A Quiet Place Part II (2021 Film) Review

One of the first films delayed during the coronavirus outbreak is now playing in theaters this Memorial Day weekend. 

Forced to abandon their home after Lee's sacrifice, the Abbotts - Evelyn, Regan, Marcus and their newborn - flee beyond the sand path to find refuge, still having to remain silent for their own safety. They quickly learn that the creatures that hunt via sound are not the only dangers that await.

Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe return in this continuation of the 2018 original as does John Krasinski in a brief appearance. Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou are among the few new additions to the established cast.

As with the first, John Krasinski directed "A Quiet Place Part II," but where Krasinski served as a co-writer on the first, he is now the sole screenwriter for the sequel. He also is a co-producer this time, joining Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller. Paramount Pictures distributed "A Quiet Place Part II." (The film will be available on Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical debut.) "A Quiet Place Part II" is 97-minutes long and is Rated PG-13 "for terror, violence and bloody/disturbing images."

Overall Thoughts 

(Although I may not reveal specific details pertaining to the plot of the film, I do elude to some plot elements in my review. If that spoils it for you, please check back after seeing "A Quiet Place Part II.")

Recalling my reaction to the announcement of "A Quiet Place Part II," I wish to go back in time and chastise my younger self for his knee-jerk reaction. Writer/director John Krasinski pressed forward with another installment and in doing so, he has made a sequel that is as special as the first, for it proves its essentiality as it goes on. Picking up after the first film's ending, this film tells the next chapter in a way that simultaneously enriches the mythology of its predecessor while also being a brave and bold expansion. Character arcs are organically expanded, the use of sound and music as a method for emotional connectivity are toyed with in new ways, and the broader scope of the film serves as a perfect contrast to the still-limited cast of characters.

An element that sets these films apart from other Horror films is how the characters interact with the terrifying obstacles that oppose them. The first "A Quiet Place" centered solely on the Abbotts in their farmland home, living a life of fragile routine, enabling them to have calming and intimate moments, only to then be followed by a series of increasingly worse circumstances that were terrifying yet helped them to overcome their individual guilt over a family tragedy. Its intimate scale and cast provided a balance to the then hyper-anxiety-inducing second-half. With the sequel, the balance has been removed.

After the events of the first film, the Abbotts are vulnerable now more than ever. Not only is their home now destroyed, but Lee (John Krasinski) is gone. Similar to how Beau's death early on in the first hung over the rest of that film, Lee's death hangs over this film. In the first, Lee was the one in the family who held everything together. While he felt the same guilt over Beau as Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and, to a certain extent, Marcus (Noah Jupe) did, he was the one keeping the family going as Evelyn was expecting, Regan was overcome most with guilt, and Marcus was still too inexperienced to be independent of his father. Lee's death not only hurts the rest of them emotionally, but also changes the family dynamic, forcing each one of them to step up. Evelyn is now the sole parental lead whilst Regan and Marcus must step up to help their mother and newborn brother. This shifting dynamic might have been easier had they not been forced to leave the farm, but the combination of unfortunate circumstances creates the most amount of problems for the family. It's very much a trial by fire or, in this case, deadly sound creatures.

The "A Quiet Place" films are meditations on family dynamics with the horror elements serving as stylized and exaggerated representations of problems all families encounter. Sometimes, death will claim a loved one or a parent will step-up to protect their family, even if it's at their own expense. Whenever a family member makes a mistake, it affects all of them. These events are told with a Horror twist, but the same principles and feelings remain. You can look at a stupid decision someone makes in this film and think they're being irrational, but that's how it is sometimes. The same mistakes are true for all situations and for any trouble that comes their way because that's the way family dynamics work. It does not make sense, it's not logical, but that's how it is. And when a mistake is made, it hurts more than the individual, prompting them to make things right.

On top of the themes, "A Quiet Place Part II" continues to play with the implementation of sound and musical score to create an all-around riveting experience. It speaks to the power of this film when audiences, many of whom will have this be their return to the cinemas, will continue to remain quiet so as not to ruin the mood. That this film can elicit that amount of reverence and respect is something you cannot get easily, and yet these films do that. When you hear a sound in this film, it can either be the most relieving thing or the most damning thing to these characters. It interchanges throughout, but the most effective usage is whenever there is a lack of sound, particularly when the audience is put in Regan's point-of-view as she is deaf, both the character and the actress portraying her. As Regan is put in more perilous situations, her lack of hearing prohibits her or the audience from detecting any creatures lurking around her. This was an idea introduced in the first that is more expanded upon, with rewarding results. You have to hand it to sound editors Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn and Brandon Proctor, the film's re-recording mixer.

Marco Beltrami's musical score, as with the sound mix, is key to the story as it's required to amplify the characters' experience and the ominous nature of the environment. The enigmatic nature of places, objects, and even people adds to the suspense, often palpable due to the implementation of Beltrami's music. He carries over many of his cues from the original film's score as a way to help reintroduce or re-establish characters and concepts. He also recontextualizes or introduces new cues and tones to enrich the film's throughlines. For example, "A Quiet Family" and "Positive Feedback" from the previous film's score make a return with twists that convey the growth of the Abbotts over the course of the film, a decision that is rather amazing after one has seen the film.

As far as the cast goes, the limited amount of characters not only enables that intimacy to continue, of which it can be easy to lose due to the expanded scope, but allows their progression to be properly paced and earned. Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe easily pick up their roles from where they last were, barring some clear growth spurts for the younger actors between the two productions. Due to the nature of the story this time around, the different family members are spread out in this installment. Because this series is centered on family and familial challenges, to have the kids take on their own identity and act more independently, it felt like the natural next step for them. Blunt, Simmonds, and Jupe all command the screen with ease, selling the family unity just as well when their characters are apart as when they are together. Their work gives new dimensions to the life the Abbott family lives. John Krasinski's reprisal of Lee in the "Day 1" prologue is masterful, not only because his acting is top-notch but for how his presence in the prologue brilliantly sets up the family arc in the film.

Cillian Murphy as Emmett is the only new character in this sequel. With respect to actor Djimon Hounsou, who also makes an appearance, his role isn't as substantial as the rest. Early on, it would seem like Emmett is positioned as an unknown entity and, perhaps, secondary antagonist for the Abbotts. Thankfully, an alternative route is taken and he becomes an ally and honorary member of the family. One would think the film positions him to fill the void left by Lee. Instead, although he does help in select capacities, becoming Lee's replacement is not one of them. Rather, Emmett, who has experienced his own losses, has his own personal arc and additionally serves as a contrast to the rest of humanity. After his enigmatic nature early on, he quickly distinguishes himself as "one of the people worth saving" compared to the rest of humanity, many of whom have devolved to a rabid state as they fight one another over remaining resources. Murphy as the representation of hope over the hopeless gives weight to the family's fight for survival as they seek reprieve as much as he does. He's essential not just for what he adds in times of conflict, but for how he adds to the existing themes and ideas carried over from the first, none of which would work without Murphy being on the same level as the other actors, which he ultimately proves himself to be.

"A Quiet Place Part II" smartly relies on the viewer's familiarity with the first to lead you into believing certain beats will be repeated, only for them to have the opposite outcome, building to one of the most thrilling and cheer-worthy endings in a long while. It ends at just the right time, ensuring the audience is satisfied with what they've just witnessed, but leaves them craving a follow-up.

Conclusion

This has been my review of "A Quiet Place Part II." Have you seen the film? If you have, I would like to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This is Dallin, your resident film fanatic. Thank you for reading.