Rating of
3.5/4
The Kids Are All Right in Superior Sequel
Chris Kavan - wrote on 07/29/21
It's a rare sequel that manages to match the original - rarer still for it to outshine it but I think A Quiet Place II is that diamond in the rough, and it all comes down to Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, who put on a master class and once again prove the future of Hollywood is in good hands.
The film starts off with a familiar face, though one you might not expect given the events of the first film,
John Krasinski (who also serves as director once again). We soon realize this is a flashback as DAY ONE flashes on screen and an idyllic summer day, complete with little league, is interrupted by the arrival of our alien/science experiment/ancient lifeform that doesn't hesitate to attack and take down the not-yet-quiet population.
After this thrilling beginning, we catch back up with our surviving Abbott family - mother Eveyln (Emily Blunt), daughter Regan (Simmonds), son Marcus (Jupe) and the newborn baby. With their farm either flooded or burning, they have no other recourse but to head to the only other sign of life in the area - a distant flame. This leads them to Emmett (Cillian Murphy) who was once friends with Lee (Krasinski) but has since seeminly given up on humanity and lives alone - but not unprotected as Marcus finds out the hard way when he runs into a trap. After taking down another friendly creatures using their secret weapon, they hole up with Emmett who is none-too-happy about the additional company.
Their little group is about to get a bit smaller, however, when Regan realizes a repeating son "Beyond the Sea" is actually a signal from an island just off the coast - and she realizes this may be the key to saving what is left of the human race and goes off on her own. When her mother realizes what she's done, she essentially guilt-trips Emmett into going after her while she stays behind to help her injured son and newborn.
Thus we get two stories - Regan and Emmett make a risky trip to the coast - including a fun encounter on a long-abandoned train and a group of savage survivors on the marina, while Evelyn must leave her son and newborn behind to scavenge supplies, but, of course, things take a turn for the worst at Emmett's hideaway.
But though there is plenty of action and tense scenes, A Quiet Place II shines the most with the interactions between our human characters. Murphy and Simmonds make for a great duo - Murphy's character is obviously dealing with the fallout over his family and Simmonds must convince him there is still hope - with a world-weary nature and nary saying a word. The danger is always real, but it's the quiet moments that stand out the most.
While Simmonds may be on a mission, Jupe has plenty to deal with as well. Dealing with an injury, dealing with a baby and left on his own - one wrong move puts his and the new baby's life on the line, giving Blunt the perfect opportunity to save the day - briefly at least. Both stories will lead to a crucial finale that lets both young characters have their courageous moment - and leave us with hope that we haven't seen the last of this series.
What I still love about this series is they don't provide any new answers - we still don't really know where these creatures came from and why they want to kill anyone who makes noise. We do learn they aren't good swimmers but, aside from that, we're kept in the dark. Some people may be frustrated by the lack of information, but I think it's a great decision and makes me just make up a worst-case-scenario situation on my own. We also learn just a bit more about the world at large - mankind isn't completely screwed, but much of it seems to have descended right into the primordial stage. If there is one thing I want from another sequel and/or spinoff - it's to see another, bigger group - on a ship, on a bigger island or something - and see how they're coping. But leave the origin story secretive, to piss off the people who need to know and leave people like me who have a big imagination much happier.
A Quiet Place II builds on the original and benefits from powerhouse performances from the two young leads. Krasinski knows how to craft a tense story and emotional characters. I was impressed by the first film and moreso by this sequel and I can't wait to see where this series goes next.
