By: Jennifer Ariesta.
What happened to the rest of the world before it went still in A Quiet Place?
That is the premise of A Quiet Place: Day One, prequel to the much lauded horror franchise from Paramount Pictures. This time, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt have passed the starring role batons to Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn in an entirely separate storyline.
Set in New York City in an unspecified year when people are still using iPod, the film follows Sam (Nyong’o), a terminal stage cancer patient caught up in the frantic early days of invasion by aliens with ultra-sensitive hearing. Stranded in a city that has gone absolutely silent, Sam is determined to fulfill her dying wish to visit a pizza place from her childhood. Later in her journey, she would be joined by a stray cat and a listless college grad called Eric (Quinn). Djimon Honsou also reprises his character Henri from A Quiet Place 2, the leader of a pack of survivors.
The prequel, no longer written and directed by original star Krasinski, definitely feels slightly different now. But surprisingly, instead of turning more mainstream blockbusters like so many film franchises do when they get bigger, this film takes a more intimate approach in its storytelling. Rather than amping up the scare and thrills, the plot focuses more on emotional journey even more than the first two did.
With a central character already grappling with imminent death, it is interesting to see how “survival” is interpreted in the story. Sam isn’t fighting to live; she’s fighting to face the end of her life with dignity. It’s a meaningful angle never done in the franchise before. With Eric as her foil, someone brimming with potential who’s been floundering, the two embark on a journey of mutual transformations. Quinn, soon-to-be Johnny Storm, and the Oscar-winning Nyong’o gave such terrific performances as their respective characters. The latter, in particular, has once again elevated “horror scream queen” into refined acting craft – just like in Us. Yet another heartbreaking, tender, and nuanced performance worth the price of admission.
Plot wise, director Michael Sarnoski is clearly more interested in exploring existential themes rather than the mechanics of the apocalypse. Longtime AQP enjoyers might find there aren’t enough sound-based terror to their liking. Of course, there are still a smattering of those here and there – it wouldn’t be AQP without ‘em – but the ingenuity factor has definitely worn off. The monster action often feels tacked on just because it’s set in the AQP universe. This honestly zaps a bit of the fun the previous installments were known for. AQP films have always been a little melancholic; Day One is resolutely somber.
All in all, your enjoyment of this movie depends on what you’re looking for in an AQP movie. If you’re into whiz bang alien invasion survival horror with a sprinkle of human drama, then you might find this film a tad too slow-paced and contemplative. But if you fancy an existential survival drama with splendid acting and a sprinkle of apocalyptic chaos, then this is for you.
