A QUIET PLACE: Day One

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director Michael Sarnoski and Paramount Pictures is the beginning with A QUIET PLACE: Day One.

Samira (Lupita Nyong’o) is spending her days in the hospital and slowly closing herself off. Nurse Reuben (Alex Wolff) tries to find something that will bring Sam out of her funk and suggests a day in New York City. Making him promise they would get pizza; Sam decides to pack up her cat Frodo and go on a little adventure.

Not happy to discover their destination, Sam decides to make the best of it and meets Henri’s (Djimon Hounsou) family. When emotions get the best of her, Sam makes her way back onto the bus and the rest of the gang soon follows. It isn’t long before she realizes that something is terribly wrong and quickly everything explodes.

Waking up, she is immediately motioned to remain quiet noticing all the wounded people around her. Happy to see Reuben and Frodo, Sam still doesn’t understand what is happening around them. When it all becomes clear, Sam is horrified to realize the world she knows is crumbling around her. Gathering up her things, Sam takes off on her own. When the visitors continue their attack, Sam meets Eric (Joseph Quinn) who is clearly in shock.

The two begin their trek across New York believing that there is the possibility of rescue. They also begin to understand one another and strong connections form in the new place of madness. Each step they take brings them either closer to attack or closer to the slim chance of rescue.

Nyong’o as Sam is a woman that is dealing with so much in, what she believes, is a short amount of time. The only human connection she seems to have is the strained relationship with Rueben and the not-so-human connection with her cat Frodo. Once the invasion begins, she has one goal and nothing is going to stop her from achieving it. Nyong’o gives us a strong female character that is clear about what she wants. The last moments of the film had everyone in the theatre whispering, “whoaaaa” and that is worth every letter of the word.

Quinn as Eric is traumatized by what has happened and he is having a difficult time gathering his emotions. Meeting Frodo first, he follows a path that leads him to Sam and as much as she wants him to go away, Eric cannot bring himself to do it. Life and death are in front of them both and attempting to survive together is everything. Quinn gives us the fear I would expect from any normal human being under attack by something so vicious as the creatures are. He does it well, just as his characters compassion is so moving.

Hounsou as Henri is a husband and father doing what ever it takes to ensure his families survival. His character is in A QUIET PLACE II and now we know his story as well.

Shout out to Frodo because now I think my own cat needs some training in the ways of alien attacks!!

Other cast include Eliane Umuhire as Zena, Zay Domo Artist as Bryan, and Kait Feeney as Fran.

Paramount Pictures is the longest operating and remaining major studio in Hollywood that has been on the ground floor of every major development in film. From the advent of motion pictures to the emergence of television, through the digital revolution, Paramount Pictures has been there. During our 100-year history, we have served as the production site for thousands of notable movies and television shows. For more please visit www.paramountstudios.com.

A QUIET PLACE: Day One still doesn’t explain who the aliens are and what brought them to Earth (maybe that’s another film) but instead, it stays with the same original formula of humans trying to survive. Learning quickly that quiet offers them a chance, this story is being carried by Nyong’o, Quinn and Frodo. Discovering ways to talk to one another also gives much more voice than the first two films.

Taking off quickly with the jumps and scares, it obviously worked as the young lady next to me was practically curled up in her chair looking through her fingers. There are jaw dropping moments and whisperings of “noooooooo”s, mainly because the story pulls us in quickly and we want that happy ending which seems impossible in the world that no longer belongs to the human race.

The cinematography and special effect are quite good but I would expect that since the aliens have been set up for the story in two previous outings. We know what they are capable of so the focus then becomes on the survival of Sam, Quinn and Frodo. Playing their characters well, Nyong’o and Quinn are the connection between the story and the audience.

Buckle up buttercups and be quiet about it.

In the end – hear how it all began!