A Quiet Place: Day One movie review (2024)


The always-great Lupita Nyong’o plays Sam, a hospice stage cancer patient who agrees to a trip into Manhattan for a show with her support group, led by a bearded Alex Wolff (who also starred in “Pig”). The puppet show they attend is fine, but she’s really there for a slice of NY pizza, knowing that it’s likely the last time she will have a chance to taste something she so clearly associates with happiness. Making Sam an end-stage cancer patient adds an interesting layer to the horror that unfolds. How hard do you fight to live when you’re already dying? It’s only one of several intriguing ideas that Sarnoski’s film walks up to but then runs away too quickly, retreating into the thin structure of a survival thriller.

Another big question is, how do you silence one of the loudest cities in the world? Sarnoski’s film informs us that NYC is regularly 90 decibels, setting the stage for a movie about how a city filled with that much hustle and bustle stays quiet. But this isn’t that movie. We never get the sense we’re in a crowded city on the first day of the end of the world, as Sarnoski can’t hide that his film didn’t shoot in Manhattan (it was shot on London soundstages). This makes it feel more like sets than a lived-in reality.

We follow Sam and her movie-stealing cat, Frodo, through this landscape until they’re joined by a panicking young man named Eric (Joseph Quinn of “Stranger Things”). Casting Nyong’o and Quinn proves half the battle with “Day One,” as their extremely expressive faces are forced to do a lot of heavy lifting as the sound-sensitive aliens take over the world around them. They both give strong genre performances, conveying most of the story through pure physicality and expression.

The problem is there’s too little story to tell. Early on, we meet Henri (Djimon Hounsou), a character from “A Quiet Place: Part II”; he gets one of the best scenes in the movie as a man goes into a panic attack in front of him and his son. What would you do? How far would you go to silence a man who might put your family in jeopardy? Would you kill him? It’s a beat that gets a nice callback later when Eric’s panic starts to rise, and we wonder if Sam may have to ask the same questions, but it feels too shallowly developed. Almost every thematic aspect of “Day One” feels hurried, a pace that could be why the once-attached Jeff Nichols left the project over creative differences. It’s hard to believe in the era of bloated blockbusters, but this one should have been longer; its 99 minutes don’t allow for enough character investment, world-building, or actual tension.

You can view the original article HERE.

N.Y. Assemblyman Introduces ‘Peanut’s Law,’ Says Investigation Request Ignored
N.Y. Assemblyman Introduces ‘Peanut’s Law,’ Says Investigation Request Ignored
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
NBA Reopens Jaxson Hayes Investigation After TMZ Video of 2021 Incident
NBA Reopens Jaxson Hayes Investigation After TMZ Video of 2021 Incident
Nothing Left to Prove: Quincy Jones (1933-2024) | Tributes
Nothing Left to Prove: Quincy Jones (1933-2024) | Tributes
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City | MZS
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City | MZS
Kneecap to headline alongside CMAT, English Teacher and more
Kneecap to headline alongside CMAT, English Teacher and more
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
The 3 Biggest Scandals in Sports History
The 3 Biggest Scandals in Sports History
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Silver: NBA looking at ‘other formats’ for 2025 ASG
Silver: NBA looking at ‘other formats’ for 2025 ASG
The End Trailer Arrives for 2024’s Most Audacious Film
The End Trailer Arrives for 2024’s Most Audacious Film
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Emilia Clarke’s ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ Gets Release Date
Emilia Clarke’s ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ Gets Release Date
Banana Republic’s Holiday Campaign, Burberry’s Stock Rises
Banana Republic’s Holiday Campaign, Burberry’s Stock Rises
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2024 WSJ Innovator Awards
The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2024 WSJ Innovator Awards