#A Quiet Place Review

[hannahwatcheshorror]

A QUIET PLACE (2018)

💁‍♀️💁‍♀️Strong Female Lead(s)

A cinematically aesthetic film brought to you by America’s sweetheart John Krasinski starring him and his British wife Emily Blunt. The sense of self that is lost with these characters since they can no longer speak (safely) is immense, juxtaposed by a character who would be unable to speak regardless of apocalypse status makes it resonate all the more. A good horror movie is about the monsters we’ve become, the horror we’ve put each other through. This movie never forgets about the relationship between the characters. I had a lot of questions/concerns about the creatures from the movie though.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Here is the thing. I have strong feelings about this movie because I wish so badly that I could find a way to make John Krasinski’s character live. I sat here and I wrote lie after lie in review after review (like, two) that just didn’t feel right because A Quiet Place is a fine movie, it is just very frustrating. The first 10 minutes set the movie up for some high expectations by giving us more questions than answers. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski (married couple in this movie too, aw) have three kids in this brave new world. A misunderstanding with the (deaf) sister putting batteries in the youngest brother's toy becomes a cautionary tale as we watch in slow motion the hellhound removes the tot from this mortal plane. Fade out to title and over 400 days later, there is no explanation on how the rest of the family escaped unscathed which raises so many more questions for me and made me falsely believe that things weren’t as bad as they seemed. I really believed that the sound hounds were just sort of big, dumb, sharp dogs. (My general confusion on the creatures is why I took stars away. I know there were lots of news articles but they all just said, “Ah, we are so scared, run away!”)

We get introduced to the family farm, it is very quiet and nice (did I mention quiet?). They have a lot of little things they do to reduce noise but it is very difficult for me to track what is or isn’t too much noise (the intro sequence said Loud Toy = Bad but Walking Around = Fine, right?). They are living that basement life but it also seems a lot like a good way to have one of those blind motherfuckers fall into the basement and not really be able to get their way out (well, I was sort of right, though I guess one of them found the stairs at some point). 

I have NO idea how Emily blunt fully gives birth in a tub silently. The bathtub is one of the most echoey places on earth. The sound effects would have been disgusting (if not hilarious) but we are to believe that she did this, alone, in pain, and completely silently? Shenanigans! I call shenanigans! I’m sorry! Even if you give her the pass and say that Emily held it together and didn’t make any grunts or groans, her body and that baby sure would have! Anyway I have no idea how those creepy crawlers didn’t hear peep one out of that bathroom and everything with that went peaches and afterbirth but it did somehow (and her doing laundry earlier in the day was more harrowing).

Another important scare to note, the children jumped into a grain silo at one point and (at first) I thought that was very cool, something I always thought of when I saw silos in passing, but then the kids started to sink. Like quicksand. Which I did NOT know was a thing. Google told me it is called grain entrapment/engulfment and what a HORRIFYING way to die. No joking here, drowning in corn was not even a possibility, at least I thought, until this movie, now it’s pretty high up there in “Ways I Don’t Want To Die.”

The relationship between the children and the dad was very sweet, especially since we didn’t get to see them together for long before he made the ultimate sacrifice. I wished so badly he would have moved while yelling, I have it in my mind that those googly mooglies are really bad at hearing when they are making a lot of noise themselves and it was making such a ruckus on the truck that it would run towards John and then get lost somewhere in the middle between John and the kids in the truck and if everyone stayed QUIET in the PLACE maybe our dear Mr. Director could have survived for the sequel? Just me? I was mad at this movie for years because I was so sure he could have avoided death but as I was getting screenshots for the review I was looking at the creatures and had to rethink things quite a bit���

Things finally kick off when the daughter realizes her hearing aid shrieking is the only thing that hurts the spindly bastards so she amplifies it with the speakers/coms they have and EB blows its head off with a shotgun (that one's for her husband, bitch). Now they know they can kill the beasties and the hunted have become the hunters, y’all! Strap that baby on your back and let's get to killin’! Yee Haw! But in all seriousness the film ends on a very hopeful note which is good considering the night's events (very positive parenting, I think Em is gonna be a good single mother). Still sad John is dead (but I can still feel his spirit, just beyond the camera, I mean, grave), but trying to come to terms with it as apparently the family has.

-----------------------HANNAH WATCHES HORROR--------------------

[palomahasenteredthechat]

My thoughts on AQPDO

So, did this image appear in the actual film? Yeah, that's what I thought...

