Film Review: A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

 

A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

It’s often the case that one great idea seems to spark a string of copycats or, at the very least, films closely related. Back in 2018 John Krasinki directed A Quiet Place dealing with a post-apocalyptic world where blind creatures hunt and kill by sound. That same year Netflix released Birdbox which explored creatures that triggered suicide in anyone that dared to look at them, leaving people to wander around blindfolded. In 2019 Netflix released The Silence, all about creatures that hunt by sound (familiar?). The reality is that both Birdbox and The Silence were made independently of A Quiet Place and both based on books that pre-dated Krasinki’s excellent horror flick. Coincidences do happen it seems but the reality is there will be inevitable comparisons between the respective movies. Having seen all three, my preference was easily for A Quiet Place with one of its strengths being the focus on one family alone, that emphasis on their isolation and desperate struggle for survival magnified tenfold. Two years on, John Krasinki took the helm once more with A Quiet Place Part II.

SPOILER ALERT! 

Now, if you haven’t seen the first film, this is the time to stop reading. No, seriously, major spoilers ahead concerning the original movie so look away now or forever hold your peace.  

A Quiet Place Part II is set shortly after the events of the first film. Having lost one son and her husband, Lee (John Krasinski), it is down to Evelyn (Emily Blunt) to lead her remaining three children in search of a new home and safety. Evelyn’s daughter, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), has discovered that high frequency feedback fed through a microphone makes the deadly creatures vulnerable so the Abbott family are armed and prepared for their dangerous journey. After coming under attack, the Abbott family seek refuge in a steel foundry where they meet Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a battle hardened survivor who luckily used to know Evelyn’s late husband. Emmett is reluctant to help the Abbotts though. When the family learns music has been playing on the radio, they conclude that other survivors are out there and they begin a perilous search to find them. 

I love John Krasinski as an actor and director and knew that a follow-up to the excellent A Quiet Place would always be a challenge. We essentially have two narratives here with flashbacks offered taking us back briefly to a time before Earth was invaded by these deadly creatures known as Death Angels. This gives some welcome screen time back to John Krasinski but also serves to emphasise how much he is missed in the present day. Emily Blunt is excellent once more in the lead while Cillian Murphy is near unrecognisable behind a scraggly beard and world weary countenance. The isolation of the first film has been swapped for more characters and more action-packed scenes. It’s akin to Alien vs Aliens in terms of the respective formulas being used. The tension of the original film is mostly lost and the budget here was three times bigger. A third part in the series is in the works and I would be interested to see where the story goes next. What’s here is eventful and entertaining but it feels less personal and intimate than the first film and thus less involving to watch. 

 

Verdict: A solid enough sequel to a far superior original, A Quiet Place Part II is worth a look but didn’t grip me the way its predecessor did

3/5