This prequel to the smash hit A Quiet Place from director Michael (Pig) Sarnoski shows how the alien beasties who kill anything that makes a sound took over the planet. Lupita Nyong’o stars as a hospice patient making what could possibly be her last trip into New York City when aliens attack and murder anyone who makes a peep. She and fellow survivor (Joseph Quinn) band together (along with her service animal cat) and try to make their way to safety.
You know this is Sci-Fi because it involves 1) New Yorkers who actually know when to shut the hell up and 2) A cat that listens to its owner.
Okay, all jokes aside, this is a pretty intense and rousing prequel. In fact, I think it might be my favorite of the trilogy. Sarnoski sets the stage quite nicely using a mix of restraint and suspense. He keeps the carnage mostly contained to the periphery as Lupita (or her cat) is almost always front and center. He’s more concerned with her plight than showcasing the details of the initial alien invasion, which kind of makes it kindred spirits to Spielberg’s War of the Worlds.
Ultimately, the film is about finding the will to live in the face of unspeakable (see what I did there? I know I said no more jokes, but c’mon that was a good one) tragedy. Even though Lupita’s character is terminally ill, she still must fight on to live another day. Pretty heady stuff for a prequel to a horror Sci-Fi blockbuster. I mean, it’s hard not to get caught up in the drama. All Lupita wants is one last pizza before she dies. Is that too much to ask? I will say the film loses a bit of steam once Quinn enters the picture, but he and Lupita have enough chemistry to more or less make it a moot point.
We’ve seen plenty of survival horror films before, but not quite like this. In an age when most prequels feel like cash grabs, this one finds unique ways to say something about the human condition in the midst of all the special effects. Then again, I wouldn’t expect any less from Sarnoski after the incredible Pig.
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