Yours truly believes if, under oath, producer/co-screenwriter John Krasinski (the director of the first two A Quiet Place films) would most likely admit that he found another goldmine for a new IP in his back pocket since his days rolling around as Jim Halpert can only truly tantalize us folks wherever possible when we wander nonchalantly on social media or tune into for another episode of The Office. You see, this new evolvement in cinema has been a fascinating experiment: most of us critics, film students, and cinephiles understand how complex the camera comes into play for telling a substantive, evolving story. Sound, though, is just as critical of a factor as its tactics immerse the viewer further into the developments and sensations procured onscreen.
Eraserhead spearheaded Stanley Kubrick’s approach to sound development in The Shining. WALL-E cements itself as one of Pixar’s best with a tour de force of audio storytelling. Walter Murch was the first to receive a “Sound Designer” credit for his enthralling approach in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. The Star Wars and Avengers IPs have stirring soundtracks to define a generation of scope and ambition. Hell, even Christopher Nolan has a track record of anxiety-inducing, relentless features embarking the utilization of sound (Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, for instance) while receiving a notorious share of criticism for underwhelming sound editing in other directed works (The Dark Knight Rises and Tenet).
Sound is the minimalist approach that clasps this IP for its projection of suspense and horror. There is considerable respect for the first two films, with sound becoming the weapon for these blind extraterrestrial creatures that kill anything they hear. But Krasinski weaves in a simple story of heart and courage for the family that we want to see survive in these nerve-wracking times. This Day One prequel, directed by Michael Sarnoski, is a serviceable chapter buoyed by Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn. Still, there is little else to bring to the table, even in a different setting.
The story kicks off in the New York atmosphere, where we’re informed that the casual day in the city can reach ninety decibels. Sam (Nyong’o), a terminally ill cancer patient, resides in hospice with her cat Frodo. The caretaker, Reuben (Alex Wolff), invites her for a group outing in Manhattan. All goes well until, surprise, meteor-like objects crash into the city, and these extraterrestrial creatures start rampantly killing folks. Sam and Frodo become direct witnesses to a maelstrom of explosions, smashing glass, and screaming folks before they meet a gruesome end. Despite the evacuation warnings to reach the water to get to safety from the creatures, Sam intends to reach a pizza parlor in Harlem. Along the way, she meets Eric (Quinn), a law student, and both work together to survive while sharing tender moments about each other’s lives.
The most embittering aspect of this spinoff is that it’s more of an expansive look at the carnage in a more populated setting. We already got a glimpse of the first-day aspect from Part II in 2021, and concomitantly, it ridicules the need for this spinoff’s existence. The production team seems not concerned with showcasing bodies all around the city (unless they forgot how massive the population is or need to keep this product in line with the PG-13 rating). The other gripe is we become more concerned about the cat Frodo than everyone else’s existence, as they seem to get nine lives; imagine if it were a dog trying to survive this space, folks would be collapsing in their seats, praying for it not to bark once. We could’ve called this A Quiet Place: An Animal Insight, and it probably would’ve had more of a tension-reeling aura.
Fortunately, Nyong’o and Quinn’s chemistry makes the torment and confusion palpable, and some of their moments shared amidst the quietness exemplify a story that seeks more to expand upon. Yours indeed even enjoyed the one imperative (albeit hurried) moment with Henri (Djimon Hounsou) having to shut up a panic-induced individual that could’ve led to more deaths. Had Paramount allowed more runtime, we might’ve gotten some weightier moments.
A Quiet Place: Day One is a good feature that falls short of its inventiveness and aspirations. Tiptoeing through a mostly off-screen apocalypse doesn’t give it much footing, so it sets a lower bar than its predecessors.
