Crafting an effective sequel is extremely difficult- especially in the world of the horror/thriller genre. It’s tough to avoid the temptation to repeat the successful film and if they try something new it can backfire and not please the fans of the original film. This trend is what makes the achievement of A Quiet Place Part II all the more remarkable. I really enjoyed the first film but this sequel is one of the best horror movies I’ve ever seen. The two films together may very well be my favorite story of the genre (and I’m not one for hyperbole).
What makes this film work so well is the characters and the atmosphere director John Krasinski creates. He takes characters we really care about and then puts them in situations of real peril. He also uses the quiet to create tone and suspense that had me literally jumping from my seat on several occasions. You could hear a pin drop in my theater we were all so invested!
A Quiet Place Part II brings back the Abbott family from the previous film (Krasinski in flashback). Emily Blunt is on the run leading her family to try and find some kind of safety. This is made more difficult by the fact she has a newborn and they like to cry last time I checked.
She also has her 2 other children Marcus played by Noah Jupe and Regan played wonderfully by Millicent Simmonds. She’s practically the lead in this film and she does a great job!
I won’t say any more but I encourage you to see A Quiet Place Part II in the theater if you can. It’s the kind of movie that will be better when part of a shared group experience. I’m looking forward to seeing it again in a regular audience instead of a critics screening.
The only real flaw I had with the film is I still don’t love the design of the aliens. They look pretty generic and the film loses some of its family feel from the first by splitting up the characters for a majority, but I still liked the journey of the characters, so it’s not much of a loss.
It’s a fantastic film! Don’t miss it!
9.5 out of 10
