The Quiet Place Movies Ranked
When A QUIET PLACE first came out, I was impressed by John Krasinski’s directorial and acting career deviation and how the horror film created a tense atmosphere with a cool high-concept premise in the PG-13 “environment,” something kind of lacking today. Since then, Krasinski’s other efforts (as an actor in JACK RYAN [2018–2023] and director of IF [2024], among others) have seemed less than stellar to put mildly, and the growing “franchise” of his horror introduction is showing more and more cracks. But in general, the Quiet Place movies, the three that have been released in the just over six years since 2018, have provided decent entertainment and fleshed out a post-apocalyptic world terrorized by bloodthirsty aliens sensitive to even the slightest sound.
#3 — A QUIET PLACE PART II (2020)
D: John Krasinski
A QUIET PLACE PART II released into a world that seemed like it might be apocalyptic soon. That’s kind of hyperbole, I admit. Premiering on March 8, 2020, just a few days before the country and world went into full COVID lockdown and widely released in May 2021 as vaccines were just starting to open things up a bit, this sequel holds a lot of the same thrills as its predecessor. But then, it holds a lot of the same thrills. The central concept stays strong, as the characters face numerous obstacles, all without being able to make a sound until some accident does make a sound and then an action set piece happens, but not that strong. A QUIET PLACE PART II is augmented, however, by an expansion of its world, from the introduction of Cillian Murphy’s character (in the best performance of the franchise so far) to the reveal of “Day One” events (at least in the Abbott family’s small upstate New York town) to a group of survivors and a requisite gang of opportunist (human) predators. All of the movies in the series have problems with pacing in their second act and this installment is no exception. But overall, A QUIET PLACE PART II is a typical movie sequel that serves up a similarly entertaining experience but not at the same fresh level as the first installment.
#2 — A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (2024)
D: Michael Sarnoski
The latest installment in the series at the time of this writing, A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE deviates from John Krasinski directing and obviously rewinds the story to, well, day one. Directed by Michael Sarnoski of PIG (2021) indie-ish breakout fame and set in New York City with different characters as the alien menace appears, DAY ONE kind of subsumes its helmer’s previously impressive and subjective form into all of Hollywood’s modern blockbuster house style. But it’s not as bland as all that, as Sarnoski draws out some interesting images amid the chaotic explosions of action and fosters a sense of care for the film’s characters. That’s certainly helped by Lupito Nyong’o, who gives a terrific performance, and Joseph Quinn, who supports with a compelling innocent terror. Oh, and the cat is really cute too. DAY ONE’s edge over PART II is those central performances. And besides, I was impressed by how the movie is able to make the outset of a world-ending event interesting and not annoyingly as limited as its characters’ knowledge, especially since this premise has of course already been detailed in two previous films. DAY ONE’s formula, as with all of the installments in the series so far, wears a bit in its second act, but otherwise, it’s a thrilling expansion of a depressing world.
#1 — A QUIET PLACE (2018)
D: John Krasinski
As mentioned, A QUIET PLACE generally impressed me upon release. Part of its appeal was seeing it in theaters, an experience shared with DAY ONE but not PART II due to COVID limitations (perhaps part of that latter film’s apparent weakness in my eyes). There is kind of a meta experience to watching these movies in a big dark room with a bunch of other people, as crunching popcorn and slight whispers are even more amplified in the quietest moments. It makes one realize how difficult it would be to be totally silent and not wanting to be the person disrupting the movie adds to the tension. Maybe this is just a me thing, as there have certainly been people in these screenings who didn’t have the same care. In any event, A QUIET PLACE is quite good. Also as mentioned, its introduction into a space such as PG-13 horror, a space I feel is sorely lacking these days even as I watch many a more “adult” work in the genre, was kind of reassuring. It is still able to communicate a sense of dread and fear even without the extremities of greater violence. Now, A QUIET PLACE certainly isn’t a truly great movie. Its overreliance on jump scares and repetitive situations has only been stretched even thinner in its sequels, and even in this debut’s second act especially. But the darkness of some of the film’s narrative points and its generally creative circumstances built on its essentially simple premise are compelling and build to something satisfying. A QUIET PLACE still isn’t surpassed by its sequels, but their relative strength gives me hope that future installments won’t be terrible (even as I feel I don’t really need any more).
