Review: 'A Quiet Place: Day One' isn't as good as the original; still a unique cinematic experience

28 Jun 2024, 19:32 by John Clyde for KSL.com · KSL.com

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

The statement I'm about to make is a bold one, but I don't care: 2018's "A Quiet Place" is a masterpiece.

The movie gave us a cinematic experience like nothing we had ever seen. As an audience, we went on an emotional journey together. I don't mean we just happened to be in the same theater; we were in it together. We had become one, and while I do not know the names of any of the people in that theater in 2018, I can confidently tell you we did not walk out as strangers.

In 2020, we got "A Quiet Place Part II." The movie lost some of the magic of the first one, only because we had already experienced the unknown, but that didn't make it a bad movie. I really enjoyed the second film, but I can't call it the masterpiece of the first.

After the second movie, director John Krasinski took a step back, but when a studio has a successful franchise on its hands, it's not going to let a silly thing like the mastermind behind the films get in the way of making more money.

The third installment of the Quiet Place franchise is now in theaters, but does "A Quiet Place: Day One" hold its own among the earlier films? In my opinion, the newest movie is not as good as the first two — but it's still a good time in the theater.

Here are some reasons it's worth a watch.

The experience

As mentioned earlier, there is something special about these movies. It's almost as if a new genre has been created. Sure, there is action, drama and jump scares, but none of those things are new or necessarily unique. What is unique is how keenly aware the Quiet Place movies make you of the sounds, movements and breathing, that not only every character in the movie makes, but also in the audience.

The first two films were set in rural America, with limited people and noise. "A Quiet Place: Day One" is set in one of the noisiest cities in the world, New York City. I cannot think of any other movie in which I was so concerned with random pebbles on the street, how a faucet squeaks when it's turned, how a book's spine cracks when opened, or how deeply a person breathes when they're sleeping.

The first two movies brilliantly captured my attention with these unique nuances, but everything is heightened in "A Quiet Place: Day One" because it's set in a massive city with millions of people, and there are no safeguards in place to combat the noise.

It's intense

Like its predecessors, "A Quiet Place: Day One" is listed as a horror film, but I don't think that's quite right. There are plenty of jump scares, but I would say the movie is more of a tense thriller than horror. From the moment things start, we're white-knuckled the rest of the way.

The constant threat is palpable, and even in the moments that slow down, you're constantly worried about what's coming and when. By the time the end credits roll, you're out of breath and ready for a break, which makes for a fun time at the movies.

It's emotional

The newest Quiet Place movie has not forgotten these movies are based on emotion and relationships. "Day One" isn't based around a family, but relationships are at its core. I don't want to give any spoilers, but watching the plot unfold engaged me, and I couldn't help but choke up more than once.

Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn gave some solid performances, and I cared about their characters and their ultimate outcome. The film does a nice job of making it more than people running as quietly as possible for 100 minutes.

What parents should know

"A Quiet Place: Day One" is rated PG-13 and that rating makes sense. There isn't any language, which isn't surprising, considering there isn't much dialogue. There are no sex or sexual situations to speak of but, as you could have guessed, the rating comes from terror and violence.

The movie is intense, and plenty of audiences will find it scary. It's also violent. There are a lot of people being killed and while it's not very graphic, there are some more graphic images of dead bodies and blood than I remember in the first two films.

Conclusion

While I don't think any sequel or prequel will ever hold a candle to "A Quiet Place," I have to say I enjoyed revisiting this universe and the unique experience it creates. It's a fun summer movie distraction and, for my money, it's a movie worth seeing in the theater. The movie is a collective experience, and sitting in a room full of strangers enhances the cinematic experience of "A Quiet Place: Day One."

"A Quiet Place: Day One" is officially rated PG-13 for terror and violent content/bloody images.