By Nadia Ranaputri
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| Image credit: IMDB |
Director: John Krasinski
Cast: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou.
To be frank, I first went in to A Quiet Place knowing very little about what the film was actually about. The only thing I was aware of was that it was a thriller where silence meant survival. What I didn't expect was that the wave of complete silence from the film lead to my theater in the very same ambience. No one in my theater said a single word, and a person sitting right in front of me barely touched the tub of popcorn. It was probably the quietest theater experience I have ever had. Another thing that I didn't expect at all was the touching family dynamic that left me in ruins by the time the credits start to roll. It honestly could have ended there, it worked spectacularly well as a standalone film. But alas, that was not the case. Hence, we have Part II.
A Quiet Place Part II begins right where the first film left off, with the remaining Abbott family in the aftermath of the daunting events that previously took place. By the time we meet them, they're about to leave the only home they've ever known, and into the terrorizing clutches of the outside world, shrouded in unpredictability and uncertainty. Along the way, they encounter a fellow survivor and former family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who's been living in a bunker under an abandoned foundry. Though initially reluctant due to his failure to save his own family, Emmett takes Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and her family in, and in the process, is forced to overcome his own inner demons in order to prevent the Abbott family from the same fate.
Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott is as always, spectacular, though her character takes more of a backseat here, paving the way for the younger to grace the screen. Evelyn does have some standout moments, drawing the line between a vulnerable and caring mother, to a relentless fighter determined to protect her family at all costs. The latest member of the cast, Cillian Murphy, is also impeccable. I've loved Cillian Murphy ever since he played Scarecrow in Batman Begins, and eventually his ever iconic role as Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, so my interest definitely peaked when he was cast in this film. As a result, Murphy just blends in effortlessly with the rest of cast, and his performance as someone who has lost all hope allows him to display his impressive range. Noah Jupe was also incredible in this, he was able to display genuine fear and at times, acts of determination. There was a particular scene where his character goes through a great deal of pain, and Jupe's performance here was splendid, but near unbearable to watch, because you can almost feel his agony through his performance. That being said, the star of the film is no doubt Millicent Simmonds, whose character carries the film so beautifully, and Simmonds plays the role with grace. True to form as the first film, Regan's disability isn't treated as weakness, but a powerful tool for survival. In the first film, Regan sees her deafness as an obstacle, but over time, she learns to overcome her disability and doesn't let it get in the way of her efforts to protect her family. In this one especially, she's responsible for much of the film's heartfelt moments, and Simmonds's performance in these moments is fantastic. Her dynamic with Cillian Murphy is another outstanding aspect, and you can't help but look forward to the scenes they share together.
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| Image credit: IMDB |
I've mentioned in my review of the first film that the opening sequence of a film plays an important role in drawing the audience in, which was something that A Quiet Place has nailed, wrapping the theater in a blanket of silence, and the lingering promise of something sinister that awaits the Abbott family. Then there's the opening sequence for Part II that starts off with a "Day 1" flashback sequence, also known as the day the world changed for the worst. Unlike the first film, Part II opens with a bang, a hair-raising sequence that sinks its claws into you and leaves you hanging for dear life. The rest of the film is just as suspenseful, throwing you in with the Abbott family once again and taking you along with them as they fight for survival. Those thrilling and at times claustrophobic sequences of the first film that makes you grip your knuckles are carried over to this one, providing the audience with plenty of exciting sequences ahead. For a director who has only dabbled behind the camera twice, this being his second, John Krasinski has once again proved himself as a director worth watching for. Constructing such a condensed thriller is no easy feat, but Krasinski absolutely nails it. He's certainly come a long way from simply being known as Jim Halpert in The Office. The addition of Cillian Murphy as Emmett was a great way to introduce the outside world, given that he seems to know more about the current situation than the Abbotts do. Even so, I appreciate that there isn't too much exposition, despite the fact that there tends to be more dialogue in this one.
