After over a year of pandemic pandemonium and tumultuous turmoil we are finally able to get back to more fun versions of the apocalypse, like the long-delayed A Quiet Place Part II, which returns us to a world where ugly, blind monsters wreak havoc on those who dare to raise their voices. (Wait… this is fictional… right?)
If you thought the first A Quiet Place (2018) was intense then you’ll want to bring a deluxe popcorn-muffling mask for this one. Part II stacks spine-chilling on top of nerve-racking on top of nail-biting on top of edge-of-your-seat insanity – but all in a good way.
This story starts at the pre-apocalypse beginning, but before you can say, “Why didn’t they shut that garage door all the way?” the narrative propels you forward to where the original film left off.
The stars of the first film all return: the film’s writer/director John Krasinski stars as the Abbott family Dad; Emily Blunt as the Mom; Millicent Simmonds as their (not so) hearing-impaired daughter; Noah Jupe as their son; and new cast member, Cillian Murphy, as the family’s pre-disaster friend.
The acting here is awesome, especially by the two kids (Jupe and Simmonds) and by Cillian Murphy, who delivers 100% in what could have been just a stereotypical reluctant-hero role. The film’s score is also first-rate and adds to the movie’s extreme intensity.
If you are new to the Quiet Place universe, the Earth has been invaded by monstrous creatures who can’t see, but they hear really well and they hate noise of any kind, thus forcing survivors to live a life of extreme, though not very tranquil, silence; and Krasinski finds new and different ways to cause the silence to be disturbed.
Although A Quiet Place Part II was a genuine thrill to see (especially in a Covid-safe theater), it’s one of those films you don’t want to spend too much time thinking about and/or asking questions about. Why spoil the fun? Hey, maybe you wouldn’t make the greatest decisions either if you had 1,000 pounds of angry alien bearing down on you!
If you saw and liked the first A Quiet Place, then you’ve likely been dying to see this one. I think it was totally worth the wait! See it before someone spoils it for you.
