A Quiet Place from 2018 is one of the best films of the last decade, especially one of the best original films. It's such an exceptional exploration of a simple but terrific concept with some impeccable acting, strong direction, remarkable craft, all in a very concise ninety-minute runtime. So, news of a sequel was obviously very exciting for me. At the start of 2020, the movie line-up wasn't a particularly strong one, but A Quiet Place Part II was by far my most anticipated movie, so it was ever so annoying to be forced to wait an additional year and a bit for it to finally be released because of COVID. However, it's here now, and I've seen it, so let's talk about it.
Following the events of the original, the Abbott family leave the relative safety of their home and search for help in continuing the navigate their world overrun by aliens that kill you if you make a sound. That's basically all that needs to be said in terms of plot.
The first thing I want to talk about is the opening sequence - a prologue depicting a flashback to the first day that these sound-sensitive aliens arrived on Earth. Oh my goodness this was an extraordinary opening. The best way to describe it is to think of the opening to Endgame, with Hawkeye and his family, except it's 5-10 minutes instead of 2. Seeing the Abbott family happily living a normal day but with the knowledge that it's not going to last is profoundly disturbing. Once the aliens do arrive, the action is terrific. It's gripping, tense and has some excellent cinematography that captures a lot of it in single, continuous takes. As a whole, I'd say it's better than any individual scene in the first film, it's truly spectacular. It's a little shame it was the opening as it meant the film peaked before it really got going, but that's not a big issue. The rest of the action in the film is really solid, always exciting and edge-of-your-seat.
What I really liked about A Quiet Place Part II is how naturally it continued on from the first film. It expertly continues the familial themes as the two children of the family take centre stage this time - they can't rely on their parents anymore, especially after their father sacrificed himself to keep them safe, so they have to become more independent and take responsibility, which they do during the film, and that feels like such an organic route to take after the first film mostly had their parents trying to keep them safe. I also like how the film expands on the world of the original in ways that are also natural, especially with the character played by Cillian Murphy. While the Abbott family represent those trying to make the best of the apocalyptic situation they live in, he embodies the pessimistic attitude in which there's no hope for survival or things getting better, serving as a direct contrast, which is such a fitting aspect to explore. It also introduces us to other societies which was interesting too. So, narratively and thematically, everything the film does feels so in line with what the original set up, to the point where it seems reasonable to believe that this was the plan all along, even though it wasn't. It makes sense why it's titled "A Quiet Place Part II" instead of just "A Quiet Place 2", as it feels like this is the logical next part in the story.
Aside from that, most of the merits of the first film are apparent here too. All the acting is strong and really sells the situations that these characters are put in, especially from the two children who are both outstanding, as well as established talents Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, and Djimon Hounsou, briefly. The craft behind it all is also great, with some beautiful cinematography, amazing production design, and some genius sound mixing / editing, all of which immerses the audience in the film so masterfully. One of the most remarkable things about both of these films is the involvement of John Krasinski - I find it really awesome that the guy who started off as just Jim from The Office, comedy on the small screen, has now not just starred in but directed and written two magnificent horror / thriller movies. He's such a versatile talent and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
One last thing I really liked about the film was the runtime - it's only ninety-seven minutes. If you saw my recent Top 10 films I watched for the first time during COVID, you'll know that I think the ninety-minute film has become somewhat of a dying art as of late. More often than not, films feel a need to be long and epic when they really don't need to be and end up outstaying their welcome, especially blockbusters. I like how this movie, like it's predecessor, is extremely concise, managing to do so much in a short amount of time. That's not to say I wouldn't have liked this if it was longer, I mean, when it ended, I'd have happily continued watching another thirty minutes or so, but I'm glad that for once a film accomplished all that it needed to as quick as possible.
Are there problems? Well, a few. The original only has a couple of issues in the form of the ocassional plot hole as well as some contrived plot points, both of which are less apparent here. However, because the first film has a very insular scope, focusing on a few characters over a short space of time, the greater breadth to what is going on here makes it feel slightly baggier from a narrative perspective. Still solid for sure and definitely what it had to be as a sequel that expands the world, but seemingly lacking what made the original as great as it was. The film also partially suffers from feeling a little repetitive after some time, as a lot of the action and encounters with the aliens are the same as what we'd seen in the first film with little variation. While this is obviously consistent, it made certain points less interesting even if they were tense.
Well, I have to say, it was worth waiting that extra year and a bit. A Quiet Place Part II didn't disappoint. It keeps up the momentum of the first film with a lot of the same greatness and builds on the foundations it set from a narrative and thematic viewpoint in very organic and satisfying ways. I wouldn't say it quite matches the brilliance of the first film, as the broader scope hinders it from replicating that wonderfully tight and concise nature, but I would definitely say it's a worthy follow-up that does everything a sequel ought to do, and it also has an entire sequence better than any individual scene in the original.
I'm going to give A Quiet Place Part II an 8.5/10
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