When John
Krasinski made the transition from acting to directing and writing he surprised
expectant fans by debuting not with a quirky comedy but with a novel and
effective horror film, A Quiet Place. Drawn to the simple idea of a
father giving everything to protect his children, the scariness of the film was
always secondary to the Office alum, but what started as a tense little
story of a family trying to survive in a world of aliens with an intense desire
to maul everything that makes the slightest sound eventually did what most
successful films do: It became a big ‘ol series. Yet despite this the second
film did not lose its intimate and personal nature, and the prequel/spinoff, A
Quiet Place: Day One, follows suit, much to its benefit.
Those expecting answers to just who these
aliens are, how they arrived, and what their life goals are will be
disappointed. Like the previous two films Day One focuses on the
experiences of everyday people who know just as much as the audience does when
the decibel detesting demons drop, and it never really moves beyond our main
character Samira, who is played wonderfully by Lupita Nyong'o, and her new
apocalypse buddy Eric, portrayed equally as well by Stranger Things’ Joseph
Quinn. By focusing on Samira and her already-tragic story Day One retains
an appealing heart throughout, a factor that would have been very easy to
overlook for a film with a much larger budget and body count than its equally
effective forbearers.
But Day One is still a very thrilling
experience, especially because director/writer Michael Sarnoski seems to
understand two very important things about the horror genre—One, having a pet
in the mix (in this case Frodo the cat and Eric the not-unlike-a-puppy) always
raises tensions to bloodcurdling levels, and two, Lupita Nyong'o has one of the
most convincing scared faces in Hollywood. Like its predecessors the film isn’t
exactly scary per-say, but it is intense, and like A Quiet Place and A
Quiet Place: Part II it requires some suspension of disbelief simply
because of its premise (why aren’t the aliens attracted to the noises that
other aliens make, for instance?) And watching the film in theaters is a
particularly unique and enjoyable experience, as there is nothing quite like
sitting amongst a group of people who are subconsciously trying to make as
little sound as possible lest the illusion being shared be broken (I have never
finished a movie with so much popcorn left over... that stuff is really loud
when it wants to be).
A Quiet Place: Day One is otherwise
perfect for popcorn—a fun movie that makes for great summer viewing. Anchored
by a simple yet heartwarming story it is a thriller that thrills, and fans of
the other two films should definitely catch it in theaters before it’s gone.
And try not to worry too much about the cat... I promise that Frodo is more
resourceful and capable than most of us would be in that situation.
A Quiet Place: Day One is now playing
in theaters.
This review was first published in the Keizertimes
on July 5th, 2024. Visit at www.keizertimes.com
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