Prequels tend to not be very good. Prometheus was a not well received prequel in the Alien Saga, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins is not one of the better films in that series. One of the problems is that often the prequel removes the mystery, and awe that was established in the films. To quote Wordsworth, “they murder to dissect,” as Solo: A Star Wars Story did to the character of Han Solo; removing the wonder of the line in A New Hope, “It made the Kissel run in twelve parsecs,” by showing it and ruining our imaginations forever.
A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II are seminal horror films. They show us a post apocalyptic world with death angels, aliens, that can cause unbelievable carnage and hunt by sound. The first two films were so seamless and well done, I was uncertain if a prequel that showed Day One in New York City would be a worthy addition, and not feel like a World War Z clone. I am happy to say that A Quiet Place Day One is not only a welcome addition to the Quietverse, it is perhaps my favorite!
Many might have worried that with John Krasinski not directing this installment and the lack of Emily Blunt, and the cast from the other two films would have made this film feel disjointed. The Director of Day One, Michael Sarnoski, has masterfully made this film feel harmonious and one with Part I and Part II, I could not tell Krasinski was not the director! That is an incredible feat! To make a film feel so like the others in tone, style, and heart that if feels like another beat of that same heart of that story is amazing!
A Quiet Place: Day One follows a Samira, also known as Sammy who has cancer and is in hospice, one day her group of terminal fellow patients go into New York City for marionette show and pizza, when the meteors and the death angels arrive and we get to see what New York looks like falling to the sickle claws of those demogorgons, and it is breathtaking! A Quiet Place Part II shows Day One at the beginning in a small town, but Day One shows us what happens when the meteors carrying monsters hits a metropolis. What tethers the story is black girl, her cat, and a Law Student named Eric who forms a bond with her and they survive together. It is interesting that a cancer patient who is terminal survives, just like in other films a deaf person finds the way to stop the death angels, harkening to that verse, “let the weakest among you have the highest honor.” (1 Corinthians 12:22-26)
The Cat being in middle of this undoubtedly will make people think of Jonsey in Alien (1979), but unlike that cat, this one brings comfort and hope, and ironically because cats are quiet, their paws so soft, proves that in this situation they are the best pet, a dog would bark and well.. death.
What moved me most is Eric and Sammy find some peace in the apocalypse. At one point they take refuge in a Cathedral, with a giant cross of candles being prominately shown. Krasinski shared that he used Christian symbolism and got the idea for the death angels, the aliens for his movies from the verses in The Book of Revelation which feature Wormwood the asteroid, “When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It came down on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. This star was called “Wormwood,” and a third of the waters turned to wormwood.[a] Great numbers of people died from the waters that had become bitter,” (Revelation 8:10-11) which is how his monsters arrive, and the three angels of Euphrates who kill one third of mankind, “Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.” (Revelation 9:14-17), hence death angels. The fact the creatures cannot go into deep water reminds me of Baptism and Jesus is The Living Water, “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)”(John 7:37-39).
As in in other two films, characters make a sacrifice, Samira / Sammy to save Eric and help him and her cat get on the barge takes a tire iron and starts smashing car windows, setting sirens off to draw a whole pack of demogorgons towards her. This film really shows a lot of of aliens in packs of tens and twenties and more, which the earlier films did not do. This was brilliant! In one scene a helicopter flys over the skyline of Manhattan making loud noises and you see probably hundreds of the aliens giving chase and its terrifying!
The whole setting of New York and navigating it with these demonic monsters is brilliantly chilling. Any moment one could appear, and there are jump scares aplenty. But what helps the film have a center is Eric and Samira, two souls who in middle of the chaos keep compassion and help each other and others, the fact its two reminds me of Jesus our Lord said, “he sent them our two by two,” (Luke 10:1) and “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20).
The whole film permeates with a hold on, keep hope, and love conquers all. That despite the dire and grim circumstances, two people find a makeshift paradise in making each other feel valued, loved, and giving each other something to strive for: first the pizza place, then her father’s Jazz club, and finally the barge. That hope is little candles we choose to walk towards in a dark world, how potent that message is in this film. What I love about The Quiet Place films is that it showcases how life is precious, that people can overcome baser behaviors in a apocalyptic situation and let “that little light shine.”
I highly recommend this film! It connects well into Part II, with Djimon Hounsou reprising his role as Henri; he in Part II talks about two boat got out of the New York harbor, and we get to see him and one of those boats get out in this prequel, and unlike Solo A Star Wars Story, seeing it did not ruin it! It was done so well.
I can confidently say this is the best of the Quiet Place films. It does a great job of balancing the grim with the hope, the horror with the healing moments. It shows us a blueprint how to face the end times, which will be similar, the death angels are coming folks (Revelation 9:14-17) and The Beast will beset us like these monsters (Revelation 13:1-11) crushing the saints (Revelation 13:7). We need to be like Samira and Eric, loving to the end, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-13). Amen.
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