ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Back in 2018, horror fans were introduced to the first installment of the “A Quiet Place” franchise, which was followed up by a sequel in 2021. In those movies, audiences were already entrenched in humanity’s survival against a particularly vicious alien monster species that is attracted to its prey through sound, and I ended up being a big can of both films, despite not being what one would call a horror aficionado.
This past weekend, “A Quiet Place” fans finally got the chance to see what happened on day one of the aliens’ invasion with “A Quiet Place: Day One,” which I had the chance to see. The prequel follows terminal cancer patient Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) as she navigates the beginning stages of the invasion in New York City and is later joined by fellow survivor Eric (Joseph Quinn). The first day of the invasion is only briefly shown in the first few minutes of “A Quiet Place, Part 2,” and I was very interested to see the invasion from the perspective of another affected city.
The film overall is VERY unsettling, even from the beginning, because while everything seems somewhat normal, there’s just this underscore of tension warning everyone something really big and really bad is about to happen. Then, when the something really big and really bad DOES happen, it’s an absolute jolt and you almost feel like you’re caught up in the chaos onscreen along with everyone else. The movie actually focuses more on the chaos/aftermath of the initial invasion instead of the alien monsters, and I feel like that was a smart choice because it shows how even the most ordinary day can ultimately turn to something weird. Especially in the earlier scenes when Samira is walking around rather dazed at what she’s witnessing, it somewhat reminded me of some of the news footage I remember seeing in the aftermath of 9/11 just because of that overall unsettled feeling. Overall, there was definitely an emphasis on the atmospherics, and my hat goes off to evermore who helped with all the tone setting as far as the cinematography goes.
Something else that particularly helped set the movie’s tone was the musical score. There are moments where the music is more tense, there are moments where the music is much more sweet and melancholy, and no matter the scene, the music just fit like a glove. My overall favorite moment music-wise comes near the end of the movie when Samira and Eric are hanging out in the bar where her father used to play the piano, and the piano-heavy score in that scene is just so sweet and lovely and sad all at the same time, and I legitimately got a bit emotional. If the movie doesn’t get at least a nomination come the next awards season for best score, I will probably be rather irate.
The casting is also very well done, and Nyong'o and Quinn absolutely nail their respective roles. Since the majority of the movie is silent, the two leads have to primarily use their facial expressions to communicate with the audience what they’re supposed to be thinking, and there are multiple moments throughout the movie when, because Nyong'o and Quinn do such a great job, you don’t even need to hear any dialogue, because their thoughts and feelings are running riot over their faces. That’s part of what made me such a big fan of the first two films, and that carries over into the prequel. You know there’s not really a happy ending in store for the pair, but they manage to squeeze a bit of joy during their time together, particularly with Samira wanting to go home to Harlem for a slice of pizza even though aliens are killing everyone in the city – written out, that might sound foolish, but it also shows how Samira knows the score and wants just a smidge of joy in her last days.
Another particular acting standout for me, as odd as it may sound, was Samira’s cat, Frodo (BTW, if you’re among those who got the “Sam and Frodo” reference, you’re awesome). Somehow, this particular feline (or felines, depending on the animal rules for the production) was able to show just as much emotion as his human counterparts, and I was rooting for him to survive for basically the entire movie (which he does, albeit due to what I’m going ahead and considering divine intervention and pure, dumb luck). Frodo also ends up being a bit of a hero in a few scenes, and like his human co-stars, I too wanted to hold him and give him a big hug.
While the focus on the more atmospheric aspects is good, I do wish there would have been more of the mayhem actually shown – much of the movie’s action occurs off-screen, and it seems no one even attempts to fight back or do anything to stop the monsters. There are a few more action moments that are shown, but I do wish there would have been more shown on screen.
Overall, I enjoyed “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and I would give it a solid “B” grade. The movie’s unsettling tone is set right out of the gate, and it doesn’t really let up for the entire 100-minute runtime. The acting is also solid from everyone throughout, humans and animals alike, and the two leads especially get to show off their skills. If you’re a fan of either of the other “A Quiet Place” films, you’ll probably enjoy “Day One”