I loved it, and I was disappointed by it. This is long, so buckle in. Major Spoilers discussed below.

First, the outstanding: the performances. Holy hell. Lupita. Just...her talent is breathtaking. To sustain that level of intensity without overdoing it, I am simply in awe. Well done. I hope some attention is paid to her performance when award season rolls around. Ditto Alex Wolff. He did a LOT with so little screentime. Djimon too; they all were so, so moving.

Joe was so heartbreaking, and yet Joe's character is one of the things I am disappointed about, because I needed more. Not because I love Joe, but because the story needed it. I know there was a backstory that was cut, and to be honest I don't think that was necessarily a poor decision, but the issue is it was cut late in the creative process, versus in the writing, and that is where the problem is. More on that in a bit, but Joe delivered a sensitive and moving performance, and really understated as well. Not a bit of the cheeky Joe we have come to love so much that also I think pops out in Eddie and Michael occasionally. He was wholly immersed in Eric's reality and his energy complimented Lupita's so well; you can see how much they worked off each other. Dare I say she elevated his game. Another marathon performance and I can imagine how exhausting it must be to sustain that.

Second, Michael Sarnoski, hats off to you sir. The pacing, the way you put the story together visually, your heartbreaking script, just so well done. I hope they release the shooting script because I would love to read it and see the words (or lack of) that Joe and Lupita interpreted so movingly. I wonder if Michael has processed the death of a parent recently, because I felt so much emotion from this story. This film is about accepting the inevitability of death, while going through the five stages of grief, yet seeking to live fully regardless. Trigger warning: DO NOT see this movie if you are going through a rough time with someone who is terminally ill. It will wreck you. But this film is tragically, beautifully human. To deliver that story in a Hollywood big budget action film is a hat trick. Every actor in Hollywood who wants to grow creatively should be calling their agents asking to work with Michael Sarnoski right now.

Also, shout out to the production design people. They completely suspended my disbelief that the characters weren't in New York. Set design, lighting, like I could SMELL New York. Virtual production is getting so fucking good - we're well past the Unreal Wall vistas of the Mandalorian. If you ask yourself how A24 could shoot an Iraq war movie in the pastoral hills of England this is your answer.

Now, the not so good.

Go back and watch the first and second trailers and tell me how many of those moments were in the movie. Answer: barely any.

Map claw hand? We have to get out of the city? Gay couple? Old man turning off engine? Nada.

So, was this all misdirection in the marketing, making the audience think they were coming to see a summer action movie? That's legit, trying to get butts in seats, but I have a strong feeling Michael delivered a very different movie that was hacked up in the testing process. All of those scenes probably made the movie feel 'too long', and they had to cut them back to balance the action sequences with the emotional sequences.

The helicopters overhead spelling out THEY CAN'T SWIM probably came from focus group comments where someone was like 'why didn't the aliens just cross the river and start eating people in New Jersey?' (good point). But I'll bet you they wanted to give Alex Wolff's character a more significant death in regard to Samira's emotional journey, so they reshot the scene with the old man turning off the engine and had Alex do it instead.

Also, I get the strong feeling Eric showed up in the story much earlier in the original cut of the film, and the scene with Map Claw Hand illustrates that. The big question regarding Eric is why this random sad British dude gloms on to Samira and I'm not sure they answer that question in the final cut. Joe absolutely sells it, but it doesn't make sense and I suspect it's because it wasn't written that way.

Also, and call me crazy, but I think Joe is wearing a wig in some parts of this movie and not in other parts. It would make sense if there were significant reshoots based on early testing of the film. I wonder if the Alien Lava Tiki Bar (what...was that actually) scene was added later. Like, I get why Eric went up there- actually I don't, I think Eric would have been focused on getting the medicine back to her and wouldn't have taken a detour up scaffolding to follow I cat at all, but that's just me.

Finally, let's talk about the cat. Both Schnitzel and Nico are exquisite and enjoyable to watch, though how no one got scratched or bitten by a disgruntled feline is a mystery. We had a long debate about whether The Cat Represents Samira's Life, or The Cat is An Angel, or Fate, but ultimately we just went with KITTY and that made the story more enjoyable.

Samira is on a quest, to die on her terms, and once she accepts her fate, she sheds the things that no longer matter to her, and in the process gives Eric a purpose. The scene in the jazz bar was so moving. The final shot is also incredibly moving, and I hope the city was filled with the sound of music one last time, a beautiful elegy accompanying her soul to heaven.

