The biggest problem with most prequels - especially horror prequels - is that the outcome is somewhat a given. In general, we all know the antagonist(s) - whoever or whatever it may be - is gonna survive to terrorize another day.
However, the concept of A Quiet Place and its sequel was never about defeating the alien creatures. The films were about the mere survival of a single family. So why not offer another survival story with (almost) entirely different characters? In that sense, the basic concept is certainly conducive to the prequel treatment, especially one that finally depicts the apocalyptic invasion the second film merely teased us with in its prologue.
Better yet…it throws a kitty into the mix! For Free Kittens Movie Guide, that's reason enough to justify a prequel.
Fittingly, A Quiet Place: Day One takes place in New York, the loudest city in the world. The location is actually vital to the overall tone because, once the survivors figure out that the creatures attack at the slightest sound (even the kitty knows to shut the hell up), the silence of the city is almost oppressive.
This time, the story focuses on a terminally ill woman, Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), her cat Frodo (Nico and Schnitzel) and Eric (Joseph Quinn), a terrified English law student. After the initial attack, survivors are urged by the military to head to the seaport, where they’re rescuing people with boats (since the creatures can’t swim). But with what time she has left, Sam just wants to reach Harlem (where she grew up) and enjoy her favorite pizza one last time. Lonely and having no place to go, Eric begs to come along.
It’s a perilous journey through streets, ruins and subways, punctuated by excellent set-pieces that show these creatures have lost none of their menace over three films (the street attack on a crowd too big to remain completely silent is a definite highlight). And once again, the narrative wisely chooses not to reveal much about the creatures beyond what we already know (which has demystified too many other horror franchises). Like the first two films, A Quiet Place: Day One chooses instead to expand the characters…through their journey, actions and increasing dependence on each other. Because we become so invested in them - including the cat! - the film is more than a thrill-ride loaded with jump scares.
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| The star of A Quiet Place: Day One...and Lupita Nyong'o. |
We reviewed the 4K SteelBook version, which has outstanding picture and sound quality, maybe the best, most balanced we’ve seen and heard this year (at least in a horror film). The Steelbook itself features great artwork that I wouldn’t quite call minimalism, but it reflects the movie’s tone more effectively than the overly-busy standard cover.
Though presented on a grander scale than the first two films, A Quiet Place: Part One is ultimately a personal journey, the smaller moments nicely contrasting all the monster mayhem. Exciting, intense and often touching, it’s more that just another cash-grabbing prequel. Plus…a kitty!
EXTRA KIBBLES
4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES
FEATURETTES - All of them include plenty of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage running, 6-7 minutes each. Day Zero: Beginnings and Endings sort of summarizes how the film was created; In the City: Chaos in Chinatown focuses on locations and sets that substitute for New York; The Exodus: Against the Tide focuses on the massive crowd of survivors heading toward the river; The Long Walk: Monsters in Midtown features Nico and Schnitzel, the two real stars of the movie; Pizza at the End of the World explains the “farming” scene involving the creatures (which, frankly, I didn’t get from the movie), as well as using the pizza quest as a means of establishing the characters and their relationship.
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