A QUIET PLACE PART II | FILM REVIEW
Dir: John Krasinski (15, 97 mins)
A solid, long-delayed sequel to an unexpected hit, and offering me my first time in a cinema since Tenet for good measure, A Quiet Place Part II delivers in its communal scares and world-building. After a short glimpse back to day one of the aural alien invasion, thereby allowing John Krasinski to cameo and to introduce us to Cillian Murphy’s character for the ongoing story, this follow up picks up moments after the first film ended.
A spectacularly well-crafted sci-horror with family at its heart, A Quiet Place put an excellent spin on alien invasion movies, with a hideous menace attracted by noise. Deaf daughter Regan, a great Millicent Simmonds, is at the heart of its sequel as she utilises her new-found discovery of a way to combat the alien threat. Emily Blunt’s mother Evelyn, together with son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and newborn baby, leave the sanctuary of their farm as it burns; they fend off more attacks, this time with the knowledge that there is a way to fight back, albeit clumsily. The baby still cries however and is kept in a soundproof suitcase with oxygen tank – of which, more suspense later.
Along the way, they encounter Murphy’s Emmett, a family friend whose life has been decimated but who, ultimately, helps Regan to find a way to a radio transmitter which could broadcast her aural defense and potentially help others. As Regan stubbornly strikes out on her own to save the day and avenge her father, Blunt is left holding the baby and searching for medicine for her injured son. The suspense never stops, Krasinski again orchestrating the hushed melee with aplomb.
It may not have the freshness of the original, but A Quiet Place Part II’s smaller, goal-oriented plot works well, enlarging the world the aliens have wrought in both the inhumanity and humanity of others. There are some obvious jump scares, but Krasinski keeps us off-balance throughout. The hush of a sparsely seated cinema lapped it up: it’s good to be back in front of a big screen.
Out now in cinemas
words KEIRON SELF