Bravo.

[toxicanonymity]

Hope you don't mind me spamming you a bit. I appreciate your reviews and commentary! Other movies that came to mind which I enjoyed were Ready Or Not, The Invitation, Don't Breathe, Black Christmas, Last Night inSoho (technically this is a horror movie). And because it's popular, what are your thoughts on A Quiet Place?

I don't mind one bit. These are fun questions, especially this one. Buckle up lmaoooo.

Ready or Not - I liked it, and it inspired the wedding dress in one of my darker stories.

The Invitation - Hell yes, love a dark dinner party movie. Won't spoil why.

Don't Breathe - Loved. So depraved. If you haven't seen it I won't spoil, but holy shit lol. Kink alert.

Black Christmas - Yes! Prefer the original by a mile, but enjoyed the Blumhouse take too.

Last Night in Soho - Need to see this, it's on my list.

A Quiet Place -Just my passionate opinion: I fear there is no movie I despise more. My disdain is well-known among irl friends. I'm about to go off.

Krasinski referring to his film as "elevated horror" put him on my bad side from the start. Really low to put down others to promote himself. Dismissing an entire diverse genre, disrespecting everyone who paved the way.

Krasinski gets (takes) far too much credit for things that have been done and done better, including the climax which mirrors The Descent Part 2, shot-for-shot. Don't Breathe is another example of the have-to-be-quiet premise.

Huge hit among non-horror fans who didn't know better and raved about its originality. Meanwhile gushing, "I'm not even into horror." Soo maybe they hadn't seen much? Especially lesser known movies. The horror tent is big enough for all, but he brought new fans into it while infusing them with his condescending attitude.

Far too many gratuitous close-ups of himself going 🤫. This man's ego, stg.

Some of us detected a strong whiff of right-wing energy. Pro-life in a risk everyone's lives for a fetus way. Pro-gun in a rural, white, get off my land way (btw I'm obsessed with John Wick. it's not the use of guns in this, it's the energy).

He bragged about how his wife was so unaffected by her most intense scene (childbirth) that after it she said, "Who's ready for lunch?" Why is that so good, John? Is your view as a director that actors should snap in and out of character and not be affected by their roles? If she needed to cry or rest, would he think less of her? Personally I admire people who feel. Also, harder to imagine paying a man the same compliment.

I have one nice thing to say, which is that it's nice to see deaf/hard-of-hearing representation, and it was the least they could do good to cast an actress from the community as his daughter.👍

If they committed to total silence instead of using a dramatic score, that would've been cool.

You can do your own take on an old concept and make it good. But to meanwhile put down everything else to distinguish/promote himself?? That ain't it.

Anyway, I still hate-watched the sequel (not nearly as bad) and may do the same with the prequel 🤪.

[gurokatt]

I watched A Quiet Place: Day One

I think the movie was fun, I am very much a HUGE fan of apocalypse movies that start from the start, when the news is being weird, the hints and build up to the horror of it starting.

The crowd scenes in the city were absolutely PHENOMENAL [actually a lot of the angles and set were fantastic] The scene where all the characters were walking to the boats all quiet, but very much NOT quiet, and the slow build up of sound before showing the death angels stalking them?

that is one of the BEST scenes in the entire movie fr.

now compared the the first two movies? MUCH BETTER than part 2 by a lot [as someone who rewatched both movies last night]

However, compared to part 1, the sound design wasn't as good. this movie relied a bit too much on music rather than the atmosphere that the first movie did.

I also do wish the usage of sign was back again, because it made the first two movies much more immersive to me. HOWEVER i can understand wanting to use other forms of talking [writing] to communicate.

Having the main character terminally ill, with cancer, and going through the apocalypse is honestly something i don't see much of. GENUINELY love sam [Lupita's character] so much. And eric arrived as a wet beast and was pathetic throughout the movie.

Of course though, Frodo the cat single pawed-ly carried the entire movie, move aside Jonesy, we have a NEW horror cat icon!!

There is something so scary about having MULTIPLE death angels stalking the main characters!

[rickchung]

A Quiet Place: Day One (dir. Michael Sarnoski).

We see more of the monster mayhem in a new locale that's both bigger and louder with numerous moments of quiet solitude. It's a more intimate (despite often actually being "noisier") action portrait of group therapy where characters go on significant emotional journeys under the threat of constance violence.

