A Quiet Place: Day One - The scoop and digest

Jeff Nichols was originally attached to project but left due to creative differences.

Instead, Michael Sarnoski writes and directs prequel and spin-off, based on a story conceived with John Krasinski.

Lupita Nyong'o - Sam

Joseph Quinn - Eric

Alex Wolff - Reuben

Djimon Hounsou - Henri

Eliane Umuhire - Zena

Summary

During a coach trip en route to a marionette show in Manhattan, terminally ill cancer patient Sam watches meteor-esque objects crashing into the city.

Soon after, long-limbed alien creatures launch an attack, with Sam knocked sparko in the ensuing chaos.

She awakes in a puppet theatre and fellow survivor Henri signals for her to remain silent.

Can't think why?

Pizza time

As title suggests, this begins on the first day of alien invasion, and spans a few days.

To make things more complicated, the opening of Part II also began on day one, and then jumped to day 474, immediately after the first film.

However, sequel was set in Millbrook, New York, not New York City.

Now that's over with.

Central performances are good and post-apocalyptic world is impressively realised, but filmmakers dropped a bollock.

Alien invaders are no longer terrifying and initially chase helicopters like drunken dogs.

But at least their origins are explained, right?

Wrong.

Monsters become inconsequential halfway through and remain virtually anonymous thereafter.

I'm sure Part III will be greenlit, but for me, franchise has run its course.

In a Violent Nature - The scoop and digest

Writer-director Chris Nash places us largely behind the killer's perspective.

Ry Barrett - Johnny

Andrea Pavlovic - Kris

Cameron Love - Colt

Reece Presley - The Ranger

Liam Leone - Troy

Charlotte Creaghan - Aurora

Lea Rose Sebastianis - Brodie

Sam Roulston - Ehren

Alexander Oliver - Evan

Timothy Paul McCarthy - Chuck

Lauren Taylor - The Woman

Summary

Moments after Troy and Ehren take a locket from the remains of a collapsed fire tower, the enraged corpse of Johnny rises from the ground and sets about retrieving trinket that belonged to his mother.

One night around a campfire (obviously), Ehren recalls how 70 years ago, Johnny, a 'mentally hindered' child, was tricked into climbing the tower for a 'bag of toys', only to find somebody waiting at the top to scare him, causing him to fall and break his neck.

Along with his father's death, legend attributes murders to Johnny's vengeful spirit.

The Ontario wilderness is about to bathed in blood.

The White Pine Slaughter

Ignoring the obvious similarities to Friday the 13th, Canadian slasher is basically the same principle as Manhunt, (if Rockstar North's controversial classic was set in the Ontario wilderness). 

Honestly, the only thing missing from Johnny's victims was a targeting reticle.

'Executions' hit the mark and the standout moment is Aurora being on the wrong end of drag hook, leading to her pretty head being pulled through torso.

While gore aficionados will be satisfied, the most menacing aspect is the tranquility of nature.