Review – A Quiet Place Part ll

There is no denying that the anticipation for A Quiet Place Part ll was incredibly high. The movie was slated to release in April 2020 but due to COVID, the release was inevitably put on hold (naturally). Is A Quiet Place Part ll (which I’ll refer to as AQP2 from now on) worth the trip back to the theaters or should you wait until it becomes available to stream for free (with a subscription) on Paramount +? The short answer — see it in theaters if you can.

The film picks up directly where the first left off. The Abbott’s, recovering from the events of the first film, gather what little supplies they can carry and venture off of the farm in hopes to find other survivors. They find what they are looking for in Emmett (Cillian Murphey), a lone survivor in the mountains who doesn’t take lightly to the Abbott’s disrupting the “life” he had managed to create for himself. With a critical need for supplies and a plan to fight back against the creatures, the group must embark on their most grueling journey yet no matter the cost.

There’s no denying that the star of this film is Krasinski himself. Returning to write and direct, Krasinski builds upon the world that he created in the first film in a way that is equal parts natural and believable. There was no issue jumping back into this world because Krasinski eases you back with an opening sequence that not only answers lingering questions from its predecessor, but also sets necessary thematic elements that are important in the later half of the film. In conjunction with the fantastic sound design, Krasinski gets the audience right back into the tense action effortlessly.

Another noticeable improvement in AQP2 was the continued character development for the two child stars – Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe (Regan and Marcus Abbott respectively). The vast majority of screen time is focused on fleshing out their characters and diving into the new roles they must fill in the absence of their father.
Regan, determined to not let her fathers death go in vain, sets her mind on finding a way to fight back against the creatures and save her family. She’s as stubborn and headstrong as she was in the first film but in AQP2 she has a clear motivation and drive that was missing in the first.
Marcus on the other hand just wants to keep his family safe and avoid anymore potential danger or loss. This go around, Krasinski further explores Marcus’ internal struggle with being “the man” of the family and the fear that he has of the creatures. It’s a nice contrast with his sister’s jump first attitude. Simmonds and Jupe really take what they were given and give performances that will launch their careers in no time.

While Emily Blunt’s Evelyn isn’t as much a focus of this film as she might have been in the last, and most of her dialogue is centered around her kids, she still gives the role everything she’s got and more. The same can be said with Murphy’s Emmett, who is a welcome addition to the cast.

There really aren’t any downsides to this film. The only criticism I could see giving it is that there still isn’t any diversity in the cast. Additionally, while we receive some details on the creatures origins, this still felt like the least fleshed out portion of the plot. Outside of that, the story, cinematography, sound design, acting and directing are all improved upon from the first film and I’m eager to see how they’ll continue the story on for the next entry… or possibly a prequel if they wanted to build upon the stellar opening sequence.

A Quiet Place Part ll is now playing in theaters

Review – A Quiet Place Part ll

Reviewed online, May 31, 2021. Rating: PG-13. Running time: 97 min.

PRODUCTION: A Paramount Pictures release of a Platinum Dunes, Buffalo FilmWorks, and Sunday Night production. Producers: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and John Krasinski. Executive Producers: JoAnn Perritano and Allyson Seeger

CREW: Director/Writer: John Krasinski. Character Writers: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Music: Marco Beltrami. Cinematography: Polly Morgan. Editing: Michael P. Shawver

CAST: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, Okieriete Onaodowan, Scoot McNairy