[caliboron]

It’s time for Caliboron’s super based review extravaganza thing that actually isn’t that big of a deal but if you’re reading this you’re part of it! This post will contain spoilers for the following movies: Migration, Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, A Quiet Place Day One, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Smile 2, Gladiator 2, Moana 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3

I’ve never done a post like this, but my family has taken up the hobby of going to the movies so that’s a thing we do now! I saw a lot of movies this year, but this post is specifically about the ones I saw in theaters. These are all my opinions, I’m biased, they may be based on personal experience of real life events that happened when I went to see them. Also these will be rank with #1 being the best. Now let’s get on with it

Disclaimer: I liked and enjoyed all of these movies, just because it’s low doesn’t mean I hated it

#9: Moana 2

Oh, Moana 2… It was good. Not great, but good. Honestly kind of a disappointing sequel. The songs were good. I liked that they gave Moana a little sister, the dynamic between them was sweet. They introduced a lot of new side characters, but it felt too rapid-fire and sudden. I don’t remember any of the new characters’ names. I wish there were more scenes focused on them so we could get to know them better. Pua joined the adventure this time along with Hei Hei, but it didn’t add much. It was nice to see Moana and Maui interact again. The “Get Lost” song was my favorite. I got excited when we saw Tamatoa in the after-credit scene. Looking forward to the inevitable Moana 3, I hope it out-does this one. 5/10

#8: Despicable Me 4

So, I’ve never seen Despicable Me 2 or 3, but I had enough knowledge of the series to understand this one. Gru’s rival from high school shows up and their family has to go into witness protection and take on new identities. Also there’s a baby now. The baby hates Gru for some reason. They tried to do something interesting with the new identities, but it felt like a side-plot that was ignored. Gru’s high school rival was like a roach-guy and he wanted to turn the baby into a roach too? Honestly the baby was kinda cute as a roach and me and my sister agreed that we wish he stayed that way. There was a minion trapped in a vending machine the whole movie. No one helped him. He presumably starved and died. Very entertaining movie but the plot felt weak. 5/10

#7: Migration

One word I’d use to sum up this movie is “cute”. It was short but sweet. A family of ducks with an anxious father who doesn’t want to leave the lake they live in so they’ve never migrated before. As the title suggests, they do convince him to migrate. Also Danny DeVito is there so that automatically makes this movie 10x better. They get lost and end up in New York and they go to like a duck resort paradise place but it’s actually a farm that gives them away to be cooked. There’s a crazy chef that’s the main antagonist and chases them around. The relationship between the two sibling ducks was very cute. Overall I liked this one a lot. 6/10

#6: Gladiator 2

I was not planning to see this one. Me and my mom bought tickets to a “mystery movie” at our theater and it turned out to be Gladiator 2, which funny enough my parents planned to see this for their 30th wedding anniversary later that week, so my mom saw it twice. I thought I’d hate this movie, thought I’d find it boring because I don’t usually watch action/serious movies like this. It took a bit for me to get into it but halfway through I was invested. I’ve never seen the original Gladiator btw haha. I ended up really liking this! The plot was engaging and suspenseful. The cgi baboons absolutely terrified me, but I liked the little monkey named Dundus. The ruler twins were annoying and their deaths were satisfying. 8/10

#5: Sonic the Hedgehog 3

I just saw this one last night! It was amazing! Me and my sister (she is a HUGE Sonic fan) binged the other 2 movies the night before so we were ready. This movie was hilarious and action-packed. Robotnik and his grandpa were probably the highlight, there were some great scenes with them. And Shadow! He was there too. A lot of quote-able moments, too. We went to the little arcade inside the theater after and played claw machines, me and my sister joked that we should “break glass in case of emergency” to get the toys lol. Knuckles was dead set on breaking that glass. I like how they continue to find ways to include Tom and Maddie and the sibling dynamic that’s developed between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. I think they did Shadow and his backstory justice. And my god, that after credit scene with Amy and Metal.. It was awesome. My sister is obsessed with Metal Sonic so she was overjoyed. Also there are TWO after-credit scenes!! A lot of people left the theater after the first one so they missed the second. 10/10

