Movie Review
Of course, in true Hollywood fashion, no IP can remain a standalone title, and the announcement of a sequel was inevitable. Reaction was understandably divided among the film's fans, many unsure of where the film could go from its satisfying open-ended conclusion. And can it match the suspenseful horror of the first?
Trapped
While the characters are still trapped in the same contrived scenarios as before, A Quiet Place Part II feels more spacious and open than before. There's more world-building, an interesting split narrative, and some great new additions to the franchise. It's rare to find a horror film that not only lives up to the original, but sometimes even surpasses it.
The story begins with an incredibly intense 10-minute opening that sets the tone for what's to come in the past. We're on day 1, a meteor comes down towards Earth and crashes into our planet. It's a slow process, enough time for the Abbott family to try to escape.
New Characters
This premise helps introduce one of the film's major new characters, fellow parent and struggling survivor Emmett. How the Abbott family met him remains a mystery for now as we await the aftermath of the events of the first film.
Lee died and the family was completely torn apart, not knowing what to do or where to go. When they notice a fire on the horizon, they head outside and decide to look for more survivors. But Regan has her own plans.
After detecting a strange radio signal, he concludes that an island off the southern coast may hold the key to salvation. After all, if he can change the frequency on the radio so that the survivors can also use the hearing aid, it might give humanity a fighting chance. Evelyn just wants to survive.
Plot Beats
After finally stumbling upon the shelter of Emmett's barn, the family is divided on what to do next. The story has some contrived plot beats here, especially thrown at Marcus. Marcus is annoying to say the least in this movie and his character is constantly getting into all kinds of trouble.
I appreciate that he's only 12, but there are a lot of messed-up teenagers out there and you'd expect a little more cool in this life-or-death scenario. Unfortunately, that is not the scenario.
Of course, such fictional scenarios have been a staple of horror films since the 80s. In the case of A Quiet Place Part II, this is the biggest flaw in a very solid film. And boy does this movie have some intense moments.
Editing
The editing in particular really hits it off, with some great shots split between different stories. Familiar motifs across different plots feed into a larger whole, with both fire and water used symbiotically in the third act. The reasons for this soon become clear, and it works well to tie things together thematically.
Camera Work
In terms of shooting, the film has very good camera work. There's some smooth puppetry, with the camera panning as our characters walk. Not only does this help with the world-building, but it's also the most compelling element of this film - show, don't tell.
Considering how much silence this film is, John Krasinski and his team prove that the script is as cleverly written as it is. Here, the audience cannot be humiliated with sketchy exposition - it is all shown to us. I won't go into spoiler territory here, but there are a few things — most notably, the air-tight safe — that play up the idea.
Experience
Of course, your experience with A Quiet Place Part II will ultimately depend on your tolerance for characters making dumb decisions. If you can look past some of the character flaws, this film expands on the lore and ideas of the first and creates another intense, chilling horror experience.
This 90-minute picture never lets up on its fast pace, creating some truly unnerving and well-placed jump scares along the way. A Quiet Place Part III can't come soon enough!