Review of A Quiet Place Part 2
midlandsmovies • September 3, 2021
A Quiet Place Part 2 (2021) Dir. John Krasinski
Following directly on from the 2018 monster hit A Quiet Place, comes Part Two of John Krasinski's post-apocalyptic horror franchise.
What we already know from the previous film is that huge spider like creatures have taken over the planet, they're fast, murderous and have hyper-sensitive hearing which helps them seek out their prey.
Our protagonists are the Abbott family, which during the films prologue (set before the first film) we see are enjoying a peaceful day watching a junior baseball game before our hostile critters come hurtling from space into the atmosphere. Confusion and panic immediately follow as chaos descends onto the town.
This scene is a different but welcome departure from the usual “quiet” set pieces throughout both films, it really showcases Krasinski as a director and his handle on making a genre film feel fresh.
The film picks up moments after the conclusion of the first film, the Daughter, Regan Abbott (Millicent Simmonds) has discovered that high pitched audio triggers the creatures sensitive hearing and makes them exposed and susceptible to attack.
The Mother, Evelyn (Emily Blunt) with a newborn baby in tow, leaves the now destroyed family home behind and ventures for somewhere secure with Regan and son Marcus (Noah Jupe).
When Marcus mistakenly steps on a bear trap, he screams, alerting the nearby beasts to their location but they are rescued by an old family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy) who shelters them but makes it abundantly clear that it is only temporary as he wants to be left alone.
This simple yet familiar narrative of survivors seeking refuge and help in a barren world sometimes runs the risk of being tedious to the audience, but this isn't the case here.
Written and directed by John Krasinski, much like the first film, the story is kept simple and the dialogue sparse, to really capitalise on the atmosphere and the tension such a situation creates.
One such scene is an absolute masterclass in structuring a thrilling act, we have three different tense situations in different locations play out at the same time. I don't think I have been that exhilarated in the cinema for a decade. A bona fide nail biter.
As the film ends it was clear and later confirmed that a third part would be produced, I liked the ambiguity of the conclusion however I couldn't help but feel it seemed under-cooked compared to the middle act.
One of the first major, theatrical releases to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was also one of the first significant films to be released in cinemas in 2021 after a long period of them being closed. It is not hard to see why A Quiet Place Part Two was a critical and commercial success, even in the face of a pandemic. It delivers on every front, the direction, editing and cinematography are brilliant, the acting even more so with a stand out performance from Millicent Simmonds and another example of why Emily Blunt is becoming one of the most interesting actresses working in Hollywood.
Its a fine balancing act, to successfully release a “monster” movie and then deliver a sequel that can stand head to head with the original and other classics of the genre, the extraterrestrial aliens are shown more but still have a mystique about them, they retain their chilling vagueness which is the most important aspect of creating a truly terrifying movie. Bring on Part Three.
★★★★ ½
Guy Russell
Twitter @BudGuyer
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