A Quiet Place Part 2

 

Gillipedia Official Rating: The sequel: bigger, badder, quieter than ever

          This will be a bit of a common theme this year, but I was more than excited for this sequel when it was supposed to come out last year. And while some films that came out in the beginning of March 2020 suffered by a shortened life in theaters, A Quiet Place Part 2 was delayed roughly one week before its scheduled release. The original was a massive hit; Stephen King went so far as to call it a masterpiece, and I can’t find myself disagreeing. It was a close to perfect horror film. And while it lent room for a sequel, I still had some hesitation because I didn’t want the original to be tarnished if the sequel bombed. But with John Krasinski returning to write and direct and Emily Blunt leading, I was very optimistic. People are finally starting to head back to the theaters. Is this one worth getting up off the couch to go see?

          One-hundred percent. Go watch this movie. I was concerned over the fate of this film when I ended up getting my own private screening, but this film is actually performing well. And I’d like to see it stay that way. There’s a certain amount of novelty that simply can’t be replicated from the original, but the sequel does just about everything right to succeed on its own.

          This film takes place essentially right after the original ended, so make sure you have seen the first one. But the film actually starts off with a flashback to the first day when the creatures first appeared. This scene strongly evokes Children of Men, and that is both a tremendous compliment and a truly justified comparison. It allows us to still be treated to some Krasinski, and it also sets up the biggest new addition in Cillian Murphy. Again, if you haven’t watched the original, stop reading this review and go watch it. Like now… I’ll wait.

          …

          That’s enough waiting. So Krasinski? Yeah, he died at the end of the first film, as all of us continuing to read this are well aware of. Anyways, in his absence, Cillian Murphy takes over as a protective figure. It’s a smart addition, and there’s also nuance to his character to still make him quite different from what Krasinski was. Also, if you’re not familiar with Cillian and his ocean blue eyes, please go watch any of his roles from Christopher Nolan films, 28 Days Later, and Sunshine.

          Where the first film remained confined to the valley, the remaining members of the family take the new baby and seek a new haven while spreading the word about the creatures’ weakness to the high-pitched sound from the hearing aid. After meeting up with Murphy, the group splits off each with separate goals in mind. The daughter believes she can reach a radio station that has been playing a single song over and over, Emily Blunt has to find supplies like oxygen tanks to safely support the baby, and the son watches over the baby. Let’s recap on this sequel. We end up learning more about the creatures, there’s bigger scope in the direction of the narrative, and we are introduced to new and interesting characters. That hits all the notes of what a sequel needs to do to stand on its own merit instead of remaining in the shadow of the original.

          The other big star added is Djimon Hounsou, and I’ve mentioned him enough in past reviews for his name and face to finally be familiar. But just in case, I’ll say it one last time: Hounsou is an underrated actor and always deserves recognition. Cillian gets plenty of screen-time here, but Hounsou receives a shockingly small amount. I wouldn’t be too surprised if there was an extra scene or two filmed with him that ended up being cut. But I digress. Krasinski does a tremendous job staging the scenes and creating tension with his direction. The kids continue to shine, and Blunt and Cillian provide a level of talent that is taken for granted in a genre that isn’t always known for its acting. Although I occasionally faintly heard the action film happening in the theater next to me, this film continues in its clever use of sound design as well as in its score as well. I just used this praise in my last review for Tayler Sheridan, but it applies here as well; this film has smart characters that make smart decisions. Films with dumb characters are frustrating, but films with smart characters are cool to look at and make the audience feel rewarded for watching their actions.

          Believe it or not, but there is a climax. On one hand it doesn’t have a huge scale with lots of explosions that you might expect from a sequel with a larger budget, but it does come together in a special way that makes this a fun continuation of the original. I will also say that when it does end, it almost feels like you were expecting 20 more minutes. You do become invested in the situations and the film does breeze by, but perhaps it could’ve stopped to smell a couple more roses or tacked on more to the climax. That would be my biggest complaint. I am truly pleased to see the box office results coming out for it so far, but that only makes me double down in my message to you to go watch it. If you haven’t figured it out from this review or even just by the title, this franchise simply can’t end after this film. Now that they’ve continued the story and done so very well, now Part 3 has become a necessity. But no matter how many hashtags may be out there, the easiest way to ensure a trilogy is by making this film a box office success. Don’t go spitting into people’s extra jumbo cherry coke, but you can go view this film safely, and the large screen, sound system, and comfy chairs are easily worth the price of admission.

 

In Brief:

• I watched Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. I think the concept of a zombie heist movie set in Vegas ended up being a bit cooler than the final result. Snyder obviously takes genuine joy in setting up cool shots, and there’s some fun campiness, but some stuff like song choices feel too on-the-nose. It’s fun and worth the watch, but I wouldn’t call this a homerun.
• If you watch The King of Staten Island, don’t go in expecting a light-hearted comedy from Judd Apatow and Pete Davidson. The film is semi-autobiographical and does a come with some moments that made me laugh pretty hard. It drags in the middle, but then the last hour is surprisingly poignant and touching. I’m not much of a Davidson fan, and he also isn’t always likable in the film—but that’s the point. All the characters are flawed, and it has a great cast including Marisa Tomei and a grounded Bill Burr.
• There’s a film with Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage called I Care a Lot. It takes an interesting left turn, but it doesn’t know what to do afterward and the whole final third is a mess.