A Quiet Place: Day One takes the silent franchise to the world’s loudest city

A quiet place: first day brings the silent franchise to the Big Apple. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Who would have thought that a series about people who need to keep quiet or risk being killed by invisible aliens, directed by Jim de Office, would become the most consistent horror franchise of the last decade?

Well, now three films in the “A Quiet Place” franchise have proven to be not only great, accessible, entry-level horror films, but also very good films in their own right.

The last film in the franchise, A quiet place: first day continues this trend, but unlike the small towns of the first two films, we are taken to the noisiest city in the world, New York.

When I first heard this idea, I was hooked. It was such an obvious concept. A movie about aliens who see through sound, in the Big Apple? Sign me up!

The chaos alone would be worth the price of admission.

While there is plenty of death and destruction that makes for great viewing, it is surprisingly the two main characters that elevate this film above other horror films released this year.

Lupita Nyong’o stars as Sam, a woman in hospice care who, along with her cat Frodo, dreams of one last slice of pizza. Joining Nyong’o is Joseph Quinn of Strange things He became famous as Eric. Not much is known about Eric, but he becomes attracted to Sam once the aliens invade.

The two characters learn to rely on each other and it creates a strange but human connection as humanity itself begins to crumble. If it isn’t obvious, I loved these two. They barely speak but are able to clearly convey their emotions and demonstrate their growing interest in each other. It’s fantastic and one of the greatest strengths of not only this film but the entire franchise.

I mentioned above that this movie is an entry-level horror film; what I mean by that is that sometimes horror can be off-putting to a lot of people. Viewers may be put off by the gore, the supernatural/dark themes, or the constant fear of being “attacked”, which I completely understand.

However, this stereotype can often cause people to miss out on great horror films. What I like about A Quiet Place is that, while scary, it’s not a nightmare.

Let me give you an idea. Remember when you were nine or ten and there was this movie that was rated M/MA, probably a little too mature for you, but your parents let you watch it anyway? For me, it was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I see A quiet place: first dayas well as the other two films in this franchise, given that they are aimed at today’s children.

Don’t get me wrong, there are still scares in this movie. One long scene on the subway made me particularly tense, but the scares alone don’t make the movie. The movie is interspersed with scenes where the characters realize that everything is ending and accept that ending.

Beyond the characters and scares, the film still has a lot to offer. The cinematography is top-notch, the CGI is impressive, the set design is some of the best of the year, and the sound design is incredible as well.

I only have a few minor gripes with the movie, which fall into the realm of spoilers – you’ll know what I mean when you see it. They mostly focus on certain character decisions and the aliens who turn into mindless, mindless creatures to get said characters out of sticky situations, but for the most part, they didn’t detract from the overall experience.

I really appreciated A quiet place: first day. This is another strong entry in an already brilliant franchise. Moving to a bustling city was a genius concept and the two leads elevate what is already solid source material. If you liked the first two films, I’m sure you’ll like this one too.

A quiet place: first day is being screened in cinemas across the country.

Original article published by Jarryd Rowley on Riotact.