Film Review: A Quiet Place Part II
John Krasinski cranks up the tension in the thrilling A Quiet Place Part II
A relentless exercise in nerve-shredding, high-wire tension, A Quiet Place Part II takes everything great about the first film and cranks it up to eleven, even if its horrifying monsters lose some of their mystique. Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe return to their roles with visceral potency, and Cillian Murphy’s signature intensity makes a fine addition to the cast. Minor spoilers ahead...
A Quiet Place - 2018’s thrilling encapsulation of clever monster horror and nerve-jangling suspense - didn’t really need a sequel; at a briskly efficient 90 minutes, John Krasinski’s directorial debut captured lightning in a bottle with an ingenious hook, inspired casting, and a keen eye (or ear) for tension. It seemed like a feat that would be nearly impossible to replicate, let alone improved upon, but the twice-delayed Part II gives us the rare horror sequel that delivers upon its promise of “bigger and better” without betraying its roots. Resisting the temptation to expound more exposition or blow up its mythology to unmanageable levels - like many horror sequels do - A Quiet Place Part II wisely focuses on what made its predecessor so great: uncompromising suspense and the performance of the series’ shining star, Millicent Simmonds.
Beginning with a lengthy flashback that crescendos into rip-roaring chaos, A Quiet Place Part II’s opening salvo gives us a monster origin story without laying it on too thick or explaining too much. Mainly just an excuse to get John Krasinski back as Lee Abbott, the family patriarch who sacrificed himself at the end of the last film, the first act sets the stage for Part II’s unrelenting terror. Picking up right where we left off almost three years ago, the rest of the narrative follows Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and Marcus (Noah Jupe) as they depart their decimated homestead and continue their quest for survival, infant in tow. After a gasp-inducing encounter with another alien crawler, the Abbotts run into an old friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who has now become a jaded survivor living in a vault. Armed with their newfound knowledge of the aliens’ weakness to high-frequency feedback, the Abbotts and a reluctant Emmett strive to reach a new, more stable, post-apocalyptic status quo.
“A Quiet Place Part II wisely focuses on what made its predecessor so great: uncompromising suspense and the performance of the series’ shining star, Millicent Simmonds”
Genre sequels tend to overextend themselves in their world-building and scope, but A Quiet Place Part II is remarkably restrained in its construction. A true “part two” continuation, the film finds itself treading familiar ground, but Krasinski’s direction and script find natural ways to extrapolate the horror and thrills of the first film. The alien monsters are indeed still terrifying, even if they have lost some of their novelty, but the story finds plenty of other ways to ratchet up its white-knuckle tension - from gruesome leg injuries, to hostile tribes of humans, to a dwindling oxygen tank, there’s no shortage of adrenaline-pumping anxiety within the walls of A Quiet Place Part II. And consider this a warning: Those of you who were traumatized by the “nail in the staircase” scene in the original will have a whole new set piece to wince at. But if you’re here for more alien jump scares, you also won’t be disappointed. The CGI is questionable in more than a few places, but the wonkiness of the visuals is compensated by clever staging and sold by the convincing wake of environmental destruction left behind by these nasty beasts.
While the 2018 film can be considered an ensemble affair, Part II functions as a showcase for the wonderful Millicent Simmonds. Simmonds, who is hearing-impaired in real life, continues to be the best part of the franchise, carrying the large majority of the emotional beats. Emily Blunt and Noah Jupe get their chances to shine, but Part II really is Regan’s story, and her plot - which effectively pairs her magnetism with Cillian Murphy’s quiet intensity - is the heart of the narrative. And hand-in-hand with Simmonds’ performance is the film’s impeccable sound design, which only serves to amplify this horrifying world’s nerve-fraying dangers: pin-drop silences are punctuated by moments of deafening terror, and the film’s soundscapes continue to creatively incorporate Regan’s condition without feeling exploitative.
A Quiet Place Part II is everything you want from a horror sequel. It might not reach the emotional heights of the original, but Krasinski is able to mine this finely-crafted world for leaner, meaner frights. Wisely built around its strong cast, this is as exciting as horror cinema can get, and it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen, with the loudest sound system, and with as many friends and fans as possible - it’s an intensely thrilling experience that practically demands it.
