A Quiet Place 2 Review

A Quiet Place 2 was one of the highly anticipated projects that got delayed by the pandemic multiple times. Now it becomes the first pandemic era film to top the 100 million mark at the box office. Is it a worthy sequel?

Indeed it is a very worthy sequel and the postponements helped build the hype. It was one of those movies that no matter how long it took I was determined to see it. It did not disappoint. Everything about this movie continued the story that was already set in motion and even did while upping the ante.

Set immediately after the events of the first film we return to day 1 where writer director John Krasinski reprises his role as Lee Abbott to set the film's plot in motion by showing us the newest addition to the story in Cillian Murphy's Emmett. The rest of the Abbott family is on the move from the family farm and learns that the creatures are not the only threat in this new world. After being saved by Emmett, Regan Abbott sets out on a journey to find what she believes is a safe haven from the creatures.

Once this film really picks up it goes at a relentless pace and even splits up the family for dramatic effect which leads to actors being able to shine in different moments. It also deals more with surviving this new world living among the scattered people still remaining and the creatures as well. This really does become a starring vessel for Millicent Simmonds and a great addition to the resume for Cillian Murphy. They really do stand out because they are given the most tense story line in the film. That allowed for expansion into a larger world with more implications for potential spin offs and sequels.

It's small-scale horror on the level that it really humanizes the Abbott family so we want to see them do well but also know the odds are stacked against them. That especially felt real near the end when the kids stepped to be the protectors and needed to show that they are ready to do what is necessary. It did make use of the trick that the intense sound frequency still very much messes with the creatures heads.

Probably the two best action sequences in the movie were the one on the Marina and subsequent one in the recording studio. It showcased the downward spiral of the remaining humans juxtaposed against the everlasting hope to save humanity. What that comes down to is amazing writing. Small scale tension building on the way to a larger climactic style ending. It works especially when in creature horror because we already knew there was a trick to defeating. It did not just leave the humans as the vulnerable ones. It also leaves the creatures as destructible as well which many films of this nature forget to do.

The idea that the next film will be a spinoff and not a direct sequel featuring the Abbott family is very intriguing in itself. If they keep similar tension building while coming up with a refreshing story that fits well within this universe I do not foresee any issues. All series take new directions and as we see in Part 2 there is more going on in the outside world.

All in all A Quiet Place 2 is a fantastic addition to the series thanks in large part to great writing and acting from both the returnees and the newcomers. Krasinski is crushing it behind the camera. A fantastic film. So stoked to find out what happens next.