Three years ago A Quiet Place debuted to glowing reviews and acclaim. There were some naysayers, however, and I was among them. As much as I appreciate the premise and the acting talent I found the script to be wanting and the film cursed with the oldest issue that horror films face: characters who cannot help but make stupid decisions. Unfortunately, the characters make similarly stupid decisions in the sequel — yet Part II has more merit than the first film, in my opinion, and I have no problem recommending it.
John Krasinski and his new writers make the super smart decision to start at the beginning, showing the moments when the extra-terrestrial monsters first arrive and begin terrorizing the world, before fast-forwarding to the present and the Abbott family’s trek toward what they hope will be safety. The monsters have a greater presence, and fearsome beasts they are. Yet the film stays firmly rooted in the characters, finding lots of drama in the ways that people react to imminent catastrophe. A nice addition is family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who is forced to become more than he thinks he can be, by circumstance and the young Abbott heroine Regan (Millicent Simmonds).
It helps to have seen the first film, especially when it comes to understand how the creatures react to sound, because the film really doesn’t bother to explain things very well. Apart from that issue Part II stands well on its own, and improves upon the original’s action sequences. The first film was frustrating for me because its big climactic solution is something that would have occurred to humanity soon after the initial invasion, yet it is a complete surprise to everyone but the deaf girl. That scenario is repeated here and still seems artificial. Happily, this one improves upon the story issues of the first film, nicely intertwining separate action sequences when things really become suspenseful. It is a definite improvement in just about every area, and is a compelling science fiction drama. ☆ ☆ ☆. 28 June 2021.