A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) is the latest addition to the popular horror franchise that started in 2018, this time taking us back to where it all began, the first day of the alien invasion. The movie is set in New York City and follows a new set of characters as they try to survive the initial chaos, the film is directed by Michael Sarnoski, who takes over from John Krasinski, who directed the first two movies, Krasinski still had a hand in the story and serves as a producer. The movie cast very well balance with Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn as the lead actors with cameo from Djimon Hounsou who comes back on his role from the second movie, the movie aims to expand the universe of A Quiet Place but I feel it didn't contribute much on the side of tension and horror that made the first two movies so successful, it was kind of a lateral movie rather than setting the bar higher, it's a prequel that doesn't just reproduce what we've seen before but tries to offer a new perspective on the events we have seen in the past but this time with a more human crisis rather than been isolated, set in a big city rather than the quiet countryside of the original films. I personally was hoping that we get to know more about the reason or more about what this Alien came from and if they have any motives behind the invasion, even if humans can't understand them or communicate, as an example when Predator left behind Aliens on Earth so latter on they can come back to hunt them as a sport, that's a motive for existence without having to communicate or a way to learn about the Aliens past. The movie was good on the drama side of things but I really was hoping to get more context about the Aliens themself than just another A Quite Place drama / horror movie.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13433802/
- Platform: AppleTV+
A New Perspective on the Apocalypse
The movie is built around the main character Sam, a woman with terminal cancer, who is in care house, she agrees to get out of care house for a day trip to Manhattan which happens to be the day of the alien arrival, for having terminal cancer she could still move fast enough but seem the hole situation got to her badly. The movie shows Sam trying to survive in the middle of the alien attack, monsters that she never imagine exist that hunt by sound, latter on she meet a British law student Eric portrayed by Joseph Quinn.The change of the movie’s scene to New York City from the previous films’ rural areas is a big challenge for the characters especially in a city that never sleeps or knows how to be silent, this time they had to learn. I would only imagine that living in such a busy city that never rest and it is most of the time loud, same happens to human living in it which becomes a problem now that everyone has to remain extremely quiet to avoid getting killed by the herd of Aliens.
The movie does give some more context about the Aliens:
- They got no eyes
- Use part of their face as it was fingers
- They can't smell
- Can't swim
- Will do anything to hunt their prey even if it means kill themself
Characters and Their Journeys
Sam’s character is quite compelling because she is already facing her own mortality when the invasion occurs, basically her least problem are the Aliens, its more about what she wants and at this point in her life is just a slice of Pizza from a place in Queens called Patsys; she is a poet in care house and now she is forced into this world where the only goal is to stay alive, but for her, it goes deeper than that. The Pizza place is not any other place for her, its special since she use to go there with her dad, who is long gone dead, they eat Pizza at Patsys after he play the piano at a Jazz club, this entire obsession with Pizza has a deeper meaning for her during the last days of her life.Eric is the complete opposite, a British student who finds himself in the middle of this nightmare who has a future in front of him who wants to stay alive, this character gives another point of view, a guy who is not from the city and does not know what is going on, the relationship that develops between Sam and Eric is very important in the movie, it shows the audience how people can become friends in the worst circumstances. They do complement each other as Sam is brave but a bit dry, she keeps Eric on check so he doesn't freak out or start screaming scare to death, same goes around as Eric keeps Sam's moral high, push her to keep going trying to maker her fell well and smile.
The Horror Elements
Scare Jump Motto
I have been loving horror movies on 2024 since they have try to change the horror aspect, leaning more into the suspense side rather than just jump scares, on this movie you only have two characters against a city full of blind aliens so there is not much other than classic scare jump that will keep audience on their toes just waiting for an alien to show up. The movie does focus for the most part on the pandemonium of the initial attack rather than the suspense of living in a world where noise is lethal, it is a more action oriented movie in many aspects, yet it captures the horror element that the series is famous for.The alien creatures are still a significant danger, yet the movie doesn’t provide much information about them, something I was hoping for but could also mean there is a sequel for the prequel?!, and the characters are encountering these creatures for the first time; the movie is more about how people respond to the existence of such creatures rather than the creatures themselves. This situation makes me wonder if then the only shift was having the same situation but on a big city? for me is kind of a recycle material.
The Performances
Lupita Nyong’o is excellent as Sam, and she gives the character a lot of depth and emotion, making Sam’s fight both physical and spiritual; Nyong’o shines in the last sequence of the movie where she delivers a moving scene that is unique to this film in the series.
Joseph Quinn from Stranger Things demonstrates that he can handle the lead role, the character of Eric develops from a timid student into a hero who is willing to risk his life for others, although some of the character’s traits can be attributed to the script, Quinn makes Eric a sympathetic and believable character.
Djimon Hounsou returns from the second film and has a small but important role, which links the prequel to the rest of the series; Alex Wolff also joins the cast as Reuben, a nurse who looks after Sam and provides another example of the film’s focus on the human side of the story.
The cast in my opinion did very well because none of the performances felt over the top or flat, the problem I have giving this movie a rate say of 8 is that the plot is what felt flat, there is nothing special about it or anything that makes the other two movies special, yes Djimon did create that link between them but does not feel like its enough, honestly this movie feels like when there is a Blue Ray release of a series that never goes to theaters or streaming but still complement the story.
Themes and Messages
Human Connection in Crisis
The most attractive part of the crisis is human interaction the ways they support each other in the face of danger; the relationship between Sam and Eric is the focus of this aspect, as it describe how two strangers can become friends and depend on each other when they are in a life threatening situation, even after she demonstrate how harsh she has become when told Reuben "You are a nurse, not my friend" but latter on hug each other when he safes her; this is a more positive portrayal of the human spirit in the face of adversity than is often seen in post apocalyptic films, as the movie implies that even in the face of death, people can be compassionate and forgive in an instant.Finding Purpose in Chaos
Sam’s journey throughout the movie is to get to a Pizza Place in the city which symbolizes the search for something to live for even, humans tend to do this when we are close to death, in her case she knew she was dying anyways either by the Aliens or Cancer, her struggle with the illness and the aliens shows that even in the face of death there is the need to have something to do and achieve.The Value of Silence
Although the previous films were more focused on this theme, "Day One" presents an interesting spin on it and demonstrates how a city that is always awake can learn to be still, which is a rather thought provoking concept regarding the world we live in and how people would react if they were suddenly deprived of noise, this time around the movie got to silence an entire city all at once.
The movie presents a fresh approach to the alien invasion that changed the world; although the film fails to answer some of the questions I had, and perhaps many viewers, including myself, might have about the creatures’ origin or the world beyond, it presents an entertaining and emotional narrative that can be enjoyed independently, the cast, especially Lupita Nyong’o, raises the bar for a story that goes beyond the usual horror prequel, and the New York setting adds a new spin to the familiar concept, even though this part is not as horror or thriller as the first movie, it compensates for it with the character growth and the study of human behavior in the time of crisis, this film continues to build up the world of the “Quiet Place” and opens the door for more sequels while providing a complete story on its own.
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