Outstanding sequel worth the wait
Last March, I was all set to go to the advance reviewer screening of A Quiet Place II when the Bay Area began to shelter-in-place. The screening was cancelled and the movie’s release postponed. But this week I finally made it to that reviewer screening, marking my return to the cinema, some 14 months later. And it was worth the wait. Because not only is Part II terrific, but releasing it earlier via streaming wouldn’t have done it justice. This picture is meant for the big screen.
For those who didn’t see the original back in 2018, no need to worry. The sequel actually begins with an origin story for the lithe, predatory monsters who attack when they hear a sound. The film’s opening flashback starts on “Day 1” of the monsters’ appearance, and reintroduces us to the Abbott family: Dad Lee (John Krasinski, who also writes and directs here), Mom Evelyn (Emily Blunt), son Marcus (Noah Jupe, Ford v Ferrari), and deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds). We also meet Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a neighbor and friend, who will rejoin the story later, in the present day — Day 474 of the monsters’ reign of terror. But it’s this prologue that deftly sets the tone for what’s to come. The peace and joy of a bucolic, small town afternoon filled with little league and neighborly chatter is shattered forever by the sudden descent of the creatures, whose rampage of death and destruction is immediate and unexpected. Fear, confusion, and chaos replace the leisurely day’s calm, and we’re quickly awash in terror and tension, just like our bewildered heroes.
From there, we flash forward to the present day, post the events of the first film (which, if you haven’t seen yet, I won’t spoil, and encourage you to watch). Suffice to say that Evelyn is now on her own with her three kids (Baby Abbott has joined the family), and they fiercely fight to survive while battling post-apocalyptic conditions and the ever-present threat of the monsters. The family hopes to find other survivors on an island, out of reach of the monsters, and that quest becomes the sequel’s main storyline. Within this somewhat simple narrative, however, Krasinski establishes an amazing sequence that contrasts the separate but similar undertakings of each of the main characters, who have split up to accomplish different tasks. The way the picture moves from one character’s scene seamlessly to another’s, all while holding a tight, connecting throughline, is a masterwork of film editing.
But the real heart of the film are the young actors: Jupe, and especially Simmonds, are stellar here. Simmonds, who is deaf in real life, does more with her expressive face than most actors do with pages of dialogue. Her scenes with Murphy’s Emmett, who reluctantly agrees to help her find the other survivors, are the best in the movie, as she and Emmett slowly develop mutual respect for each other despite initial wariness. Krasiniski makes a choice to focus more on the young actors here than he did in the first film, and it’s a smart choice. The story of parents protecting their kids against evil at all costs is nothing new, but a story of kids with power and agency is much more rare (though 2018’s underappreciated A Wrinkle in Time came to my mind at various points).
Marcus and Regan hold their own against monsters and adults alike, yet the film isn’t watered down in the slightest: the scares are real and intense and scream-worthy. But our young heroes are courageous and capable, and this picture will appeal to both adult horror fans and younger teen viewers, who will find a message of bravery, fortitude, and confidence that is woven so well into the story that you may not even notice until the final, devastatingly wonderful last scene. I left the theater with my heart pounding and my face smiling under my mask, and you will, too.
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A Quiet Place Part II opens today at Bay Area theaters.
