Director: Michael Sarnoski
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Woodward, Elijah Ungvary, Cain Aiden
Where: In theatres
Rating: 2.5 stars
In the cacophony of apocalyptic cinema, Michael Sarnoski’s A Quiet Place: Day One — the third film and prequel of the franchise — attempts to tiptoe through a genre that thrives on loud bangs and booming jump scares. With Lupita Nyong'o leading as Samira, a terminally ill cancer patient navigating New York City during an alien invasion, one might expect a film brimming with human and extraterrestrial drama. Instead, focusing on her service cat, Frodo, overshadows the alien threat.
From the outset, Sarnoski trims the fat and dives right into the meat of the story, with aliens invading within the first ten minutes. This pacing leaves little room for character development, giving us enough time to learn that Samira has a penchant for Patsy's pizza and a fragile health condition. While the plot races forward, the characters lag, offering as much depth as a slice of New York-style pizza—tasty but ultimately thin.
Lupita Nyong'o, as always, delivers a moving performance. Her portrayal of Samira is touching, but it’s hard to form a connection with a character whose backstory is more elusive than the origins of the alien invaders. Joseph Quinn’s Eric, a law student caught in the chaos, adds little more than another body to the mix, and Djimon Hounsou’s reprisal of Henri feels like an afterthought, his character once again underutilized in a major franchise.
The real scene-stealer? Frodo the cat. This whiskered wonder injects a dose of levity into the film, whether he’s inadvertently causing a near-death experience or simply providing a brief respite from the relentless tension. Sarnoski seems aware of this, often leaning on Frodo for cheap laughs and unexpected jump scares, which, while amusing, highlight the film’s reliance on tried-and-true horror tropes.
What the film excels at is its use of sound—or rather, the lack thereof. The silence is palpable, with the occasional jarring noise reminding us just how fragile our eardrums—and lives—are in this new world. The sound design is a high point, immersing the audience in a world where every creak and whisper could mean instant death. The sound amplifies the tension, turning even the smallest sounds into heart-pounding moments.
However, the film’s strength in sound is matched by its weakness in exposition. We know the aliens can’t swim and that they hunt by sound, but beyond that, we’re left in the dark. Why are they here? What do they want? The lack of answers makes the aliens more of a generic threat than a fully realized menace. The film misses an opportunity to expand the mythology of the series, leaving fans hungry for more information.
The film's attempts to inject emotional weight through Samira’s quest for a final slice of pizza feel both absurd and endearing. It’s a quirky subplot that gives the film a unique flavour, but it’s also a reminder of the missed potential for deeper storytelling.
In the end, don’t expect any groundbreaking revelations or richly developed characters for the film is simply a rehash of the franchise’s premise.
