‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ Review: The new Quiet Place is not much different to the old one

Silence meets suspense in a not-so-quiet New York.

Silence is more than golden—it's rare at the multiplex, where the noise can be overwhelming both on and off-screen.

That's why the Quiet Place series, with its spine-tingling hush, stands out. John Krasinski's 2018 sci-fi thriller brought a refreshing quiet to cinemas, forcing audiences to engage differently with its visual storytelling and wordless performances. Although the film had its loud moments, these were carefully crafted to follow long stretches of silence, creating a unique sensory experience.

Stills of the film. Courtesy: Paramount

A Quiet Place Part II, released in the middle of the pandemic, continued this trend by turning down the volume to ramp up the thrills. The latest instalment, A Quiet Place: Day One, follows suit. The 100 minute prequel rewinds to the start of the alien invasion, shifting from the rural heartland to the bustling streets of New York City. Despite the change in scenery, the formula remains the same: characters tiptoe around, trying to avoid making a sound, lest they attract the deadly creatures with hypersensitive hearing.

This time, the story doesn't follow the Abbott family. Instead, we meet Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a terminally ill writer who finds herself in New York when the aliens arrive. Nyong’o’s performance is compelling, bringing emotional depth to a character who, despite her illness, shows incredible resilience. Alongside her, a small ensemble of survivors—played by Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Joseph Quinn—whisper and scurry through the city, their fear palpable in every scene.

Day One adds a touch of visual variety by setting the action in New York, with its claustrophobic subway tunnels and fragile glass buildings. The film also evokes strong 9/11 imagery, with scenes of characters stumbling through smoke and ash, screams echoing around them. However, despite this fresh backdrop, the movie often falls into the same patterns as its predecessors. The anticipated fall of civilization feels underwhelming, and the suspense isn't as tight as in the earlier films.

Director Michael Sarnoski, known for the moody drama Pig, brings a therapeutic arc to the story. Sam’s journey across a ravaged New York to a beloved pizza parlour in Harlem feels personal and poignant, but sometimes edges into cliché. The film maintains the series' signature mix of silent tension and sudden, loud attacks, though it doesn't always hit the mark with its set pieces. The monsters, once terrifying, now feel a bit too familiar.

While Day One is marketed as an expansion of the Quiet Place universe, it often feels like a reiteration. The shift to a new location and characters doesn't transform the franchise's formula: a blend of silent brooding and CGI-heavy chases. Yet, the film's quieter moments, beautifully expressed by Nyong’o, are still a welcome change in a Hollywood landscape dominated by noise. If repeated too often, though, even a bold approach can become just another routine.

A Quiet Place: Day One claims to reveal why the world went quiet, but it doesn't delve deeply into this promise. We already know from previous films that the alien invasion forced humanity into silence. Moreover, the practical questions, like what these creatures actually eat, remain unanswered, adding a layer of inefficiency to their lethal efficiency.

Stills of the film. Courtesy Paramount.

Comparing this series to the best zombie films of this century, A Quiet Place ranks alongside 28 Days Later in its immersive horror. Part II, like 28 Weeks Later, amplified the fear factor. Day One, intended as the origin story, unfortunately feels more like a Hallmark movie where everyone—including the remarkably chill house cat—seems to have nine lives.

As this latest entry into the Quiet Place series hits theatres, it raises intriguing questions about the balance between innovation and repetition in horror storytelling. 

Do you think Day One lived up to its promise? Share your thoughts and let's discuss how this franchise continues to evolve.