Review: A Quiet Place Part II

Directed and written by John Krasinski’s ‘A Quiet Place’ bagged fame back in 2018. The horror, drama, and thrill indulge viewers in the lives of the characters trying to survive in a silent world. The post-apocalyptic world of ‘A quiet place’ had set the tone for a thriller as we witness a ruined town, destroyed properties, a quiet world and a title card saying “Day 89”. Nobody expected Krasinski to direct a sequel of the same genre, however, the follow-up of the first movie changes the tone to a bigger, louder, and action-packed horror continuation. Kransiki’s ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ features thrice the amount of dialogues as its predecessor and a tension-packed environment where the family must survive.

A Quiet Place Part II starts with a reset, as it depicts the day when the unimaginable horror began. An open field packed with a cheering crowd enjoying a tense baseball game come to a sudden silence as they look up to the sky and watch a mysterious object blow up. When they begin to get to their vehicles, the aliens rush in and kill dozens of citizens almost wiping out the entire area and sending father Lee Abbot (John Krasinski) and his daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) into hiding, while mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) desperately tries to drive away with her two sons; Marcus Abbot (Noha Jupe) and Beau Abbot (Cade Woodward). Krasinski’s approach to horror left us stunned in an unimaginable fear as we witness dual perspectives of the characters trying to run away from all the mayhem.

The movie then continues where its predecessor left off; a newborn baby, a burning barn, a dead father and a shotgun in Evelyn’s hand, it’s time to go. Not long after Evelyn and her children leave the house, Marcus gets stuck in a bear trap and his cry echoes inviting any nearby aliens. Evelyn picks up her shotgun and gets ready to shoot the first thing she sees. Kudos to the music directors as they added the much-needed suspense by the sound of creatures approaching and a hurt Marcus builds up a thrilling rush. As the alien comes running towards them, Evelyn shoots the creature with her daughter’s help and runs towards an abandoned steel factory where they meet an old family friend.

Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a new addition to the series, takes the Abbot family to a safe airtight locker, where they could hide for several minutes and talk out loud. As Evelyn begins to recognize Emmett, she asks for his help. Although Emmett offers them several days of protection, he refuses to help them and asks them to leave as soon as possible. He says, “The people that are left – they are not the kind of people worth saving”. Regan disagrees saying, “People are worth saving, and if enough of them join forces, they might be able to fight back.”

Regan’s words ignite a ray of hope in Emmett’s eyes and they both embark on their journey to find survivors. Both of them go through despair and hope during their journey. Krasinski’s brilliance makes the viewer bewildered as he turned both of their opinions into reality. As they begin to search for survivors, some of the people they meet are as vicious as the monsters while others are as warm-hearted as Regan herself. ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ surely packs a punch as it explores the best and the worst of humanity in a time of crisis.

In a nutshell, ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ certainly takes the crown with all the loud bangs and intense music build-ups differentiating it from its prequel, filled with silent horror. Krasinski’s build-up sequence during the end of the movie with all four characters fighting for their lives perfectly sets a tone of a thrilling climax and yet, the movie ends on an inconclusive note, pointing at a possibility for another sequel.