#4: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice. Oh no, I just summoned him. I loved this movie. It did the original so much justice. And SURPRISE DANNY DEVITO CAMEO!!! Loved that. Lydia’s an adult now with a daughter who gets tricked by this ghost boy and now Lydia has to recruit BJ to save her. Also Lydia’s headless, deceased father is searching for his wife the whole movie. Which his wife, Delia, ends up dying to some supposedly de-venomed snakes in a mourning ritual devoted to him. They reunite and it’s very sweet. Also Beetlejuice has a wife that’s trying to kill him the whole movie so there’s a lot going on. And there’s a shrunken head guy named Bob. RIP Bob, you were a real one. This was a legendary sequel. 10/10

#3: Inside Out 2

Another legendary sequel. This movie perfectly portrayed how a panic attack feels, and told a great story of desperately trying to fit in and be accepted that I found very relatable. The new emotions were interesting and had good character designs. It was nice to see the original squad interact more. My mom and sister kept hoping to see Bing-Bong but nope, he is dead forever. 10/10

#2: Smile 2

This was my first time seeing a horror movie in theaters. Being in a pitch-black room with surround sound definitely made it an intense experience. I kept feeling like something was behind me. This movie was even better than the first Smile. The main character was interesting and the plot had me invested. Every single jumpscare got me, big time. God the smile-demon thing is terrifying. There was so much contorting (big personal fear of mine) and that scene in the apartment when all the backup dancers were slowly moving toward the main character had my heart racing. And the reveal of the actual demon is burned into my mind. I still think about it now and get creeped out. That final scene where the main character got possessed and killed herself on stage in front of all those people… the smile demon is gonna be like a world-wide epidemic now. If they make a Smile 3 it’ll be interesting to say the least. This movie fucked me up for like a week after lol I was super jumpy, and my sister’s bf was being an asshole smiling widely at me to mess with me 10/10

#1: A Quiet Place: Day One

Wow. What a movie. This has to be my favorite one I’ve seen this year, it was so good. This movie has so much heart at its core. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did, but it’s definitely better than the other Quiet Place movies. It was super tense, had me on the edge of my seat multiple times, and I was hoping and praying that the cat would survive, and… IT DID! The cat lived! Dude I was so happy. That last scene where Eric was swimming with the cat towards the boat I was so worried, but they made it safely! And the final scene where the main character, Sammy, just unplugged her headphones and accepted her fate was perfect. 10/10

So.. that’s it! Next year I definitely wanna type these out right after I watch the movies bc I had difficulty recalling all the events while making these reviews.

Movies I’m looking forward to next year:

Minecraft movie (of course), Dogman, and BAD GUYS 2 HELL YEAHHH

Here’s to 2025, and many more movies and memories!

[atxsubpunk]

A Quiet Place: Day One

I've seen all three of the "Quiet Place" films, and while I don't remember much of the first two my instinct is to say that "Day One" is the best of the lot. It's certainly the bleakest. I appreciate post-apocalyptic films that focus on characters managing the new world order (Nausicaä / Mad Max) instead of showing characters trying to put the world to rights (I Am Legend). The two leads are great. I expected that from Lupita Nyong'o but Joseph Quinn was very much her equal. It was actually his character that had my attention as the movie progressed. Can he be trusted? Why is he doing the things he's doing? What does it say about me that when I see simple kindness and decency in a stranger that my suspicions rise and I start surveying the landscape for a melee weapon? Joseph Quinn's traumatized facial expressions made for some of the most memorable images of the film. It's rare to see a man terrified without screaming, demolished but still functioning. It reminded me of David Johnson's performance in "Alien: Romulus." Not because Johnson's character was terrified, but because 99% of said performance came entirely from his face and communicated more any amount of dialog could. I also want to give props for the 99 minute runtime. That may sound like a backhanded compliment but it isn't. The secret to making a good movie is knowing exactly what kind of movie you should be making, and these filmmakers understood that. That's an accomplishment.

[eddiescorner]

I enjoyed A Quiet Place: Day One a lot.

Don't expect much in terms of destruction scenes or suspenseful moments with the aliens; the film is more of a poignant drama about the two main characters forming a friendship and trying to help each other in the middle of the alien invasion.

The movie takes a bit to actually start but I was really invested in the characters. I even got teary eyed during the ending scenes.

Go see it.

