Curious how the apocalyptic world in A Quiet Place came to be? Following the success of the first two films, the hit horror franchise has expanded with a prequel dubbed A Quiet Place: Day One. John Kransinski, who directed and starred in the first two films, is no longer involved in the latest, sans a "story by" writing credit. Day One instead is written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, who brought us the unique Nic Cage culinary thriller Pig in 2021. The cast is led by Lupita Nyong'o (Us), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Djimon Hounsou, reprising his role from A Quiet Place Part II, and a very cute cat.
A Quiet Place: Day One debuted in theaters in late June and has already made its way to digital on demand services just over a month later. We're still waiting on an official streaming date, but here's how you can watch it at home in the mean time — as well as everything else you need to know.
Day One takes place in one of the loudest places on Earth: New York City. So, what happens when noise-sensitive aliens crash land in the city that never sleeps? Chaos. That's the main premise of the apocalyptic alien prequel.
The story follows Sam (Nyong'o), a terminally ill hospice patient who reluctantly agrees to take a trip into Manhattan only to find herself stuck in the city when the horrifying extraterrestrials take over. As she navigates the alien apocalypse, Sam and her service cat Frodo attract the attention of a young law student named Eric (Quinn). The odd couple (and the cat) embark on a journey through the city swarming with aliens and their only hope for survival is to remain absolutely silent.
Check out the official trailer for a better idea of what Day One is all about:
Listen, prequels are hard to get right — and they're bound to ruffle some feathers. With an 86 percent critic rating and a 73 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, A Quiet Place: Day One mostly got it right.
Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko thought parts of the film were enchanting. She appreciated the "captivating screen presence" of Nyong'o and Quinn, but felt that "the love story at its core can't shine amid the required carnage and urban devastation demanded by the prequel's promise." Thus, the film as a whole didn't quite equal the sum of its parts.
However, with the largely positive critic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, many others felt that the prequel did hold up. That's the best thing about movies — everyone can form their own opinion. For what it's worth, horror master Stephen King gave it his stamp of approval.
Read our full review of A Quiet Place: Day One.
Just a little over a month after A Quiet Place: Day One made its theatrical debut, it became available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video and Apple TV+. You can now purchase the film for your own digital library or rent it for 30 days. Something to keep in mind: once you start watching a rental, you'll have just 48 hours to finish it before you lose access. If you'd rather wait and stream Day One, keep reading to learn more.
As of Aug. 2, you can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:
Prime Video — $18.49 to rent with Prime, $23.49 to buy with Prime
Apple TV — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Google Play — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
While there has been no official announcement regarding the streaming date of A Quiet Place: Day One, we know it will eventually make its debut on Paramount+. Paramount theatrical releases typically head straight to the streaming counterpart after they run in cinemas. Conveniently, A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II are both streaming on Paramount+ as well, so you can watch the entire franchise with a single subscription.
Stay tuned for the official announcement in the coming months. If you want to prepare, you can sign up for a Paramount+ subscription ahead of time. Monthly subscriptions start at just $5.99, but there are also some ways you can save money on your plan. Check out the best Paramount+ streaming deals below.
Want to spend the least amount of money possible to watch A Quiet Place: Day One and its predecessors? Your best bet is to wait until the official streaming date drops and sign up for a month of Paramount+ Essential for just $5.99. If you're new to the streamer, you'll also get a seven-day free trial. After you watch, just be sure to cancel your subscription if you want to avoid charges. You'll have to endure some ads while you watch the movie, but just think of them as built-in snack and bathroom breaks.
If you opt for the annual plan instead of the monthly plan, you can save 17% on your subscription. You'll have to pay more upfront, but it pays off in the grand scheme of your streaming lineup. An annual Paramount+ Essential plan will run you $59.99 per year, which breaks down to only $5 per month as opposed to $5.99 per month. If you want to watch more than just Day One and you don't mind ads, this is your best bet.
If ads are a deal breaker for you, you'll have to sign up for Paramount+ with Showtime. This ad-free tier will run you either $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year (which breaks down to just $10 per month). The good news is that beyond just giving you access to ad-free Paramount+ content, the extra cost unlocks access to Showtime originals and movies (like Yellowjackets and The Curse), live TV with CBS, and college football. Although you'll have to pay more, it's definitely a whole lot of bang for your buck.
College students can score a Paramount+ Essential monthly subscription for just $4.50 per month, so long as they can verify their student status using SheerID. Once verified, student discounts are valid for four years, even if you graduate prior to the four-year period. After four years, you'll be charged the standard rate for an Essential monthly subscription.
It may not be the simplest way to watch A Quiet Place: Day One, but a Walmart+ membership gives you free access to Paramount+ and plenty of other sweet benefits. Better yet, you can kick things off with a free 30-day trial, so you can enjoy an entire month of streaming without paying a cent. Just sign up once the official streaming date is announced and be sure to cancel before your trial ends if you want to avoid charges. If you want to keep your Walmart+ membership going, it'll cost you either $12.95 per month or $98 per year ($8.17/month).
