Several of the best horror films of all time, such as ‘Night of the Living Dead’ or ‘The Birds’, confront us with a threat of mysterious origin. Part of the fear instilled by the hordes of murderous monsters in many of these films is based, precisely, on the fear of the unknown, and in this select group we could include ‘A Quiet Place’ (2018), the commercial and authorial consecration of John Krasinski in the cinema to begin to break away from the Jim of ‘The Office’.
‘A Quiet Place’, starring Krasinski himself and his partner in fiction and in reality, Emily Blunt, placed us in a world subjugated a few months ago by the invasion of ferocious creatures of unknown origin who, totally blind, only reacted to acoustic stimuli. It didn’t matter where they came from or what their intentions were. If you made any kind of noise, you were dead.
‘A Quiet Place: Day 1’ shows us the beginning of the end, something that we had already glimpsed at the beginning of the 2020 sequel ‘A Quiet Place 2’, and the main fear is that it would be lost in unnecessary clarifications to try to explain what inexplicable. It is not the case. The prequel directed by Michael Sarnoski maintains the essence of the (already established as) saga and its monsters, which are not given any more context than what we already know from the released films. What does change are its protagonists and the setting in which they try to survive. We go from open spaces to the claustrophobic noisiest city in the world, and from a married couple taking care of their children to a couple of strangers blessed by the protection (and good judgment) of the best character in the franchise: the cat Frodo.
Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn (who didn’t face the Demogorgon, but now meets his first cousins) give a recital of how to transmit without words after the so-called ‘Angels of Death’ mark an arrival on our planet on par with ‘The War of the Worlds’ and, in addition to leaving them mute, they leave them momentarily blind to the dust and chaos, emulating ‘The Day of the Triffids’, and nullifying all their senses except that of fear. The beginning is as powerful as we could expect and the end is a worthy bridge to Krasinski’s films. Meanwhile, the talent of Nyong’o and Quinn manage to sustain everything in between even though it becomes repetitive and predictable. But, as we said before, the true protagonist of the story is Frodo, a feline more intelligent and charismatic than the entire population of New York. He not only tries to save the humans who accompany him, but he also saves the film.
For those who enjoy chewing tension in the most absolute silence
The best: Frodo, Sam’s best companion on his journey to Mount of Dest the best pizzeria in Harlem.
The worst: It maintains the essence, yes, but it does not risk or propose anything different from what we have already seen in two films.
Data sheet
Address: Michael Sarnoski Distribution: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, Nico, Schnitzel Country: USA Year: 2024 Release date: 06-27-2024 Gender: Terror Script: Michael Sarnoski (Story: John Krasinski) Duration: 100 min.
Synopsis: First day in New York of the invasion that caused the events of ‘A Quiet Place’, focusing on new characters (and a cat) in their fight against ferocious creatures that attack by reacting to any sound.
Fran Chico is an expert in cinema and series, specialized in cultural dissemination and film criticism. He is a recognized critic on Rotten Tomatoes and Filmaffinity. Although his favorite genre is horror, the same thing speaks to you about Marvel’s new MCU blockbuster as it does about an auteur film to claim from the festival circuit. There is no series from Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ that escapes its radar, delving into the catalog of each platform to recommend and analyze its best content.
Fran has been writing for Fotogramas for over a year, but his beginnings date back almost two decades in film forums and blogs such as Planeta Claqueta or Moviementarios. He was the founder and member of the board of directors of the digital publication of film reviews and analysis Revista Mutaciones and a member of the Association of Film Informers of Spain (AICE), the organization that awards the Feroz Awards, as well as a voter for the Blogos de Oro for independent cinema. After completing the Master’s Degree in Film Criticism at the Madrid Film School (ECAM) taught by Caimán Cuadernos de Cine, he has collaborated and/or covered film festivals such as San Sebastián, Sitges and Filmadrid for more than 10 years as a member of the specialized press, interviewing along the way relevant directors, actors and actresses from the national industry such as Penélope Cruz, Carlos Saura, Ana de Armas, José Luis Cuerda or José Sacristán and international ones such as James Wan, Edgar Wright or Dario Argento.
His knowledge and experience have led him to become a film video blogger for Fnac Spain and director and presenter of the podcast Holocausto Zinéfago, with more than 150 programmes broadcast and available in which cinema and humour are mixed from a unique and original point of view.
