John Krasinski dared to do something different with A Quiet Place six years ago.While the story about the Abbott family turned out to be an impressive narrative about the resilience of the human spirit, A Quiet Place: Day One can easily be considered the best installment in the series. Michael Sarnoski stepped in to write and direct the prequel. At the same time, Krasinksi focused on the third movie following the Abbott crew, and the result was an emotional story that gave audiences a look at how the horror of this world began. And what better place to start a tragedy about monsters guided by noise than New York City?
A Quiet Place: Day One follows Samira a.k.a. Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a cancer patient who isn’t very excited about the last years of suffering she’ll have to push through. Everything changes for the protagonist of this story once the aliens arrive on Earth thanks to a meteor shower. A small aspect of this narrative that has to be praised is how Sarnoski’s prequel never bothers to explain where the aliens came from or how their first encounter with humans went. That part of the action occurs in the background while the viewer closely follows Sam’s story.
Lupita Nyong’o’s character crosses paths with Eric (Joseph Quinn), a young man who doesn’t know what to do now that regular life has ended. The two must find a way to evacuate New York City before it’s too late, but their chemistry on the screen steals the show. It’s never intended to be viewed as romantic. Sam and Eric are simply two friends trying to make the best out of a horrible situation. Audiences know how the monsters from the world of A Quiet Place: Day One behave, and the team behind the prequel realized that they only needed strong leads to make their story memorable.
Expanding on the world of A Quiet Place: Day One answers the question about how this tragedy would play out in a crowded space. The Abbott family’s stories were set in an abandoned landscape, but the loud population of New York City had to face the aliens in the prequel. The tension is palpable when a crowded avenue is wrecked by a crew of the creatures, with the stakes feeling very high for the unlucky survivors of the invasion.
When talking about A Quiet Place: Day One, it has to be stated that Nyong’o acts in circles around every other cast member from the franchise. The star’s performance as Sam makes this prequel feel human and not yet another attempt at exploiting a franchise. The character is full of heart, frustration and an admirable desire to experience being alive before her body gets a chance to be defeated by her disease. Sam instantly becomes the most memorable character from the franchise. And it’s so refreshing to see Nyong’o reminding audiences why she’s one of the best performers of her generation with every role she tackles.
The other lead of A Quiet Place: Day One, Eric, is portrayed by Joseph Quinn. The Stranger Things sweetheart does a fine job of stepping into the shoes of a young man who was at the wrong place and the wrong time, and he really gets to stand out while sharing the screen with Nyong’o. It’s difficult to convey real emotions when acting against digital monsters, but Quinn knows how to make audiences sympathize with Eric. He might not be the brave action hero needed for a dangerous situation, but that’s precisely what makes him vulnerable while escaping from the aliens.
The concept of monsters that can only be guided through sound has been refreshing since the first A Quiet Place movie was released in theaters. In addition, it was terrific to see Sarnoski given the freedom to experiment with different sequences that could present these monsters in a new light. There are shots in A Quiet Place: Day One that could easily appear in the viewer’s nightmares after seeing the movie. The tension built by Sarnoski playing with the audience’s expectations, highlighted by Alexis Graspas’ musical score, turns this prequel into something that must be noticed by everyone who enjoyed the previous films.
With beautiful performances, interesting filmmaking choices and a glimpse into how the world reacted to the alien invasion, A Quiet Place: Day One is a wonderful prequel that continues to give prestige to the series. Nyong’o delivers one of the best performances in a franchise studio release this year in a story that will make the viewer appreciate daily life’s slow, quiet moments. It will be challenging for the Abbotts to top this prequel once they return to the big screen in the future. It’s Sam and Eric’s world now.
Rating: 8/10