It has been quite a while since I’ve been to the cinema. I think the last film I watched was Oppenheimer, which definitely lived up to the hype. In my opinion though, there hasn’t really been anything that I’ve really wanted to watch since then. I still feel as well, that Covid really hit the film industry and because of that, it’s taken a while to recover from the impact. I do think that it’s coming out of the other side though and I think we are now in the last year seeing results of that. When I saw that there was going to be a new “A Quiet Place” film, I knew it was one that I wanted to try and get round to seeing. Having previously watched the films with my mum, we decided to have a girls evening and watch this one together, with the addition of my sister. Something embarrassing did happen at the cinema though, as we somehow managed to get the wrong film on our tickets and sat down in the wrong screen. I died inside haha. Anyways here is my honest review on “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
A Quiet Place: Day One was released on the 27th June 2024 and directed by Michael Sarnoski. Some label the franchise as a Horror, but it is more a Sci-Fi Thriller as it’s a suspenseful film, rather than a scary one. Despite me not knowing where they could go in terms of storyline for a third film, and not to include any spoilers, the story follows a young woman called Sam, who finds herself trapped in New York when it comes under attack from an alien invasion. Sam and others try to find a way to safety. They soon learn that the aliens have ultra sensitive hearing and in order to survive, they will need to be as quiet as they possibly can. I must admit although I was looking forward to seeing this film, I did have reservations as to whether I would enjoy it as much, with none of the original cast members being carried over to this one. I did however try to keep an open mind as this doesn’t necessarily mean that it would be the weakest out of the three films.
To my surprise I actually thought the storyline was the strongest out of the three films, captivating you from the beginning with some elements of humour included too. The films narrative is fairly simple, easy to follow and has an emotional aspect to it. If you have seen the previous films then you know how jumpy they can be, but as soon as I saw the cat in the beginning, I knew that the film was going to be intense and jumpy throughout and I was not wrong! This showed some of the struggles and challenges of trying to keep a pet safe. I do think that maybe they have missed a trick with this film though, as it was the perfect opportunity to explain as to what caused the alien invasion or why it happened. They could have also spent a bit of time on how people realised they needed to be quiet in order to survive. The aliens are impressive though and the sound design is really good. Visually the film was executed very well, especially when it came to following the cat around.
The film follows three main characters, Sammy, her cat Frodo, and someone who she meets along the way, Eric. Frodo is the real star of the show and I had no idea that everything we saw on the screen was based on two cats acting as Frodo with no CGI involved. Frodo is mainly what keeps your attention throughout the film, constantly wondering where he is and if he was ok. Moving onto the lead actors, I thought both were great. They had good onscreen chemistry and portrayed their characters background stories and emotions well, making their performances believable. Together it’s a wonderful partnership where they work with each others strengths, and keep each other going, when the world around them is falling apart. I was particularly routing for Eric to survive after hearing his story and seeing the heights he would go to, to protect those around him. You could also see the confidence in the character grow from his introduction to the end of the film.
The use of silence is what really adds to the tension and suspense throughout this film. There were times when I was holding my breath anticipating a jumpy moment, and my mum actually said “who out the three of us is going to jump first?” it turns out we all jumped at the same time. The use of camera angles and lighting create a sense of unease and fear, especially when it comes to the close ups of the aliens and not only that but what lurks behind the dust of the damage caused. I think you can compliment the director on those due to his choices in framing the shots, which contributes to the overall atmosphere of the film. Sound is obviously also heavily relied on in this film. This could be watching where the characters walk incase they step on something that will make a noise, or being on edge incase the cat meows. The contrast between quiet moments and sudden bursts of sound from the alien scenes is a key aspect of the cinematography that enhances the viewing experience.
The film explores the importance of looking out for one and another, even those who we do not know and are complete strangers to us. It delves into the complexities of communication, when the ability of being able to talk is gone, other forms of communication must be found. It also shows what they must do in order to survive but also the impact of loss. The silence in the film serves as a metaphor for the characters’ struggles to connect and understand each other in a world where sound can mean life or death. They are having to rely on others around them to be equally as quiet and not to panic when under pressure. Resilience of the human spirit is shown greatly, as well with the characters determined to do everything they can, to stay alive. Getting to know the two main characters stories adds layers to the film, enhancing our understanding of the characters’ motivations and the reasons behind some of their decisions.
Overall the film gives a glimpse into the early days of the alien invasion. It would have made the film better if they explained as to why it happened and maybe a look at the point of view of the government. I don’t think there will be a fourth film, but if there was then hopefully they’d explore this side of things more, as I can’t be the only one wanting to know more about this. Joseph Quinn stole my heart and an actor I will be looking out for more, as my sister and mum already knew of him and said he was good in the series they watched him in. Speaking of my mum and sister, they both also really enjoyed the film and storyline. I felt the ending was partly a little predictable but I feel with these kind of films they never end strong. Things I did enjoy though were the jumpy bits and the suspense leading up to them. I enjoyed the clever ways of how they got around making noise when they needed to and let’s also not forget the star of the film, Frodo.
My film rating: 8.5/10
Amy x
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