The Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
It's hard to believe that I have been waiting for over a year for A Quiet Place: Part II to be released. There is always a concern when film releases are delayed, that the content may feel dated, especially when it comes to a sequel. Belay those concerns, and flock back to the cinemas, because A Quiet Place: Part II is everything that it needed to be, and is an example of a sequel done right.
It would have been easy to expect a shift, not unlike Scott Ridley's Alien, where the first film acts as horror and then manages a switch into the action thriller genre for the sequel. With weakness in the creature now revealed, Hollywood would generally beg for a more mainstream sequel with Americans obliterating waves after waves of creatures, but Krasinski has managed to maintain creative control and sustained the slow, quiet, tense setting of its predecessor.
A challenge to be sure, but Krasinski has managed to recreate a similar atmosphere to his original film, expanding the scope of the franchise, while preventing the scale of the film from becoming overly burdensome. When the film threatens to accelerate, there is a switch in the opposite direction maintaining a manageable pace that allows time for set-ups and resolutions, with moments to reflect, mourn, and generally feel.
The film provides both a prequel and sequel in one; answering the question of where the creatures originated from prior to the title screen, before carrying on from where the first A Quiet Place left us. With father figure John Krasinski no longer present, the headstrong masculine void is filled by Cillian Murphy (a newcomer to the franchise, but known for his acting presence in the similarly post-apocalyptic flick, 28 Days Later). A brilliant choice in casting, he fills an emptiness well, without taking the spotlight from our core lead, Millicent Simmonds.
Simmonds' acting has matured significantly since the first film and places her front and centre for the majority of the film. A spectacular performance, that is emotionally hard-hitting and genuine. Emily Blunt still manages to have all of the "Ripley" fem-kicking-alien-ass scenes, all from the sidelines.
The musical compositions are largely lacking, as would be expected. For the most part, you can expect near-silence, and expect an uncomfortable time trying to consume any form of food or drink in the cinema. The silence leads to more than a few jump-scares, but most enhance and move the narrative forward so it doesn't become frustrating to view.
Outside of the pacing and centralizing around Simonds, the saving grace that makes A Quiet Place: Part II succeed is the level of mystery around the new addition, Cillian Murphy, and other characters. The absolute lack of information about the new faces acts as both misdirection and red herrings. With only a clear primary objective for one character in the film, the narrative possibilities for every other character leave so many options open that it is difficult to predict the direction that the film will take, forcing the audience to simply focus on every action as it happens.
To successfully make the audience actively watch a sequel film, from start to finish, is an accomplishment, and it all stems from the humility of the feature. It never tries to be bigger than it is. It focuses on sound and uses low-angle cinematography focused on the feet to emphasize the journey and conflict, while simultaneously narrowing the field of vision, obstructing the field of view to add tension and suspense.
Well-composed, well-written, and spectacularly acted. You'll pick holes in the plot afterwards, for sure, but during the screening, you'll be paying full attention. Guaranteed.
A Quiet Place: Part II is in cinemas from May 27, 2021