A Review of A Quiet Place: Day One
I only recently watched the first two A Quiet Place films. The concept of alien predators that hunt solely by sound but somehow navigate the void of space (where, as we learned in Alien, no one can hear you scream) is a bit far-fetched without some backstory to explain it—which we never get—but with that plot device firmly established from the opening scene of the first film, the real value of these movies is the portrayal of the ways the humans who survive continue to do so.
In the preceding films, heart-wrenching family and community dynamics unfold, as we get to see the frightened become brave, the heartbroken find hope, and the patriarch of a family get a good showing in an American movie, something we could probably use a little more of nowadays.
There’s no one in the original A Quiet Place or the sequel for us to hate, as is so often the case with post-apocalyptic fare; and, hey, the apocalypse does tend to bring out the worst in people!
The individual inner conflicts of the family members being overcome together through an ultimately strong intrinsic moral character naturally makes for an increased emotional investment in the story on our end. We’re not likely to find ourselves rooting for anyone to win the indignity of a Darwin Award.
The prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One, is a different matter altogether. There are still some very lovable characters in the film, not least of which is the protagonist’s service cat, who is the real star of the film throughout; and the story, as it unfolds, takes some charming turns between the lady (Lupita Nyong'o as Sam), who’s dying of some disease, her cat, and a British survivor (Joseph Quinn as Eric) who helps her make her way to one final pizza in Harlem.
But this is New York City, packed with noisy idiots who, even after it’s become abundantly clear that sounds cannot be made, do a long list of incredibly stupid things to get themselves killed, and not always by the aliens.
For instance, when monsters who tear to shreds anything that makes the slightest sound are stalking from every shadow, screaming hysterically that we’re all going to die is the cause of such a turn of events, not an observation.
In other words, the cat is smarter than most of the people in the film; but nowadays we must accept that an animal that domesticates us deserves that designation.
All quips aside, this was a good film, with good acting, and a lot of excellent tension building moments, great escapes, and, yes, dear reader, bemusing cause for Darwin Awards all around; but one thing they whiffed on was not subtitling the whispered dialogue.
This is the only reason I can’t say for certain that it was a good script, because I couldn’t hear half of anything that was said, even though my fellow patrons in the theater were also leaning forward on their seats in perfect quiet unison to listen.
One last thing: you can see this without seeing the other two, and it will still make sense, and might even enhance the experience. In this way, it’s a well-made prequel, but due to the unfortunate matter of the dialogue, it might be best to save your cash and wait for it on streaming, where you’ll be able to turn on subtitles.
