Summary
A Quiet Place: Day Oneis a prequel taking place on the first day the aliens came to Earth. There is a brief mention of this in the second movie before everything goes dark for the Abbott Family, but that is a small-town affair. This movie takes place in New York City, a place famousfor alien attacksand all other kinds of attacks in movies.
A Quiet Place: Day Oneis still not an action blockbuster or straight-up gore film as opposed to the other entries. It still has long bouts of silence, for example. Among all the quiet scenes, there are still plenty of good quotes.
8“It’s Called This Place Is Sh*t.”
Sam
One of the opening scenes of the movie has Sam, the main character, sitting in a sharing circle. One of the nurses at the hospice center, Reuben, is leading this retreat and wants Sam to share her poem. It’s all about how her life is a mess, and it smells exactly as she assumed it would, like human excrement. It’s a funny albeit depressing way to starta horror moviebut therapy and psychology do play big roles in the genre. It’s not completely out of bounds, but either way, it helps develop Sam’s character.
7“You Can’t Have A Cat In Here.”
Bodega Clerk
As a troubled adult in hospice care, Sam has a therapy cat named Frodo that she carries all over the place. Presumably, it’s named afterThe Lord of the Ringscharacter. While ditching a puppet show, Sam goes into a bodega to buy some things, and at the counter is a cat. While staring at Frodo, with the bodega cat in the frame, the clerk says cats aren’t allowed in the store. It’s a fun scene depicting the double standards of business practices and it’s just nice to see two cats on screen at once.
6“Stay Away From Bridges.”
Theater Survivor
After the incident, a majority ofNew York Cityresidents were held up in the puppet theater. One of the survivors is dialing into the radio to get more information. She has plastered the globe with data along with writing some notes on a pad.
One note says to stay away from bridges which is a quick foreshadowing for a scene later wherein the military bombs bridges surrounding the area. Presumably, the government wants to stop these aliens from getting out of any of the New York Burroughs.
5“I Heart New York.”
Bodega Bag
This is another quote pulled from an object and not a person. Instead of rotting away in the puppet theater, Sam decides to go to Harlem to get pizza. She knows she needs a bag on her journey so she goes back to the same bodega, now destroyed, and grabs an “I Heart New York” bag. The scene lingers on the bag a little too long before Sam grabs it dismissively as if to say, “New York is full of problems.” As great as the place is, New York City is under constant attack in games and movies.
4“Okay, Okay, Okay… Okay.”
Eric
Sam comes across a few random survivors on her journey following the puppet theater - two kids, for example - but she eventually gets them to join other survivors without them dying like kids sometimes do in horror movies. Then there is Eric who Frodo found while exploring on his own. Eric follows Frodo back to Sam and grows attached to her quickly. After trying to get rid of him, Eric just says “Okay” a bunch but never leaves. He’s clearly traumatized by the whole situation, and while Sam puts up a fight at first, it’s definitely clear that she appreciates the company, too.
3Eric and Sam’s Screams
Eric and Sam
Eventually, Sam and Eric make it back to Sam’s apartment so that she can find medicine. Unfortunately, it’s all gone, and Sam is at her wit’s end, which causes her to scream. Not wanting her to feel self-conscious about breaking down, Eric joins in on the screaming.
It’s a sweet moment between the two characters, who are bonding more and more. It’s not a romantic thing, as can be seen in many movies, but the relationship between Sam and Eric is more one of understanding.
2“Stop The Boat!”
Henri
Henri is a major character in the second movie, but inA Quiet Place: Day Onehe kind of disappears after the first half. He has a great line toward the end, though, as he spots Sam and Eric running from monsters. He urges the captain to stop the boat long enough for at least Eric to get on board and with Frodo, too. It’s a heroic moment for acharacter known to sacrifice himselffor others. It’s just unfortunate Henri didn’t get more screen time.
1“It’s A New Life For Me, And I’m Feeling Good.”
Nina Simone
“Feeling Good” is a song made most famous by Nina Simone although it does predate her too. It’s the song Sam is listening to in the final scene. As monsters are gathering around her, she pulls her iPod out of the boom box, and the music plays in real life. Presumably, the monsters tear her to pieces, which is agrim ending for a protagonistin a movie, even if she has a terminal illness. It’s assumed she died, but anything could have happened. Maybe a group of soldiers swooped in to save her.
