Rated PG-13 for terror, violence and bloody/disturbing images.
The Abbott family, father Lee (John Krasinski), mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt), and children Marcus (Noah Jupe) and Regan (Millicent Simmonds), lived a mostly peaceful existence in a world where blind alien monsters prey on humanity, killing anyone who makes the tiniest of noise. But after the aliens follow them home and Lee sacrifices himself to save the others, their isolated farm is no longer the safe haven it once was. Now, Evelyn, Regan, and Marcus are forced to move on and find help elsewhere. They make their way to an abandoned factory where they reunite with an old family friend named Emmett (Cillian Murphy). Knowing that their sanctuary is only temporary, Regan sets off on a quest to find help for her family. With Emmett’s help, the two will navigate the larger world, facing threats far more terrifying than the vicious monsters. 2018’s A Quiet Place wasn’t really a movie that called for a sequel. Despite ending on an abrupt cliffhanger, it was a good one-off horror film with no real potential to become a franchise. However, you can never underestimate the determination of Hollywood studios to mine as much money as possible out of their latest hits. At least they convinced John Krasinski, who directed the original as well as starred in it, to come back and make this one. And because of this, this long-awaited follow-up lives up to the heights of its predecessor. A Quiet Place: Part II is just as nerve-shredding and terrifying as the first film. In true sequel tradition, it takes everything that people loved about the first film and applies it to a much bigger canvas. We’re not on an isolated farm anymore. Now we’re exploring how other locations have been affected by the murderous creatures. Krasinski continues to show off how talented a director he is, crafting another thrilling experience that really gets you on the edge of your seats. He also shows that he has the potential to direct films outside of the horror genre. This film features more action sequences then the first, and he handles them very well, using his horror skills to ratchet up the tension of the action. Maybe my one criticism of this film has to do with this increase in action. The first film was a much more emotional experience with its focus on just the family. It’s one of the few horror films that actually made me cry. With an increase in the story’s scale, this second installment isn’t as emotional as its predecessor. I was hoping to cry as much as the first film, so I was slightly disappointed by this. But Krasinski’s expert directing and writing makes up for this. It really does feel like an organic continuation from the first film, starting with a flashback to when the invasion began before jumping forward to the exact moment the first one ended. At times it doesn’t really feel like a sequel, but the second half of a much longer movie. It also focuses more on expanding the mythology of the world rather than just replaying the previous story. By doing this, it gives itself a reason to exist other than just being a cash-grab sequel. The film also features more great performances from its cast. Here, deaf actress Millicent Simmonds has been upgraded to the lead role. That’s a lot to carry for someone who hasn’t had lots of experience in her career. But she manages to pull this off flawlessly, showing that she has lots of potential. I am very much looking forward to seeing what kinds of parts she plays in the future. But praise should also be given to Cillian Murphy, not just for his performance but also his character in general. Emmett is a great addition to the franchise, and its refreshing that the movie doesn’t spend the entire runtime questioning whether he can be trusted. He truly is an ally, one broken by the circumstances of what he’s been through. And Murphy really brings this character to life in what’s probably his best performance to date. A Quiet Place: Part II isn’t quite as good as its predecessor, but comes very close. It craves its own identity by offering a natural evolution of the overall narrative rather than just replaying familiar beats. Held together by John Krasinski’s directorial hand and pitch perfect performances from Millicent Simmonds and Cillian Murphy, this turns a surprisingly great horror film into a new franchise that could evolve into something truly special.
0 Comments
|