‘A Quiet Place: Day One' reviews: Lupita Nyong'o is ‘incredible' in ‘unexpectedly excellent' prequel

02/07/2024

On June 28, 2024, Paramount Pictures released “A Quiet Place: Day One,” in which A woman named Samira (Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o) finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. The thriller written and directed by Michael Sarnoski is the third film in the franchise and co-stars Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou and Eliane Umuhire.

Reviews for the film are positive, holding fresh at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus reads, “Grounded in raw humanity by Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, this sideways entry into ‘A Quiet Place’ finds fresh notes of fright to play amongst the silence. Read our full review round-up below.

SEE ‘A Quiet Place: Day One' trailer: Lupita Nyong'o stars in blockbuster prequel [Watch]

Andrew Parker of The Gate writes, "Not only is ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ an unexpectedly excellent third entry in a franchise… but also a conversation starter about what we hold true in our lives, and things that we will take into consideration when we feel like time is running out."

Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior notes, "I'm of the mind that genre films should be treated in the same way as any other movie, and for a movie like this to work at all, you really need to have a strong lead and Lupita Nyong'o gives such an incredible performance that I wouldn't be shocked to see some sort of awards campaign later in the year. Samira's terminal illness is an incredibly important part of the character and the story, to the point where it gives her more motivation and courage to do things that others might not do in her situation."

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Matt Oakes of Silver Screen Riot says, "If you're going to have a movie that's basically 90% a silent film, you can't do much better than casting the venerable Lupita Nyong'o in the starring role." Continuing, "Almost freed by the apocalypse unfolding around them, Sam and Frodo (lol) embark on a quest to the Bronx for the promised pizza, making new end-of-the-world acquaintances along the way, like English law student Eric (Joseph Quinn). As a writer and director, Sarnoski stays faithful to the principles established in John Krasinski's first entry to the franchise: this is a story about survival, but it's also about the sacrifices we make to remain human in the most inhumane situations."

Kristy Puchko of Mashable was less impressed, stating, "’A Quiet Place: Day One’ doesn’t equal the sum of its parts. The love story at its core can’t shine amid the required carnage and urban devastation demanded by the prequel’s promise." Adding, "In this dogged journey uptown pursued by extraterrestrial predators, ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ has more in common with 2008’s ‘Cloverfield’ than it does the franchise for which it’s named."

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