A Quiet Place Part II Movie Review
A perfect horror movie sequel
By Jude Jordi-Donnelly, Film Reporter
Spoiler Warning for A Quiet Place Part 1
A perfect horror movie sequel
By Jude Jordi-Donnelly, Film Reporter
Spoiler Warning for A Quiet Place Part 1
In 2018 we received one of the finest monster movies of recent memory, A Quiet Place. When you take into consideration the critical acclaim and commercial success the first movie garnered, a sequel was alway going to happen. I will be honest, I was firmly against a sequel to this movie. I loved A Quiet Place Part 1 and I was afraid of a sequel tarnishing the reputation of an incredibly original horror movie. I’m so very happy to say that my fears were misled. A Quiet Place Part II is almost as flawless as its predecessor and one of the best horror sequels ever made.
The movie takes place directly after the events of part one. The Abbott family, now without a home and with no time to grieve for a lost loved one, must now venture beyond their farm in search for refuge from the noise sensitive monsters that have relentlessly tormented them. Contrary to the first film, A Quiet Place Part II centers on Reagan Abbott, played by Millicent Simmons. She continues to prove herself to be an incredible talent and leads the line expertly in the film. Noah Jupe, who also receives a more poignant role in the sequel, is fantastic. Emily Blunt, of course, is amazing, and I was so happy to see one of my favorite actors, Cillian Murphy, who is a new addition to the franchise, put in a characteristically amazing performance as well. It pretty much goes without saying that everyone involved in this film does an amazing job, but my praise for this movie goes far beyond the acting.
Much of my praise can in fact be attributed to the writer and director John Krasinski, who I believe took full advantage of being behind the camera, rather than in front of it for this movie. He did an exceptional job starring and directing the first film, but I think he truly showed what he was capable of in the making of this movie. His direction is relentless, refined, and so energetic. Like the first film, he never gives the audience a time to breathe as it's almost nonstop tension from start to finish.
In contrast to the first film, Krasinski had sole writing credit for the sequel, and I thought he did an amazing job in the writing of this film. Part II is a much more character driven story compared to the first one, while also being more expansive. Krasinksi was able to grow his world without ever losing sight of what made the first film so good. Another major praise I have for Krasinski is his ability to write smart characters;this is part of what makes this franchise so watchable. The characters in this franchise are smart. They make decisions that you would almost never see in a horror movie and it's part of what makes this franchise so captivating. Another improvement upon the first film is Krasinki’s framing. There are so many breathtakingly beautiful shots throughout this film which is extremely rare for a horror movie. You can tell how much effort was put in during pre-production to make sure his vision was captured as accurately as possible.
As I’ve already mentioned, this film is much larger than the first, however, it is still able to maintain a sense of contained suspense and tension throughout. It's set pieces are perfectly executed, the opening scene, in particular, is one I can see being studied and rewatched for years to come. Despite being larger in scale, Krasinski never loses sight of his characters, and does a great job of always maintaining his characters at the forefront of the audience’s focus. The monster action always occurs in the background of the characters which really aids in heightening the horror of these movies.
I hope this isn’t the last we see of the Abbott family. I think Krasinki has teed up a perfect opportunity to make A Quiet Place one of the very few truly great horror trilogies, or trilogies in general for that matter. I’m also very excited to see what Krasinski can bring outside of this franchise. If you have the opportunity, please go see this at the movie theater and support our local theater as well. This movie should be enjoyed through a true theater experience.
A Quiet Place Part II gets an A+
The movie takes place directly after the events of part one. The Abbott family, now without a home and with no time to grieve for a lost loved one, must now venture beyond their farm in search for refuge from the noise sensitive monsters that have relentlessly tormented them. Contrary to the first film, A Quiet Place Part II centers on Reagan Abbott, played by Millicent Simmons. She continues to prove herself to be an incredible talent and leads the line expertly in the film. Noah Jupe, who also receives a more poignant role in the sequel, is fantastic. Emily Blunt, of course, is amazing, and I was so happy to see one of my favorite actors, Cillian Murphy, who is a new addition to the franchise, put in a characteristically amazing performance as well. It pretty much goes without saying that everyone involved in this film does an amazing job, but my praise for this movie goes far beyond the acting.
Much of my praise can in fact be attributed to the writer and director John Krasinski, who I believe took full advantage of being behind the camera, rather than in front of it for this movie. He did an exceptional job starring and directing the first film, but I think he truly showed what he was capable of in the making of this movie. His direction is relentless, refined, and so energetic. Like the first film, he never gives the audience a time to breathe as it's almost nonstop tension from start to finish.
In contrast to the first film, Krasinski had sole writing credit for the sequel, and I thought he did an amazing job in the writing of this film. Part II is a much more character driven story compared to the first one, while also being more expansive. Krasinksi was able to grow his world without ever losing sight of what made the first film so good. Another major praise I have for Krasinski is his ability to write smart characters;this is part of what makes this franchise so watchable. The characters in this franchise are smart. They make decisions that you would almost never see in a horror movie and it's part of what makes this franchise so captivating. Another improvement upon the first film is Krasinki’s framing. There are so many breathtakingly beautiful shots throughout this film which is extremely rare for a horror movie. You can tell how much effort was put in during pre-production to make sure his vision was captured as accurately as possible.
As I’ve already mentioned, this film is much larger than the first, however, it is still able to maintain a sense of contained suspense and tension throughout. It's set pieces are perfectly executed, the opening scene, in particular, is one I can see being studied and rewatched for years to come. Despite being larger in scale, Krasinski never loses sight of his characters, and does a great job of always maintaining his characters at the forefront of the audience’s focus. The monster action always occurs in the background of the characters which really aids in heightening the horror of these movies.
I hope this isn’t the last we see of the Abbott family. I think Krasinki has teed up a perfect opportunity to make A Quiet Place one of the very few truly great horror trilogies, or trilogies in general for that matter. I’m also very excited to see what Krasinski can bring outside of this franchise. If you have the opportunity, please go see this at the movie theater and support our local theater as well. This movie should be enjoyed through a true theater experience.
A Quiet Place Part II gets an A+