Along the way, it also provides a few decent thrills and emotional moments.
As a result, A Quiet Place: Day One is a well-intentioned film that largely disappoints.
Obviously though, Day One takes place before all that.
Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn in A Quiet Place: Day One.Image: Paramount
The idea of seeing the first moments of this invasion is instantly intriguing.
That is, until you remember we saw exactly that already in A Quiet Place Part II.
(Also, a side note, a person named Sam having a cat named Frodo is perfect.)
It’s the end of the world as we know it.Image: Paramount
Director Michael Sarnoski (who also wrote the film) stages the invasion over multiple sections of the movie.
That means, unfortunately, we dont see how or who figured this out.
It just happens and a golden opportunity to advance the mythology is glossed over.
Eric and Sam.Image: Paramount
Like Sam, Eric is a lone stranger, lost in the world with nothing for him.
Each only has each other and yet its still new.
Worst of all, as the characters navigate the world, very little happens.
Protect Frodo at all costs.Image: Paramount
They walk, make a noise, run to take cover, then leave again, over and over.
We never get any real sense of the progress they are making uptown.
Its just one location followed by another, followed by another until, magically, they get there.
PROTECT FRODO.Image: Paramount
Everything about the movie works but nothing rises above to elevate the experience, except the sound.
Some new wrinkles about the characters.
New revelations to be excited about in the future.
Unfortunately, theres almost none of that.
One scene seems to tease itwhen Eric discovers an alien nestbut thats quickly forgotten.
Djimon Hounsou, who appeared in the second film, also shows up, but only briefly.
By the end of A Quiet Place: Day One my primary emotion was frustration followed closely by boredom.
Neither the characters nor their relationship hooked me.
The finale is also underwhelming even though it pays off everything thats come before it.
I left the film wondering why this movie exists in the first place.
After it ends, what do we know about this world that we didnt know before?
That two strangers can bond over this incredible trauma?
Okay, but what of it?
That theres hope to be found in horrible situations?
Fine, but we knew that too.
How does any of it advance anything?
The answer is that it doesnt.
Im firmly in the minority here, which Im happy about.
I truly wish I could join them.
Scary, exciting, heartbreaking, and more.
A Quiet Place: Day One, however, is none of those things.
The cat rules though.
A Quiet Place: Day One is now in theaters.
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