The excellent A Quiet Place, already a staple of high-concept horror, concluded with a sonic evocation of hope to accentuate the palpable dread that had preceded. Immediately reeling from the death of the family patriarch (John Krasinski), matriarch Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and children Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) flee from ominous monsters that hunt by sound to the basement of their nearly decimated farmhouse, also vying to stifle the forthcoming sobs of a newborn baby.
All seems lost when the vile beast corners the fractured family as Evelyn clutches a shotgun, fully prepared to sacrifice herself just as her husband did, but the deaf Regan realizes that the monsters’ weakness is sound itself and greatly amplifies an untenable frequency in her hearing aids. By the skin of her teeth, Evelyn dispatches the weakened monster, eliciting cathartic relief from the entire family as they finally gain some traction in the utter devastation of the apocalypse. They see more monsters approaching, but instead of cowering in quiet fear, the Abbott clan stand firmly as Evelyn boisterously cocks her gun in affirmation.
The initial film had every reason not to work but did so to astonishing effect. A tricky concept that depends entirely on expressive performances, visual filmmaking and an unnerving soundscape, relatively new director John Krasinski displayed ample talent in his debut horror film. What made it such a rousing success was the deep-rooted humanity at its center – lending it enamoring depth and steeping the characters in its pristine scares – and, of course, its terrifying use of silence. Krasinski so extensively understands human behavior and evokes it through his elemental horror lens. Even the most seemingly minute, audible actions – like a newly minted widow simply reloading a firearm – have monumental dramatic implications.
My worst fear for any sequel to a great film is that it will mechanically run the gamut again without innovating, thus squandering its potential and never matching the original’s ingenuity. Krasinski, however, has deftly crafted once more a tense nerve-shredder with more to say beneath its genre trappings and one that may even be a richer experience than its predecessor. Expansive, raw and gripping in every frame, A Quiet Place Part II is yet another thrilling cinematic experience that will leave you desperate to stay silent.
Besides its exhilarating, muscular prologue that subtlety lays the groundwork for both its nuanced characters and seamless worldbuilding, the film breathlessly begins where the previous left off, compellingly evolving its themes in the process. If the first encapsulates familial grief and reckoning, the second capitalizes on its counterpart’s tinge of hope by tracking an achingly human journey toward altruism, trust and redemption, all again echoed by the resiliency of family.
Having to leave their home behind, the remaining Abbott family ventures off their domestic sand path into a world plagued by not only those fatal creatures but also the potentially insidious remnants of humanity. They soon encounter Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a lone man harboring his own traumas, and the group splits into two sections: Regan and Emmett search for a rumored safe haven in this treacherous landscape, and Evelyn and Marcus recover and care for the baby in Emmett’s reinforced hiding place.
Krasinski clearly and exponentially increases his ambitions here, but he retains the robust intimacy of the original as he broadens the story’s scope, always keeping the focus on the characters as they navigate the horror. Aided by a sharply eclectic score, lyrical editing, immersive sound design and crisp cinematography, the film masterfully constructs two concurrent, propulsive narratives that cultivate operatic profundities from its simple yet effective plot brimming with exquisite sequences of both small tension and grand action.
The performances must be effective in a film this mired in silence, and the actors here remain strikingly up to the task. Blunt, a highlight of the previous, is dependably engrossing and supremely emotive with Jupe not far behind. The film pivots, however, to cleverly position Simmonds as the lead, and she is utterly riveting and incandescent, as is her frequent scene partner Murphy.
I was completely in awe of Krasinski’s highly assured and tight direction; he may be the real star of the film. He attains a Spielberg-esque alchemy, reaching a potent blend of palpable scares and earnest characters. It’s some of the best mixing of suspense and sentimentality since Jurassic Park. He is quickly becoming one of our most exciting visual, thematic and emotional craftsman- an auspicious sorcerer of the cinematic form.
After a year of separation from theaters by the pandemic, A Quiet Place Part II once again substantiates their utmost worth. It’s a blistering, horrifying and captivating experience told with simmering tenderness and compassion. This film is not simply a fantastic genre movie – it’s a superb motion picture that excels on every conceivable level. Shhh… now bask in one of the year’s very best.
Grade: A
A Quiet Place Part II is now available on DVD and streaming.
Photo Credit / Paramount