[agirlwholovesrockstars]

I SAW "A QUIET PLACE : DAY ONE" YESTERDAY! JUNE 26 AHHHHH

Y'ALLLL YOU AIN'T READY FOR THIS FILM!!!! how in the world that this film is 2 hours when it doesn't feel like it, THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS, it already captured on the first minutes of the film, oh my freaking god- this film is like one of the bestest prequels that I ever seen in my entire life like don't call me biased on this and I'm not even saying this just because all of the cast are all my favorites but I SWEAR TO GOD!!!! I was never the same person after watching this, me and my bestie had to sit it down for a moment to let it digest everything BECAUSE "WOAH??? that was it???" it's literally the perfect amount of apocalyptic, end of the world, suspense, thriller, drama, and friendship- I CRIED TWICE ON THIS!!!! and also Lupita and Joseph are absolutely so impressive actors like I can't even! I LOVE HOW THEY ACT USING THEIR EYES AND IT SHOWS SO MUCH EMOTION WITHOUT THE NEED OF DIALOGUES, it really shows they have that GIFT!!!!! they're both so ridiculously talented, THE CHEMISTRY IS ALSO INSANEEEEE the cinematography, the sound effects, the perfect timing of building up the tension and also I won't forget to mention on how many times I was close to falling at the edge of my seat because there are so many times on the film that I can feel my heart stopped beating....MICHAEL SARNOSKI, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE DOING KEEP DOING IT OMG- YOU'RE A VISIONARY!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻💯💯

[yeahiwasintheshit]

watched 'a quiet place day one' last night and always have to give it up for lupita, she always delivers. shes so compelling, and those big eyes say everything and just take you thru an almost silent movie, but damn if this shit wasnt dumb and irritating... story wise. welll... no, the overall story was fine, but the dumb little moments just were so goddamn stupid, it kinda annoyed me. but i didnt hate the movie. lol i dont know if that makes sense, but it was kind of fun watch in parts, eventho some of the little things were really ridiculous. like the fuckin cat. ohmyfuckingaaaawwwddd. just... why.... why would you even... ugh... like it was sooo unreal, and made no sense to ANYONE who has ever had or been around a cat. like the moment some crazy shit is going down ALL CATS are gonna go and hide in some safe spot, not track you down in a sea of people... was it by scent??? was that what they were hinting at??? like what??? idk i audibly groaned. it was so schmaltzy and dumb it kinda killed the mood of the whole thing. it would have been more believable with a dog, like a dog would do that. a dog would also have accepted and even swam in a fuckin sewer. we are just supposed to believe this cat was like yea sure, im not only confined in this tote bag, but youre gonna push my head under water for minutes on end... sure. NO! BAD MOVIE! NO! lol ok ok i shit on the stuff i didnt like enough, but i thought the story wasnt bad, it was different and compelling enough. lupitas has cancer, and is on a day trip into nyc and this invasion happens, she doesnt have her meds and has basically resigned herself that she just wants to die in her hometown of harlem, which she has to walk to. at first i was like *eyeroll* cause all she said was she wanted to get pizza, or whatever, like right in the middle of this crazy alien shit happening, she wants pizza? but that part of the story i thought worked as it went on. you understood what she wanted to do, and it was grim but made sense. so her character and her motivations were well defined, and she was good in the role. which makes all the dumb little things, like the guy going after the cat in a nest of those aliens things, the reason for the yellow coat, the photo at the end, and just the schmaltzy realization crap that make your eyes roll like a slot machine.

[adamwatchesmovies]

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

Of all the ways to extend a franchise, prequels look like the most desperate option. What is there to show before the action in the original started? If it was anything worthwhile, wouldn’t it have been included from the beginning? If there are unanswered questions, how can we be sure they shouldn’t stay unanswered? Seems like someone in Hollywood has figured out the formula because we’ve gotten a string of pretty good prequels recently - Orphan: First Kill, The Omen: First Born, Wonka and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Count A Quiet Place: Day One among them. Though it may not reach the same levels of suspense as the other chapters, it makes up for it with original, well-developed characters and never-before-seen visuals. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, it tells us more about what’s going on in this world without shattering any of the mysteries that got us invested in the first place.

Terminally ill cancer patient Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) is in New York City when meteor-like objects fall from the sky. Soon, the streets are overrun by blind, vicious alien creatures with an acute sense of hearing. As the US military tries its best to warn civilians about the dangers the creatures pose and rescue the survivors, Sam meets Eric (Joseph Quinn). Together, they navigate through the city, making as little noise as possible to avoid drawing the creatures to them.

