Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.
Title: A Quiet Place Part II | Starring: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy | Written and Directed by John Krasinski | Genre: Sci-Fi Horror | Language: English, ASL | Runtime: 1 hr 37 min | Source: In theatre, purchased | Starred Review
A Quiet Place Part II Review
It’s hard to imagine having watched a screener for A Quiet Place Part II and then having to sit on it for as long as reviewers had to before talking about the movie, because this is one of those times where the sequel was (almost) as good as the original.
Let’s face it, A Quiet Place Part II was never going to be as good as the original, because the original was pretty (sorry) original (to this reviewer at least). Part I made wonderful use of the quiet, showed us that movies could be tense and scary without having dramatic music leading up to jump scares every five minutes, and gave us a cast that we actually cared about. It gave viewers the unique sensation of being so into a movie that they were afraid to make a sound, and that was wonderful.
Part II didn’t quite hit those notes, and there was no fear of popcorn crunching in the theatres this time. However, John Krasinski did a great job with continuing the story and keeping the tension running high for the entire time. There were several moments in the theatre where the audience gasped, at least one quiet “Oh, shit”, and moments of triumph as we watched the kids continue to develop in ways which made appreciation bloom. Even knowing the monster’s weaknesses from the first movie didn’t lessen the “Oh fuck” of watching the characters go one on one with them the second time around.
In Part II, we get a glimpse at how everything started in a flashback that, whilst not entirely necessary for any other reason to introduce Cillian Murphy’s character, answered a few questions for viewers without lingering and taking up more movie time than it needed to.
All of the stars delivered again in Part II, and Cillian Murphy gave us a great tortured soul of a coward who fails and fails again but steps up with relatively little shaming/guilt-tripping. There was a did he really moment that felt completely believable due to how well he’d played earlier scenes. I enjoyed Marcus (Noah Jupe’s character) a lot more this time around as he became the young man his family needed him to be. Millicent Simmonds’ Regan blooms without her father’s overprotectiveness (and unconscious blame?) to hold her back. (Note: She does something mindbogglingly stupid, though, that can only be explained away as teens being very inclined to be stupid.) Evelyn Abbot continues to be the mother everyone wants on their side in the apocalypse.
Overall, A Quiet Place Part II was a worthy follow-up to the original. At an hour and thirty-seven minutes, it felt a tad too long, but it’s hard to pick any specific scenes that could have been cut. However, viewers who are inclined to spot and be derailed by logic (Ie: why did they not just carry a big back of rocks and throw them to create distraction so they could be safe?) will not enjoy the movie as much as those able to completely suspend disbelief and just get into it.
Lilyn G is the founder of Sci-Fi & Scary, and leader of the Kali Krew. She does book and film reviews for both genres the site focuses on. Her tastes run towards creature features, hard science fiction, and lots and lots of action. She also has a soft spot for middle-grade fiction that rears its head frequently.
Though no longer involved with Ladies of Horror Fiction due to other responsibilities and a too-full plate, she was one of the original 4 co-founders.
Feel free to chat her up on Twitter as long as you aren’t hitting her up to review your book.
Be First to Comment