“A Quiet Place Part II” Film Review

By Quinn Marcus

Let me start by saying that I haven’t been to a movie theater in a year, it used to be like a second home to me. The annoying commercials, the smell of the fresh popcorn as we stepped inside those sacred doors, every time I went, there was a comforting sense of familiarity, and beyond all of the chaos in the world, I always had a happy place to visit weekly. Well, we’re fucking back in business baby, I haven’t wanted a movie to succeed this much in a long time, and honestly, A Quiet Place Part II is one of the best theater experiences I’ve had in my life. I’m not saying this simply because it’s been a long time, I wholeheartedly consider this film to be a terrific ride that begs to be seen in the cinema. John Krasinski has given us a reason for film buffs, and regular people alike to return to the movies, and to me, that’s an absolute win. I was one of the unlucky people who didn’t get to witness Krasinski’s directorial debut in theaters, but after watching this film, and seeing how much more confident his directorial style has grown, I’m not as sorry anymore.

A Quiet Place Part II takes place moments after Lee’s death, and the killing of the monster. The remaining members of the Abbott family decide to embark on a perilous journey outside of their sand trail to find some sort of help, only to discover that these creatures aren’t the only dangers they’ll have to face in order to achieve salvation.

Is it a perfect movie, no, it is not a masterpiece, nor do I consider it to be flawless, but it’s a remarkable improvement over the first, and a fantastic acting showcase for everyone involved. John Krasinski’s tension-building tactics have come a long way since his predecessor, he’s adopted this unique style of crosscutting his scenes, letting each moment build more fear upon the last one, reminiscent of Nolan’s “no time for caution” scene from Interstellar. Granted, the first half does take its time to get moving, and there were a couple of instances when I thought certain character decisions were pretty stupid, simply there to make the plot move forward, but overall, the film is tightly paced, full of action, and features a surprising amount of emotional depth. Cillian Murphy is a criminally underrated actor, if you’ve seen him in movies like Dunkirk, or Inception, you’ll know what I’m talking about, and this might be his best work to date. You can feel the absolute desperation, horror, and fear, and how crippled his mind has become. The entire cast, especially Millicent Simmonds did an incredible job, the chemistry was on point just as much as before, and everyone gets a moment of sheer badassery, there were times when I almost cheered, but didn’t, afraid of disturbing the audience’s transfixed looks of awe.

I know the original got a nomination for sound design at the Oscars, but if this one doesn’t, I swear, all hell will break loose. A Quiet Place Part II features some of the best sound work I’ve ever seen, the brilliantly handled switches between Simmonds’ muted world, and the destruction surrounding her was truly breathtaking to witness. The cinematography has also been enhanced greatly, some of the shots had me shocked, the first film looked fine, but Krasinski clearly has figured out a better way to meticulously layout his frames. Marco Beltrami’s eerie, haunting score once again returns, and somehow becomes a much more prominent aspect this time around, it felt more exhilarating. To add, the editing is a true triumph for the genre and contributed to the nail-biting tension immensely. The opening sequence (don't worry, no spoilers) may be one of the most efficient first scenes I've had the pleasure of witnessing, it was truly riveting and depicted the mass hysteria of day one masterfully. If I could name the best aspect of the film, though there are many, I’d say just how well Krasinski has expanded upon his original world. This is not your typical dystopian horror movie, people don’t run back and forth into dark corners, only to get jump scared cheaply. Most of the time, the script is really clever, which is extremely difficult to do when writing a sequel, proving that a plan for a movie is the most important thing you can have, and Krasinski shows just how creative he can be.

The length is roughly the same as the first, running at around 90mins, but it flew by like that, in fact, I found this one to be even more exciting than the original, and strangely shorter. Now, I can see a lot of people criticizing the ending, and yes, it is a little jarring, and maybe even a tad unfulfilling, but I thought it was a perfect way to leave the audience hanging, hungry for more, and if there’s anything I want from Krasinski, it’s more of the Abbott family. Okay, before you kill me, I will admit, there are jumpscares, and while I still do think of them as a cheap trick to frighten your audience, plus the fact it was largely avoided in the original, I thought the scares were bone-chillingly crafted this time around. My entire theater was completely silent, besides the occasional gasp or whisper, it seemed as though everyone was too afraid to speak, including me, I was clawing my seat, nearly horrified, and that’s what I believe John Krasinski was going for. Guys, I cannot stress this enough, if you have the opportunity to head to your local theater, GO SEE THIS MOVIE, it really is something special, and I can guarantee that you’ll have a terrific time.