Angry aliens who just want you to shut the f**k up attack New York City in the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One. These hard-to-kill creatures just want to sit back, sip some tea, and listen to audio books, but pesky humans keep screaming, running, and breathing too hard to give them any damn peace. Needless to say, lots of people die.
Original director John Krasinski steps aside for director Michael Sarnoski (Pig), who oddly seems more interested in making a drama about death than a horror movie. Still, A Quiet Place: Day One delivers several suspenseful sequences, some effective scares, and a tight 90-minute story about getting a piece of pizza in Harlem. Not kidding.
Fans of the first two movies will find plenty to like here, even if the vibe’s a bit different and Sarnoski doesn’t quite have the horror chops that Krasinski does. But as much as the sign language-speaking family from the first two movies are missed, and even though Krasinski did take us back to “day one” in the last film, A Quiet Place: Day One offers a fresh perspective on a grander scale. New York, ever home to mass disasters, serves as a great backdrop for ground zero. When something loud goes off, the streets literally turn to dust as the alien horde rushes toward the source.
Carrying the film is Lupita Nyong’o, who gives us another award-worthy performance despite the fact that, you know, horror movie performances don’t win awards. Few actresses are able to convey as wide a range of emotions without saying a word than Nyong’o; she puts on a show here.
Joseph Quinn is also incredibly strong, even though Sarnoski forgets to explain what motivates the dude, why he does the things that he does, and why the hell he is so panicked all the time (aside from, you know, those angry aliens who just want you to shut the f**k up). Years from now people will remember Nyong’o and overlook the lesser-known Quinn, but he matches her step for step.
A Quiet Place: Day One isn’t perfect, though. Sarnoski has a tendency to pull away from the action at odd times, cutting short scenes that could be incredibly gripping if he just stuck around a bit longer. Several of his sequences are exciting and well-staged, but you can tell horror suspense isn’t his strength. The climax, and really the entire third act, is a bit weak; again, it’s clear that Sarnoski is more interested in the dramatic elements than the horror/action components. Even at 90 minutes, there are a few times where Sarnoski lingers too long in the quiet moments (pun intended) when he should be ratcheting up the tension.
Even still, A Quiet Place: Day One is a worthy entry in the franchise. Exciting, suspenseful, and superbly acted, this one has everything you need. Just don’t make a noise in the theater–those aliens just want to listen to their damn audio books.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.