Per Matt
If Godzilla vs. Kong showed that fans of popcorn-munching movies were ready to return to movie theaters during the age of COVID-19, then A Quiet Place Part II proves that they’re willing to leave the house for some serious jump scares. But there is one caveat: The theaters must have state-of-the-art audio equipment in order to create the absolute best experience imaginable!
I know; I know. I sounded this alarm back when attending a media screening for The Invisible Man (and then theaters promptly closed following its premiere), but it was as true for that flick as it is for the sequel to A Quiet Place. In fact, it’s probably even more important for this film. Since the blind antagonists of A Quiet Place are hypersensitive to hearing, the slightest snap of a twig might provoke an attack. And in Part II, the sound effects are even more important to the storyline!
This sequel is definitely a movie that requires a high-def audio theater. That means it’s time to finally stop streaming for a few hours and leave the house to experience this flick within the best-intended environment. It’s absolutely worth a return to theaters, and the buttered popcorn only improves the experience!
Part II begins with a prequel passage, detailing a couple of new scenes that took place before the first film began. And then it picks up with the coda to that film, immediately leading into the second. The Abbott family must fight for survival in silence without their patriarch, as a new character emerges with strong links to their past.
I’m clearly trying to prevent any spoilers from spilling into this review, so please take that with a grain of salt.
This film is kind of a comeuppance for the kids, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe). They receive the lion’s share of the storyline, while motherly Evelyn (Emily Blunt) doesn’t have a whole lot to do. These characters keep looking for trouble… while often finding it. There’s some very good jump scares scattered about and there will probably be a third film released to wrap up the trilogy — and I hope there is.
It’s great to see Cillian Murphy breaking back into the horror genre, almost 20 years after 28 Days Later was originally released. He does a great job here and I hope his character’s story moves forward with the inevitable second sequel.
For better or worse, this is totally John Krasinski’s opus. While the first film was originally a spec script written by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, it was rewritten with notes by Johnny K, who would go on to direct the feature film, as well. The sequel only receives John’s writing credit, and the depth of the storyline seems to have thinned out quite a bit. While the movie feels fast paced, it also feels short (even though it’s got a runtime of 97 minutes).
This movie was initially planned for a March 20, 2020 release, which finally receives a premiere one year and one week later than planned. That’s a long time to plan on watching a film that’s been collecting a whole lotta dust!
If you plan to stream the film on Paramount+ please don’t judge the film too harshly if you don’t have great surround sound. It’s that important!!!