I was pretty excited when I found there was going to be a third movie in the Quiet Place universe. I loved A Quiet place, thinking it a unique take on sci-fi horror. While the sequel was not quite as good, it is a solid entry. And even though the sequel provided a quick glimpse of what happened on the first day of the attack, a full movie to expand the details and provide new information was a welcomed idea. Unfortunately, A Quiet Place: Day One provides very little that is new.
The story revolves around Samira (Lupita Nyong’o), a cancer hospice patient that, after heading on a day trip into New York City, becomes trapped as the invasion begins. And so, through her story, we get to see how the first days of the attack unfold in New York.
The best part of the movie is Lupita Nyong’o. She gives a wonderful performance, having to do quite a lot without getting much dialogue. And having her as a terminal patient provides some interesting opportunities. She knows she doesn’t have long to live, so she has other goals than just surviving the attack. It’s a nice change from the other movies where the goal is to survive.
Joseph Quinn is also quite good in his role. He plays Eric, a young man who is also trapped in New York, and decides to follow Samira on her quest after (and I can’t believe I’m typing this) meeting her cat. Seriously, that seems to be all it took. Quinn gives a good performance, but I never bought into the character, even if it does lead to some nice, quieter (because, of course – ha ha) moments later in the film. But even for a character that is obviously scared and looking for companionship, heading off on a quest that is counter to getting out of New York just didn’t make sense. “You seem nice, and you have cute cat, but I gotta book” would seem to be the appropriate response.
What I was hoping for from Day One was more information on the invasion itself. Maybe an answer as to why the aliens come here. But we find out nothing more than the noise in New York is like a long continuous scream. So, I guess the aliens heard us. But perhaps we could get some info on how everyone learns that the aliens can’t see us, or that they can’t swim? Nope. All of that is discovered almost immediately, and just broadcast to all survivors (which seemed like a cheap way to just move on with the story). What we do get is a bunch of carnage early on, and then a lot of the same from the first two movies. It all becomes very predictable. And it never really works as sci-fi horror.
Your enjoyment of the movie likely depends on how much you buy into the lead characters. And while I thought both leads gave very good performances, I just didn’t. Or maybe it was just the disappointment of what I see as a missed opportunity in really expanding the universe. It is a well-made movie, but it doesn’t add anything new. It’s really just another story in the universe, but not one that truly expands it.
It does seem that I am in the minority here though as most reviews appear to be positive. If you’re a fan of the first two movies, this may be right up your alley. It just wasn’t for me. While I don’t consider it a bad movie, I was never fully engaged. But maybe I should just keep that quiet.
Have you seen A Quiet Place: Day One Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.