empty bar. Their chemistry is so moving that the presence of man-eating aliens outside almost fades into the background.
Just like in the past, the experience of watching with a crowd adds to the enjoyment. Every silent moment in the movie feels like a test for the audience to see if they can stay quiet together. This film has been a delightful surprise this summer. Watch it and maybe leave the snacks at home.
15 rated, lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes
