A Quiet Place: Day One - A Film That Refuses to Settle Down

A Quiet Place: Day One is a film that defies expectations. Lupita Nyong’o shines as Samira, a determined and resourceful heroine who will stop at nothing to survive in a world that has been turned upside down by an alien invasion. But despite its promising premise, the film ultimately feels like more of the same.

A Quiet Place Day One movie poster

The film takes place on Day 1 of the alien invasion, and we see Samira struggling to come to terms with the new reality. She’s determined to get a slice of pizza, no matter the cost, and her cat Frodo is her constant companion. But as the creatures begin to take over, Samira finds herself fighting for survival.

The trouble is that nothing that happens on Day 1 is any different from anything that happened on Day 472, which is when we first entered the A Quiet Place universe. The creatures arrived, seemingly fully prepared to kill and maim at the slightest hint of a sound. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take New Yorkers long to realize that staying absolutely quiet is the only way not to be killed.

People come and go, for no reason at all, as Samira stumbles her way through a fast-collapsing world. Her excuse for her brittle, cryptic callousness is that she is dying of cancer, housed in a hospice. But despite this, she finds a way to connect with Eric, a frightened Englishman who emerges from under water.

Lupita Nyong’o shines as Samira

The two form a bond, helped along by Frodo, who has a habit of straying into almost the mouths of monsters at every turn. There are some warm-ish scenes, but also clearly manipulative as Samira turns out to be a published poet, with a ready poem suited for the occasion at hand.

Nyong’o is predictably brilliant, bringing a sense of resilience and determination to her character. If terror screaming out of her large eyes sets the tone at the start, it is Samira’s resilience that shines through later, then her determination to not let despondence get the better of her, and finally the creeping exhaustion at the constant struggle to live.

Samira and Eric form a bond

Unlike the other two A Quiet Place films, this film is not directed by John Krasinski but only co-written by him. Director Sarnoski, who showed some promise with his only previous feature Pig, has inherited a successful template and makes little effort to put his own imprint on it.

There are plenty of chances to do so, particularly those provided by rain, thunder, and lightning, and the sounds they drown. A fountain under which hide two scared children is another little touch that could have gone far. Even how does a city that never sleeps lull itself into slumber is itself a film worth exploring. However, A Quiet Place: Day One breaks its one cardinal rule: it can never settle down.

A Quiet Place Day One movie still

Overall, A Quiet Place: Day One is a film that promises much but delivers little. Despite Nyong’o’s brilliant performance, the film feels like more of the same, with little effort made to put a new spin on the successful template.