For a story that is meant to expand on the world beyond the one that the Abbotts once knew, it feels rather thin and fairly simple. Perhaps that was the intention, to keep everything condensed and to a minimum, just like the first film. It didn't exactly achieve the same desired effect as its predecessor, but it still manages to tell a cohesive story overall, even with a 90 minute runtime. Unlike the first film, John Krasinski is the sole screenwriter this time around. While some would argue that it doesn't have as much of a firm grip as the tightly knit but effective screenplay of the first film, there are plenty of strong suits in Krasinski's script for sure, such as a heartwarming scene between Regan and Emmett where she reassures him and tells him how to enunciate as he struggles to communicate with her. Callbacks and references to the first film don't feel forced, as they provide a much needed emotional beat for the characters. Moreover, placing Regan front and center of the film was a noteworthy move. As Regan was the beating heart of its predecessor, she is the one that charges forth and drives the story forward this time. There's a particular arc here that is very reminiscent of The Last of Us, and that was the most interesting arc out of the rest, because there was a real sense of adventure. Along the way though, it does feel as if it has lost some of its Midas touch that made its predecessor so memorable, and resorted to more of your typical apocalyptic survival film, which isn't an entirely bad thing in and of itself, it just lost some of the aspects that made A Quiet Place such a hit. Though I have to say, the change of scenery and pace of Part II was mostly for the better, it doesn't really feel like a complete repeat of the first film.
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| Image credit: IMDB |
There's also the use of sound, a key part of the storytelling, particularly in its predecessor. The first film utilized sound and lack thereof in a clever way, the silences and sudden noises turning gears as if it's flipping switches back and forth, was an effective and creative way of putting the audiences at the edge of their seat. The first half of the film was heavily doused in silence, but an anxiety ridden kind of silence. That reliance and resort to silence really builds up the tension without any reliance on some loud violin screech that you've heard a hundred times before in other horror films. As you're anticipating the monster, you're also anticipating a sudden sound to flood in like it's a timed bomb. Part II, however, did not imbue the very part that made the first one a unique watch. It did utilize the change in sound that flips whenever it gets to Regan's perspective, where there is nothing but muffled sound. If it didn't focus on Regan, most of its tension was reliant on that same one-note music, and this time, the violin screech is here to stay. Doesn't mean that it lacks any real thrills, it's there, it just doesn't always land right. Aside from the music, there's a lot more sound than silence in Part II. Though the sign language remains a vital aspect for communication, the characters do talk more often here than they did before.
Let's wrap this in a neat little bow. Though it has its flaws, A Quiet Place Part II is entertaining and profound enough to solidify its existence. Was it necessary? Not exactly, but at least it wasn't made with little thought or care. There's still a good amount of effort and attention placed in the story and the production. It's a good enough companion to the first film, and it might even be fun to watch both films back to back. Once you put aside some of the bumps along the road of the script, it's clear that Krasinski cares about this world and the Abbott family. It rarely ever feels soulless or rigid, despite having that condensed atmosphere. Because by the time the film ends, it's really the characters themselves that made it soar. As we're confined with these characters, we get to experience that feeling of terror and anxiety alongside them, and that's the one of the standout aspects that made me adore A Quiet Place, and though Part II felt a bit emotionally distant than the first, the characters were still able to shine through. We may fear the monsters that lurk in the film, but we also fear for the characters who are fighting against them. While Krasinski could use some fine-tuning as a screenwriter, he's clearly much more formidable in the director's chair than he is as a writer, at least for now. Sometimes a sequel calls for bigger stakes and higher danger, but A Quiet Place Part II proves that it doesn't always need to rely on those elements to enhance the story. It may not be as strong as its predecessor, but it's still a very solid sequel that packs a lot more heart than most other films of its genre.
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| Image credit: IMDB |
Overall verdict: A Quiet Place Part II is a solid and justified sequel to the hit 2018 thriller. It reshuffles the deck this time around by having the family venture out of the world they were once accustomed to, and into the unknown, with little guarantee for their survival, so it expands on the world more this time. As we spent the majority of the first film confined in the Abbott family home, the second feels more vast and open, but it's just as suspenseful as the first. The thing about both films is that it boasts strong performances that add so much to them. Emily Blunt's performance as Evelyn is no short of magnificent, while Cillian Murphy forms a genuine dynamic the rest of the cast, and Noah Jupe's fearful performance just elevates the suspense. But the real standout is certainly Millicent Simmonds, whose incredible performance carries the entire film. Like its predecessor, it's very much an in-the-moment type of film, which I actually like. There's a catch to this though. Part II doesn't feel as cleverly weaved as the first one, which makes it slightly lackluster, especially since the first film displayed a good amount of intelligent aspects in both the storytelling and the scares. As the first film utilized silence and sudden noise as a weapon, the second doesn't seem intent in doing the same. There are still some thrilling sequences that makes it worthwhile, but compared to its more superior predecessor, it does lag behind. Other than that, it remains to be a riveting and exciting thriller that places family dynamic at the core of its story. By the time the film closes, it's the Abbott family that flourishes, not the scares, and that's what stops it from truly falling apart.
Stars: 3.7/5
You can also read my review of A Quiet Place here
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