Step by Step. Sequel to 2018 Sleeper Hit Effectively Pushes World and Characters Forward!!!!!
Review By: Brandon Porter
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| Silence is survival. Family is formidable. But is it enough? |
It’s no longer safe at the Abbott household. Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) and her 2 children Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) find themselves alive but scarred by the aftermath of an attack by the deadly creatures responsible for the deaths of both Evelyn’s dead son Beau and her husband Lee (John Krasinski). With more to come and with a newborn baby who would be easy prey, Evelyn makes the hard decision to leave her home with her kids to seek allies and shelter beyond their confines. Their journey takes them to the ruins of the city where they find more people and more creatures. Determined to survive, Evelyn and her family must rely on each other to withstand the siege of the sound-sensitive creatures and a new threat that could prove much more deadly.
A Quiet Place was one of the biggest surprise hits of 2018. Its original concept, engaging story, and tense-filled sequences made the film a nerve-racking thriller from start to finish. Now, returning director John Krasinski is finally ready to reunite audiences with the Abbott family in the next installment of the horror hit. The stakes are higher and the scale is larger in what aims to be the start of a very promising return to prominence for the summer box office. After witnessing Part 2 of this post-apocalyptic survival story, I'm pleased to say this series continues the story effectively in all the right ways. The first film was solely focused on the dynamic of the Abbott family, Part II takes the surviving members of the first film and thrust them and the audience into unknown territory. What follows is a film that has the tension and suspense of the first but with an added action element with welcome sprinkles of character development and world-building. To start, the performances across the board are fantastic. John Krasinski is really doing a great job of utilizing the strength of his actors and getting the appropriate emotion out of them. Cillian Murphy is a welcome stand-in for John Krasinki's character that was killed in the first film. He portrays a man who has lost all his hope and isn't sure if he wants to be trusted with safeguarding someone's life again. His chemistry with the veterans of the first film makes him complex and you root for him to find purpose in his life again given what he has lost. Emily Blunt continues to command the screen as widow Evelyn. She wears the weight of being the glue that holds the family together so effortlessly and it just speaks volumes to her as a leading lady.
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| Evelyn and her children face a world unknown, ravaged, and with no help in sight. |
The biggest standouts this go around are Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds. Both of these young actors did well in Part I but both make terrific strides in their sophomore outing. Simmonds in particular is really coming into her own as an actress. Like Blunt, there are moments where she has to carry entire sequences and she does it with conviction and with such grace. She terrifically displays Reagan's conviction. fear, stubbornness, and vulnerability allowing her to really shine through the screen. While the first film was an introduction for her as an actress, this film showcases she is more than capable of being a leading lady for years to come. Noah Jupe also gets a ton of credit for the way he carries himself in the film as well. The movie gives us a bigger glimpse into why this character is the way he is. Marcus is nothing like his father, mother, or even sister. He is fearful, apprehensive, and unsure of himself as someone capable of protecting himself or his loved ones. Over the course of the film, however, his arc transforms him into someone willing to put his life on the line for those he loves. It's an arc that may take a couple of views to appreciate but seeing character growth like that is always a welcome sign for a film's growing narrative.
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| In case of an emergency, run like hell!!! |
The most significant change from the first installment is the added scope and scale of the film. Taking the family out of their home and to the outside world is a narrative choice that sounds obvious to most, but few directors know how to utilize this creative choice to its full advantage. Luckily, Krasinski can do this effectively while also adding context to the world his characters inhabit. The movie opens the world up not a whole lot but enough to keep you asking questions about the state of the world and who's alive or dead or who is a friend or foe. This film additionally cranks up the action while still delivering that nerve-inducing suspense and tension that made Part I such a standout. From the jump, the movie delivers big on how fast things turned for the world and though it might not be as emotionally gut-wrenching as its predecessor's opening sequence it is still a thrilling start to the second installment. The one thing I will say is that Part II's length is both a strength and a weakness for several reasons. One strength is that because both Part 1 & 2 are under an hour and forty minutes, it requires Krasinski to be continuously focused on the important parts narrative leaving no room for any subplots that could drag the story down. That said, this does lead to both movies ending abruptly leaving myself and audiences yearning for more. The film does the job and does it well but it will probably take a third installment to really solidify the identity of this rightfully wonderfully crafted IP. All in all, A Quiet Place Part II pushed the story and its characters forward while also expanding the world and delivering context to the chaos within it. This is slowly becoming a very unique series of films in the horror genre that offers welcome uniqueness while delivering stress-inducing tension and terror. Here is hoping the momentum continues as we learn more about this world where silence is key to staying alive.
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| A tension-filled sequel that rightfully expands the world and pushes its characters forward in ways that add context to the world they inhabit. |
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| Eyes ahead or you're dead!!! |
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