But if you’re here for more alien jump scares, you also won’t be disappointed. And consider this a warning: Those of you who were traumatized by the “nail in the staircase” scene in the original will have a whole new set piece to wince at. The alien monsters are indeed still terrifying, even if they have lost some of their novelty, but the story finds plenty of other ways to ratchet up its white-knuckle tension - from gruesome leg injuries, to hostile tribes of humans, to a dwindling oxygen tank, there’s no shortage of adrenaline-pumping anxiety within the walls of A Quiet Place Part II. A true “part two” continuation, the film finds itself treading familiar ground, but Krasinski’s direction and script find natural ways to extrapolate the horror and thrills of the first film. Genre sequels tend to overextend themselves in their world-building and scope, but A Quiet Place Part II is remarkably restrained in its construction. Armed with their newfound knowledge of the aliens’ weakness to high-frequency feedback, the Abbotts and a reluctant Emmett strive to reach a new, more stable, post-apocalyptic status quo. After a gasp-inducing encounter with another alien crawler, the Abbotts run into an old friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who has now become a jaded survivor living in a vault. Picking up right where we left off almost three years ago, the rest of the narrative follows Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and Marcus (Noah Jupe) as they depart their decimated homestead and continue their quest for survival, infant in tow. Mainly just an excuse to get John Krasinski back as Lee Abbott, the family patriarch who sacrificed himself at the end of the last film, the first act sets the stage for Part II’s unrelenting terror. ![]() Resisting the temptation to expound more exposition or blow up its mythology to unmanageable levels - like many horror sequels do - A Quiet Place Part II wisely focuses on what made its predecessor so great: uncompromising suspense and the performance of the series’ shining star, Millicent Simmonds.īeginning with a lengthy flashback that crescendos into rip-roaring chaos, A Quiet Place Part II’s opening salvo gives us a monster origin story without laying it on too thick or explaining too much. ![]() It seemed like a feat that would be nearly impossible to replicate, let alone improved upon, but the twice-delayed Part II gives us the rare horror sequel that delivers upon its promise of “bigger and better” without betraying its roots. Minor spoilers ahead.Ī Quiet Place - 2018’s thrilling encapsulation of clever monster horror and nerve-jangling suspense - didn’t really need a sequel at a briskly efficient 90 minutes, John Krasinski’s directorial debut captured lightning in a bottle with an ingenious hook, inspired casting, and a keen eye (or ear) for tension. Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe return to their roles with visceral potency, and Cillian Murphy’s signature intensity makes a fine addition to the cast. A relentless exercise in nerve-shredding, high-wire tension, A Quiet Place Part II takes everything great about the first film and cranks it up to eleven, even if its horrifying monsters lose some of their mystique.
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