Released: 28th May 2021 (UK)
Length: 97 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: John Krasinski
Starring: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cillian Murphy
Where many modern horror flicks relied too heavily on jump-scares and formulaic scenarios, 2018’s A Quiet Place bucked the trend with one of the most intense cinematic experiences in years. With its world and antagonists established, the sequel is out to expand the struggle for survival. Unlike other horror properties, Part 2 is very successful in this regard.
Following their harrowing encounter on the secluded farm, Evelyn Abbot (Emily Blunt) and her three children venture out to find a safer haven. Their trek brings them into contact with a lone survivor named Emmet (Cillian Murphy). He chooses to help the family unit after witnessing them kill one of the monsters. From here, we break off into two paths; Emmet teams up with Regan Abbot (Millicent Simmonds), who is determined to find a new refuge while Marcus Abbot (Noah Jupe) and his mother have many near-misses in Emmet’s rundown foundry. Both scenarios are well handled with countless close calls that really raise the audience’s anxiety. Where A Quiet Place: Part 2 falls down a bit is how it moves away from the clever silence of the original. The first film used next to no dialogue throughout and this created a constant creeping tension. In the sequel, when the characters settle down to discuss their situation, it’s obvious that the danger is being put on the backburner for a bit. Still, when the action does kick in, it’s absolutely white-knuckled; it measures up to the 2018 release effortlessly.
The cast performances remain raw and unfiltered. With the Abbot family put through greater adversities, Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds do some stellar work with their material, having been raised to central roles for the sequel. Jupe delivers a grisly reaction early on while Simmonds shows great determination in her character’s goals. With solid acting from everyone involved, the only gaps show through the newcomer. Notably, Emmet has some skeletons in his closet, but Part 2 doesn’t have a payoff to this, likely saving it for a sequel. Murphy’s performance works well, but the film needed to show two sides to his character as things went on. Even with this omission, the film continues to inject a great deal of emotion. The events of the original loom large and we continue to care about the characters throughout their plight.
The sights and sounds of A Quiet Place continue to impress; it’s a beautiful landscape pervaded by death lurking around every abandoned settlement. This time around, A Quiet Place: Part 2 kicks off with a flashback to the monster’s arrival. It delivers a backstory while also treating the viewer to an eruption of chaos through long-running takes. The shots of the countryside and ruined civilization look fantastic with a slow-moving score that enhances the atmosphere. We also see the monsters a lot more this time around and the CGI work is very well done with much more detail on their ugly faces. They still possess a vicious ferocity and the way they overrun the human survivors makes them just as frightening as ever. With further details laid out, Part 2’s landscape builds its intrigue brilliantly.
It doesn’t have the same visceral power of the original, but A Quiet Place: Part 2 is far from a watered-down sequel. It does a great job of continuing the story while maintaining the rules of its world and characters. The follow-up loses some momentum with an underdeveloped character and moments of dissipating tension, but is otherwise highly enjoyable.
Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)