The A Quiet Place film series caught the world by surprise by creating a gripping story with a unique and enjoyable gimmick. Now, a prequel focusing on new characters has hit the big screen. Does this latest movie, A Quiet Place: Day One live up to the expectations set up by the previous two installments, or should this one have been kept hush-hush at the studio? Let’s take a peek to find out.

The Good 

The performances throughout the movie are tremendous, with Lupita Nyong’o being the standout. Nyong’o’s performance is so impressive that she may even deserve an award for it. Acting with minimal dialogue and relying on facial expressions to tell the story and capture emotion is an incredible feat that allows the audience to interact with the movie in a way they haven’t before. Unlike the other two movies in the franchise, the character’s aren’t using sign language, meaning they have even less of a way of communicating with each other and rely even more on their expressions. It’s all done in a way to allow the actors raw talent to shine through.

There is a cat in this movie, and it’s easily one of the best movie pets of all time. This cat is adorable, smart enough to navigate this apocalyptic world, and works as a service animal. It’s literally just a cat, but feels like an actual character that the audience cares for. This kitty, named Frodo, better be in A Quiet Place Part III.

The movie is extraordinarily suspenseful throughout. Every noise could be a death sentence for the characters, making any sound terrifying. The aliens look menacing, and there is an air of dread for most of the film’s runtime. There are a few jumpscares here and there, but they feel deserved. What adds to the scares and the action of this movie compared to others in the series is its setting. Instead of a family being stocked by a few of these “Death Angels,” there are full crowds of people being taken out by hundreds of these monsters. The chaos and commotion is quite intense at times, and always entertaining to see played out.

It’s not all just being quiet and hiding from killer alien monsters. One of the best elements that makes A Quiet Place work in the first place is the heart and the relationships between the characters. It’s what truly drives the story of the movies, and it’s no different with A Quiet Place: Day One. Hiding and running from aliens is a lot of fun, but the best parts of the film are ones in which the characters grow together, get vulnerable with each other, have heart-to-heart moments, and help each other through hardships. Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn’s characters feel so real that seeing their emotional moments together can immerse any audience member.

There are some much-needed details learned about the aliens in this one, like where around the world they landed, why they chose those locations, why they don’t like being in water, and even a glimpse at what they eat on their planet. Sure, the prequel should probably offer more explanation for the franchise, but it’s still cool to get some sort of detail.

The Bad

While it is cool to see a Quiet Place story use the massive crowds of New York City to shake things up a bit, more could have been done with the setting. Popular landmarks could have had aliens crawling around on them. The city could have felt more alive and more like a character itself like Gotham does in a Batman film. It works for the crowds and for geographically taking place near-enough to the other movies, but it does feel like a slightly wasted opportunity.

The same could be said about the details revealed about the aliens. We do learn some things, but as a prequel, there definitely could have been a bit more explanation. These may not actually take away from the quality of the film in any way, but it does feel odd how they noticeably missed such big opportunities.

Frodo the cat is heard meowing early on before the invasion. However, once the aliens attack, he’s completely silent. It’s weirdly convenient. Having to keep a meowing cat silent during the alien invasion could have led to an interesting and suspenseful challenge for the characters to overcome. Plus, it feels like such a coincidence that the cat suddenly stopped meowing that it feels unrealistic. It’s saying something that the aliens feel more real than the cat that knows when to be silent.

Conclusion

A Quiet Place: Day One is a suspenseful, emotional, and welcome addition to the Quiet Place saga. It may not add to what’s already been set up in many meaningful ways, but it’s an extremely enjoyable standalone story that will have your heart racing.

Rating: 9/10

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