John Krasinski created something pretty special in 2018 with his apocalyptic horror film “A Quiet Place” – a small budgeted but brilliantly executed project based on a story by the duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Two years later, Krasinski would return with a direct sequel, “A Quiet Place Part II”. Both films were successes with critics as well as at the box office.

Now the series is back with a third installment, “A Quiet Place: Day One”. Krasinski steps away from the director’s chair but stayed on as producer and helped conceive the story. Jeff Nichols was originally slated to write and direct, getting as far as submitting a finished script to the studio. But he left the film and was replaced by Michael Sarnoski. I’m still very interested in what a Jeff Nichols Quiet Place movie would be, but Sarnoski has made something of his own that fits well within this series.

As its name suggests, “Day One” is a prequel as well as a spin-off. It takes place in New York City at the onset of the alien invasion that would ravage the planet and kill most of the human population (the first two films are set in the aftermath). The story mostly focuses on new characters but there are some welcomed connections to earlier players in this compelling universe.

One of several things that makes these movies resonate is the humanity at their core. It’s no different with “Day One”. Themes of fatherhood and motherhood (among others things) were central in the first two films. Here it’s something much different yet equally affecting. A perfectly cast Lupita Nyong’o plays Sam, an accomplished but terminally ill poet living in an upstate New York hospice facility with her beloved service cat, Frodo. From the very start, her character offers a new perspective to the genre.

Sam’s discouragement and self-isolation fuels much of the film’s emotional undercurrent. She is ever conscious of her own mortality and the cruel and lingering inevitability of her fate weighs heavily on her. She (mostly) keeps her emotions pent-up which worries her well-meaning nurse, Reuben (Alex Wolff). After much swaying, he convinces her to go with the group on a day trip into the city. But while in Manhattan, the sky is suddenly filled with meteor-like objects plunging to the earth. Soon after, hostile alien creatures begin attacking and killing people, plummeting the city into fear and chaos.

Sam is knocked unconscious and awakens inside a theater with a group of frightened survivors. She learns what we already know – that the deadly alien creatures are blind but have extremely heightened hearing. The movie follows her journey of survival which is impacted by the various people she encounters along the way. One such person is Eric (Joseph Quinn), a law school student from England who barely survives a flooded subway. While still in shock, he’s approached by Frodo who leads him to Sam. An unexpected friendship forms between Sam and Eric despite the two having very different aims and outlooks.

While the film’s emotional beats hit their marks, “Day One” is also visually impressive. it begins with Sarnoski’s capturing of New York City. He keenly conveys the Big Apple’s sights, ambiance, and textures in rich detail both before and after the alien invasion. He also shows great judgment when shooting the action. The aliens are shown just enough and the camera makes them a truly terrifying threat. But they’re just as scary when not on screen thanks to Sarnoski’s shrewd use of sound and the performances.

“A Quiet Place: Day One” may be a prequel, but it still doesn’t answer the numerous lingering questions that hang over this series. Don’t expect much in terms of world-building as Sarnoski and Krasinski rely mostly on what we already know from the first two films (which isn’t a lot). But while “Day One” follows a somewhat similar blueprint as its predecessors, the human element really has an impact. Nyong’o is the essential piece, adding a very different dynamic to the horror movie protagonist. And for the record, I’m starting my campaign to give Frodo the cat all the Oscars. “A Quiet Place: Day One” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS