Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place Part 2 continues directly after the first film and follows the Abbott family who, after discovering the weakness of the creatures, must now face the terrors of the outside world as they fight for survival in silence. They are forced to venture into the unknown and they soon realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
The first film was an incredible surprise, delivering a unique horror that was crafted to near perfection and had a lot of people on the edge of their seats. With how the first film ended it was no surprise that a sequel was set to happen, which leads us to this film that not only continues the story of the characters but also expands upon the world, introduces new faces, reveals the beginnings of the creatures’ takeover, and amps up the suspense to the maximum. Basically, this sequel aims to be bigger and better than the first installment as most of the best sequels tend to do.
But did A Quiet Place Part 2 end up being the anticipated sequel I was hoping for? Hell Yeah!
Once again John Krasinski delivers an incredible horror film as well as a satisfying sequel that delivers on all its promises. Fantastic acting, a great story, phenomenal cinematography and editing as well as incredible amounts of tension that easily surpasses the first film.
Emily Blunt delivers another strong performance in her return as Evelyn, giving somewhat of a Sarah Conner-like role in the story but with a much more emotional drive to it. She has a lot of great scenes that she delivers mostly in silence through facial expressions that are absolutely amazing, showing just how talented of an actress she is. But I also like how we got to see what her character was like in the beginning, when the creatures take over, and how that she would grow from that to be the one to defend her children from the monsters at any cost.
Noah Jupe as Marcus once again delivers a solid performance as we get to see him fully commit to this role and give us some of the most suspenseful sequences in the film. However, the true heart and soul of the film once again is Millicent Simmonds as Regan. She was fantastic in the first film but she is even better here, delivering an outstanding performance and taking much more of a leading role as she steps up. Seeing her character grow further and evolve over the course of this film was hugely investing and I just kept on rooting for her and her family the entire time as things got exciting and thrilling.
We have a few newcomers with the biggest inclusion being Emmett played by Cillian Murphy. I know a lot of people were super excited when Cillian Murphy was revealed to be in this film, given the fact that he is one of the most underrated talented actors we have today. And for those who are looking forward to him in this film, you will not be disappointed because he was fucking awesome.
Next to Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy is one of the top performances of this film, delivering a character who is a representation of the state of the world since the creatures took over that we never got to see in the last film since the focus was primarily on the Abbott Family. His character has experienced so much loss in his life that he doesn’t feel like being a part of a community nor has any faith in what remains of humanity.
Murphy perfectly plays a man that is haunted, and even though you wish for him to help out the Abbott family as well as others in need, you also completely understand his initial reluctance to help. Even though I knew Murphy was going to be great I didn’t expect him to be this great, and I feel this might honestly be one of my favorite performances from him in years.
The characters were all so so excellent and, similar to the first film, they mainly communicate in silence, and it’s just as brilliantly executed. The narrative is also executed brilliantly, once again relying mainly on visual storytelling rather than dialogue to move the film forward in a tightly paced and consistent manner. The world and rules established in the first film are expanded on here, and while we certainly learn a lot more this time there are things still left ambiguous for the audience to observe. The horror and suspense is dialed up hugely, featuring claustrophobic sequences as well and unexpected action sequences that are grippingly intense.
By far the best sequence was the film’s opening that shows Day 1 of when the creatures attacked, and I can’t tell you just how much on the edge of my seat I was the whole time. Showing the panic, the anxiety, the fear, and chaos that unfolds within a short amount of time. The creatures are still as terrifying as they were in the first film, and even though we know what they look like, their weakness, and we see them more in this film, they are still a dangerous threat to be taken seriously.
Krasinski also makes sure that the focus remains on the characters even when the creatures are around, keeping the exhilarating tension at an all-time high and keeping everyone on edge all the way through the film. Truly they are some of the best modern horror monsters we have ever had put to screen. The visual details are so damn impressive and Krasinski really made sure that people could pay attention, as there was a lot of greatly constructed foreshadowing in this film, even more so than the first. You have to love him for that.
The film still has heart in it like the first and focuses on the personal growth of individual characters, while also showing the darker side of humanity in a world that was brought to its end by the creatures. The way the story is constructed is incredibly smart and plays with your emotions without blowing things out of proportion. There are lots of fun surprises this film has in store that are best for you to watch and see for yourself.
The technical aspects of the film are once again a huge highlight just like the last film but with some changes. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous in this film, adding so much to the horror and visual storytelling. It felt like Krasinski really wanted to make a bigger film behind the camera and I think he pulled it off perfectly from a cinematography level. There’s also a surprising amount of carefully crafted editing that adds more to the action, theme, and emotional investment, and it keeps you completely on edge as we bounce between characters in different locations.
The sound design is hugely upgraded from the last film and is nothing short of amazing as it is what truly drives the film. However, the score, which is again awesome, is more prevalent in this film than it was the last time, but it never takes away from the film’s brilliance and instead adds more to it. It heightens all of the intense sequences and is used when necessary to add to thrills and emotional weight.
This film was exactly what I wanted but also gave me so much more than I expected, and it gave me perhaps one of the best sequels of all time. I’m going to give A Quiet Place Part 2 an A+.
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