A Quiet Place and its sequel showed the Abbott family in a world where the creatures had already taken over, civilization had mostly broken down and everyone left just did their best to survive. The nice thing about A Quiet Place: Day One is that the only recurring character (Djimon Hounsou’s Henri) plays a tiny part in the story. It still feels like there are many unanswered questions between this story and the ones that introduced us to this world. Why did the creatures land on Earth? We don’t find out because a) it doesn’t matter and b) Sam and Eric are not in a position to find out. Setting the film in New York right as the creatures land means the film has loads of new things to offer us. We’ve never seen this many creatures at once and never with this many people around. The film’s best scene has a crowd trying to make its way toward the safety promised by the government. There are so many people you know someone is going to screw it all up for everybody. Even if everyone is super quiet, the sound of all those footsteps and that collective breathing is on the cusp of being enough to get them noticed by the monsters all around.

But A Quiet Place: Day One isn’t only about Sam and Eric navigating through smashed-up streets while space beasties lie in wait. There’s a surprisingly emotional portion of the film: Sam’s quest to visit a pizza joint. We meet Sam at a hospice. There’s death everywhere now that the creatures have landed, but she was already going to die so she simultaneously doesn’t care if she goes and wants to survive - so she can visit Patsy’s Pizzeria (the East Harlem location) and protect her cat, Frodo. Of all the things to do when the world is falling apart, you think getting a slice should be the least of her priorities until we learn what the restaurant means to her. This quest provides the character with a reason to keep moving (rather than constantly hiding) bringing us from one blasted location to the next all while enriching the character.

In terms of scares and tension, Day One is the least intense of the series - we’ve seen the creatures so much now that even if they’re hiding in the dark, you know what to expect - but this prequel preserves many of the monsters' secrets and even gets us to ask new questions by showing some previously-unseen behavior from them. Ultimately, I don’t think this is a necessary or game-changing chapter but the story, characters and performances are strong. A Quiet Place: Day One is certainly worth your time if you've been following the series. It's also likely to bring new members to the fan club. (September 13, 2024)

[noahjupebrasil]

Noah Jupe as Marcus Abbott in ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (2021)

[agentnico]

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) review

Well, well, well, guess Eddie Munson ain’t a one trick pony after all.

Plot: When New York City comes under attack from an alien invasion, a woman and other survivors try to find a way to safety. They soon learn that they must remain absolutely silent as the mysterious creatures are drawn to the slightest sound.

I was fairly surprised when I heard a few years back that the director of the indie emotional drainer Pig (that was made on a $3 million budget) was picked to take on the $70 million prequel to the major A Quiet Place franchise, and one that was set right in the Big Apple itself, New York City. And I’m not sure how much you know about NYC - but it’s huge! With lots of people. Add to that the alien invasion aspect, one can expect something very different to Pig, with more so in the lines of Cloverfield. However, we shouldn’t have questioned Michael Sarnoski after all, as even though the first 10 minutes start with a bang, most of the movie (aside from some big set pieces) ends up still prioritising the human element of it all. There is something oddly sincere and sweet about Sarnoski centering a studio vehicle movie on a cancer patient who wants nothing more than to get a slice of pizza. It in some ways simplifies humanity to its most basic and innocent instincts, and where this movie succeeds the most is when that humanity is allowed to shine through and shine bright.

Narrative wise, aside from the no-talking and make-no-sound gimmick this is a very by-the-numbers alien attack story, and part of me does wish that the film took more opportunity from its Day One title. I was expecting to see the origins of how people realised that these freaky clicking crab creatures only attacked things based on sound, however the main character played by Lupita Nyong’o gets knocked out during the first attack and when she wakes up everyone seems to already be fully in the know that sound is illegal from now on under threat of death. Sort of defeated the purpose of needing a prequel to A Quiet Place. And I don’t know, I also kind of wanted to see more people get constantly gruesomely f-ed up and ripped apart seeing as this movie is released in peak summer blockbuster season. Again, I’m thinking of Cloverfield again. And maybe I still haven’t recovered from the pointless silly yet endlessly entertaining titan monster brawl in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Gosh that movie was so stupid, yet I had a blast. Sometimes you just need that ridiculous big budget beat-them-up, and summer is when you need that the most. Again though, not dissing A Quiet Place: Day One - it’s actually a very interesting approach to the alien invasion genre; it simply took me off guard a little with my expectations.

Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are truly fantastic in this film. They deliver so much emotion and nuisance through their expressions, with many chunks of the film seeing them communicate simply through glances and nods. Nyong’o especially does well carrying the heavyweight nature of her character suffering from cancer, yet Quinn really showcases his puppy dog eyes, and also makes the audience feel really sorry for him every time his character had another panic attack. Then there is the cat. Look, the cat is cute and also has way more screen-time than I believe it should have, but overall I enjoyed the cat. It may be the most unrealistic cat ever in that it makes absolutely no sound. In real life that cat would have caused our heroes’ demise at least 500 times. But no, I got nothing against the cat, it served its purpose.

Genuinely I was surprised by A Quiet Place: Day One, as even though I am a fan of John Krasinski’s original entry, A Quiet Place: Part 2 left a sour taste in my mouth, however here I genuinely dug the allegory of one’s own fleeting mortality, and discovering what it means to live again…… under the backdrop of an alien invasion, cause you know, what better time to have an existential epiphany, right??

Overall score: 7/10

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: July 28, 2024

Deadpool & Wolverine (Shawn Levy, 2024)

Not perfect, but still a shitload of fun. Fan service moment after fan service moment fill this newest addition to the far-too interconnected MCU, giving fans all the gasp-inducing moments they could hope for, and very few that they went in expecting. I expected this film to open up the MCU more in terms of the Multiverse, but really like that they instead opted to use it as an ending to the Fox branch of the MCU while further exploring the Merc with a Mouth's deepest insecurities in the most accessibly meta manner imaginable. - 8/10

Longlegs (Osgood Perkins, 2024)

This is bloated with an awkwardly realized atmosphere that turns a creepy premise into a nightmare of 'elevated' horror clichés and forced quirkiness. It does have its moments, and the overall concept is appropriately chilling, but the execution is just so damn pretentious that it drains all of the potential out of the final product. But hey, at least Nicolas Cage is having fun. - 5/10

A Quiet Place: Day One (Michael Sarnoski, 2024)

Meh... there's some fair to solid tension built throughout, but there's nothing new here. And the character work is—at its best—boring and predictable. Unnecessary prequel is unnecessary. - 5.5/10

I also revisited Christopher Nolan's Interstellar for the first time in just about five years because someone sent me some TikTok theory that the whole movie is McConaughey's journey through the afterlife. It's a theory that holds very little to absolutely no water at all when you actually watch the film, but it gave me a reason to watch it again, so there's that. And I had my annual screening of Steven Spielberg's Jaws; as perfect a film as there's ever been.

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[polynesianpen]

thoughts on a quiet place: day one

tbh a little underwhelming overall.

yes - it had moments of suspense but there were also some very slow parts that caused my mind to drift.

it was a very sentimental movie, loved that it added some humanity, definitely not what I was expecting but I think with this kind of movie, you can only do so much which is why the repetitive trope of someone making a noise and getting immediately killed got a little old.

also didn't fucking recognize ALEX WOLFF with his beard until I noticed the mole 😭

was super sad when his character was killed off but we also got Joseph Quinn to make up for it so I guess that was OK but also lupita was a stunning visual all throughout.

3.5/5 for me

[filmfanaticfables1990]

The Silence Deepens- A Quiet Place: Day One Review

A Quiet Place: Day One is a worthwhile cinematic experience for both horror and non-horror fans. Director Michael Sarnoski proves deft at the kind of melancholic, subtle character beats usually lacking in these blockbusters.

The film introduces us to Sam, a hospice stage cancer patient (Lupita Nyong'o), who agrees to a trip into Manhattan for a show with her support group. The puppet show they attend is fine, but she’s really there for a slice of NY pizza, knowing that it’s likely the last time she will have a chance to taste something she so clearly associates with happiness.

The film is grounded in raw humanity by Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn. This sideways entry into A Quiet Place finds fresh notes of fright to play amid the silence. The action, sound design, and leads are compelling, together creating a film that is a spectacular sum of its parts.

However, the film sometimes feels like a first draft of a richer, more complex final film. The setpieces feel too imprecise, and the stakes never high enough to produce actual tension. But it's never boring and just provocative enough to spark big questions about what truly matters in this world when it’s falling apart.

A Quiet Place: Day One is a thought-provoking, exciting, and entertaining continuation of the globally acclaimed franchise. It may not be as memorable as the first two films, but it still provides a good time for fans of the franchise.