Film: A Quiet Place – Day One

Director: Michael Sarnoski

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff

Release: 2024

When this movie emerged, I wondered what it could add to the first two (sensational) instalments. We’d seen how the aliens arrived and – spoiler – how they could be fought. So what did Day One have to offer? Turns out, plenty. Albeit, probably any apocalyptic monster or zombie could’ve done the job of setting up this entirely enthralling survival story. It rang a similar bell to the fabulous Aussie flick These Final Hours, where values such as family and friendship are put under an intense lens as the curtain comes down in inevitable fashion. Adding to the emotional pull is a cat that has a habit of being in the right, or wrong, place at the right time. There’s a touchstone to the previous movies that rewards familiarity but doesn’t confuse, Day One a masterclass in how to tap a franchise without cannibalising it or fracturing the narrative. If only Alien: Romulus had been able to show such a deft touch.