A Quiet Place was released in 2018 and quickly set itself apart from traditional horror films is its unique approach to sound design, where silence is the key to survival. The film’s use of clever visual storytelling, coupled with the audience’s anticipation of potential scares, creates a tense and unsettling atmosphere. A Quiet Place received widespread critical acclaim, with many praising its fresh spin on the horror genre. It was also a box office hit, grossing $341 million worldwide.
A Quiet Place Part II followed in 2020 and was also met with critical acclaim. On June 28, 2024, A Quiet Place: Day One landed in movie theaters globally. The prequel serves up a terrifying tale of the day the alien creatures took over the world. New characters are introduced and audiences get the chance to see how the horror started. So, let’s break down the movie and delve into why it works so well.
A Quiet Place: Day One Stands On Its Own Two Feet
As A Quiet Place Part II was a continuation of the first movie’s story, it felt like much more of the same. With A Quiet Place: Day One, it feels like its own standalone picture. Of course, the aliens are still present, but the audience is at first opened to a time where everything was normal. To that, the movie opens with an overburden of the senses as we are introduced to the film’s setting – New York City. Horns honk, chatter amplifies and people go about their daily lives. Right out of the gate, this is a far cry from the first two movies where silence was the focal point.
From here, we are introduced to Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a woman in the final stages of cancer. Lacking energy and desire, she is convinced to venture out of the hospice she is living in to watch a show in the city. She agrees on one condition – that she will be allowed to get pizza at the end of the night. However, she doesn’t want any old pizza, she wants a slice from a childhood spot in Harlem that reminds her of her late father.
After the show ends, New York City descends into carnage as the alien creatures make their way to earth, destroying anyone who makes a sound. Sam finds safety in the theater, but decides to leave to fulfil her dying wish of grabbing a slice of pizza in Harlem. On her journey, she encounters Eric (Joseph Quinn), a law student from Kent. The two decide to stick together and make their way to Harlem. Across their treacherous journey, the movie delves between horror and action, upping the ante from the first two movies. What makes this work so well is the fact that these individuals have only had mere days to adapt to the new world. Whereas in the first two films, silence has already become a way of life. So, with this comes a multitude of challenges, therefore pushing the movie into a new level of suspense that arguably surpasses its predecessors.
The Movie’s Main Character Is Not What You’d Expect
Horror movies come with plenty of death and destruction, and audiences expect this from the outset. In fact, as moviegoers, we are actually rather numb to it. However, in cinema, the death of an animal is utterly heartbreaking. In A Quiet Place: Day One, Sam’s cat Frodo serves as the movie’s driving force for tension. The cute and charming Frodo is Sam’s service animal who is walkable by lead. From the moment all hell breaks loose, Frodo is there every step of the way. This creates an added sense of tautness and urgency as the audience winces at every dangerous situation he is thrust into.
Without Frodo, the film would of course still be tense and anxiety-inducing. However, he propels the franchise into new territory, something that was certainly needed to keep this instalment fresh, unique and exciting. Although the movie is packed full of Hollywood talent, the sweet and innocent Frodo steals the show as the unsuspecting lead character. Interestingly, Lupita Nyong’o actually has a fear of cats, which only makes her scenes with Frodo all the more impressive.
A Quiet Place: Day One Further Ignites the Careers of Two Breakout Stars
Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are both rising stars in Hollywood, fresh off the success of major productions. British actor Quinn took the industry by storm with his enthralling breakout role as the enigmatic Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4. Nyong’o has been climbing for a number of years, with an Oscar win to show for it, but her performance in Jordan Peele‘s Us really pushed her to the forefront of Hollywood. In A Quiet Place: Day One, both surging talents command the screen in every scene they are in. And when they join forces, a dazzling chemistry offers heartfelt moments amongst the relentless chaos.
Without barely speaking a word to each other, the two form a solid connection in a matter of days. Eric learns of Sam’s impending fate and sets out to help her on her nostalgic and cathartic mission of returning to her childhood home of Harlem. What’s so immersive about their chemistry is how the two don’t even need to share a kiss, we just know that they have fell in love with each other in the most horrifying of circumstances. To that, A Quiet Place: Day One stands as a testament to what great actors can do for a movie. Nyong’o and Quinn elevate the movie from a taut horror movie to something with heart and deep substance, which will likely help the movie stand the test of time. Want to read more about the movie? Here’s how Lupita Nyong’o prepared for her role.
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