John Krasinski introduced the world to A Quiet Place in 2018 and the new franchise has been hitting the mark ever since. For now, the story of the Abbott family is over. A Quiet Place: Day One is a prequel that starts with where this all began in the first place – New York City. This time, Lupita Nyong’o is the lead and it documents her struggling to survive the massive alien invasion.
A Quiet Place: Day One will expand the scope of the series and introduce a set of compelling new characters to the franchise. In addition to the Oscar winner, Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou will join the actress. Alex Wolff (Hereditary, Oppenheimer) and Joseph Quinn VIII (Overlord, Kin) are also confirmed in the cast. The first two films did an excellent job of showcasing their unique premise under masterful direction. A Quiet Place: Day One looks to expand on the mythology of the series fascinatingly.
Setting The Location To New York Was An Excellent Idea
To be clear, the first two films took place in New York; however, the setting was notably more in the countryside as the locations weren’t the extremely crowded and loud parts of the state. Krasinski did an incredible job of bringing the best out of his story under such a small scope. The premise that a group of aliens can hunt down and kill you based on sound is a tremendous one, but the key factor was the environment, which was relatively low-key and small.
Switching the location expands on the premise and forces the filmmakers to find new ways to ring out tension and thrills from its unique concept. How can the main protagonist live in a quiet place where she’s thrust into the middle of a huge city that rarely sleeps? The writer managed to find a new avenue to explore within the world of A Quiet Place, and it could turn out to be something truly special if done right.
The New Set Of Characters
The only returning cast member from the previous entry is Djimon Hounsou, and that was a wise choice. Had the Abbott family returned for the prequel, it would’ve killed some of the tension instantly. The only member that dies in the film is Lee, so if we had witnessed the rise of these strange aliens through their eyes then we KNOW that these characters weren’t dying. A good part of that tension is the sense of unpredictability for the fate of characters onscreen.
Highlighting a new cast allows for those moments to continue because we’re introduced into a new world of characters. Plus, the prequel allows us to see a different scope under the eyes of Lupita Nyong’o’s protagonist. Interestingly enough, the actress doesn’t say one word throughout the trailer. That can all change in the new trailers for the film, but it does speak volumes about the protagonist and the parallels she has with the Abbott family. Lupita Nyong’o is an amazing actress, so there’s no doubt that she’ll bring out some dimension and depth of her characters based on her performance alone.
Adding Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou only brings out the diversity of the characters and it should be thrilling to see how they thrive in this world. As previously mentioned, Hounsou is the only returning name here, so we know that he will survive the prequel. But there’s an interesting layer of mystery regarding his backstory that can be unveiled in Day One.
More Information About The Strange Aliens Themselves
The focus appears to be more on Lupita Nyong’o and the cast of characters in New York City, which is a wise move. A big part of what made these creatures so scary in the first two films is that their backstory is unknown. That meant the Abbott Family was fighting a mysterious entity with unknown motivations – it helped heighten the drama whenever they appeared and it allowed Krasinski to get creative with the scares.
Though we understand the weaknesses of these creatures now, some backstory on them can add a level of suspense if done correctly. The key is to not over-explain the origins of their story. In fact, it would be better if wasn’t the primary focus. However, if Michael Sarnoski (the director of Day One) can cleverly sprinkle in some of the ideologies of these aliens then it will help deepen a world that hasn’t been fully brought to light. A Quiet Place: Day One has all the tools to be another strong entry in the horror franchise.
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