"A Quiet Place" goes back to day 1
Twice we have already witnessed the catastrophic consequences of an Alien Invasion on the big screen. Quiet and subtle. Eventually, the extraterrestrial intruders had something in their ears. But how did it all come about? In its third installment, the film series "A Quiet Place" delves into this.
Surprisingly, there's a new "A Quiet Place" movie in the works! Just as quietly and subtly as the protagonists moved in the first two parts, the Horror-Science-Fiction hybrid has now grown into a franchise.
Initially, it was hardly anticipated when the primarily known actor John Krasinski released the Aliens with their brass onto the screen for the first time in 2018. With a modest budget of around 17 million dollars, the beginning of the saga was more of a low-budget production, even though Hollywood heavyweight Michael Bay was already involved behind the scenes as a producer. However, the critically acclaimed film grossed over twenty times its budget at the box office.
Three years later, "A Quiet Place 2" followed, with Krasinski once again taking on both the direction and the role of family father Lee Abbott. After his film death in Part 1, this was only a supporting role. However, the focus was still on mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and the children Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe). Michael Bay was also part of the production team again. This time, the budget was around 60 million dollars. The worldwide revenues were still almost five times higher.
Noisy Spectacle
With "A Quiet Place: Day One," the now third installment of the noisy spectacle is set to hit theaters, and yet, much is different. Krasinski stepped down as director in favor of Michael Sarnoski, who, apart from his film "Pig" from 2021, has little Hollywood experience. Krasinski moved to the production team, alongside Bay. The script, which Krasinski was largely responsible for in the first two parts, was this time written solely by Sarnoski. The Abbott family does not appear in the story. Instead, the setting is in the heart of New York City. The budget remained roughly the same at around 67 million dollars.
The money was spent primarily on going back to the beginning of the story and investing significantly more in effects and the computer animation of the Aliens than in the first two parts, as it was reported that nearly a quarter of the budget had gone to Emily Blunt's salary last time. So, we experience "Day One" of the impending apocalypse from the perspective of the dedicated New Yorker Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) and her constantly clinging cat. Samira is preparing to die in a secluded hospice when the disaster strikes during a rare outing with her fellow sufferers and sufferers in the city.
During it, from one second to the next, everything around them sinks into chaos and panic, fear and terror, death and destruction. Samira fights for her survival as well, but she is increasingly falling into a fatalistic calm. However, this changes when she encounters the traumatized Eric (Joseph Quinn). At first indifferent to his presence, his fate eventually awakens her spirit once more. Together, they set out to find a way out of the house mazes where the aliens lurk on the slightest provocation. The boats on one of the rivers promise salvation, as we already know from the previous films - the extraterrestrials can't swim ...
Visuality instead of Suspense
The praise for "A Quiet Place" at its debut was fully justified. The ingenious concept of bringing brutal horror on completely silent feet was brilliant and finally brought some fresh air to the genre. Even Part 2 managed to maintain the level of the original - something that sequels notoriously fail to do. But "A Quiet Place: Day One" now shows the first signs of wear in this exceptional production. And precisely because the set design is cluttered more than quiet in New York, the aliens are in perpetual stress. The imagination is barely left with anything to work with. The same goes for the monstrous appearance of the aliens, which - in the style of "Alien" - seem to have sprung from an HR Giger painting.
"A Quiet Place: Day One" is still a worthwhile film, largely thanks to the brilliant Lupita Nyong'o, who convincingly portrays the character who is constantly changing between life and death. The film may not be the crowning, but ultimately successful conclusion of a trilogy that no longer needs any further sequels. The rest should just be silent.
"A Quiet Place: Day One" is now showing in German cinemas
In light of the upcoming release of "A Quiet Place: Day One," movie enthusiasts are excited to explore a new horror-scienced fiction tale set in New York City. Interestingly, this installment features a change in directors, with Michael Sarnoski taking the helm, and Lupita Nyong'o stepping into the lead role as Samira.
While "A Quiet Place" and its sequel were celebrated for their innovative silence and suspense, the transition to a noisy, chaotic New York City setting introduces new challenges for the aliens and viewers alike. This cinematic exploration continues to showcase the resilience of humanity in the face of unimaginable terrors, proving once again why the "A Quiet Place" franchise has become a staple in the horror movie genre.
