Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
A Quiet Place part 2 was one of the films I was hoping to catch in 2020 amidst the Covid pandemic, however we’ve had to wait just a little longer and now it is finally here it has a lot to live upto - considering the positive reception received by the first film. The film does pick up where the first left off, but it’s not that simple, nor is it that straightforward here. A Quiet Place part 2 aims to take the film in a different direction, which many may see as a questionable move, however this raises the question - is it worth speaking about or is it best to keep quiet and give this one a miss? Here are my thoughts.
I'll start off by saying that the film definitely has a lot of hype to live up to, what is especially interesting though is the fresh new twist that the film provides, sure the same theme of keeping quiet to avoid the aliens is still the same, but the introduction of new characters, more travelling, multiple co-existing storylines and more speech definitely helps to give the film a new twist whilst keeping many of the elements that made the first film so good! I think this film has the combination sorted really well.
In terms of storyline, I was really impressed. I liked how the film began with a flashback, providing context for the alien attack, and immersing us in the chaos, confusion and terror the characters felt as people started being flown around. It wasn't just a case of throwing in action straight away though, the film initiated well, showing Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) and nearby individuals reacting to the confusion on the news, believing a bomb had been detonated. It was simple elements such as where Lee walked down the empty street, stopping only to acknowledge the dog, however 5 minutes later we were brought back to that same location, this time in the midst of chaos and panic.
Essentially though, the film was able to create both a sense of usefulness by introduction us to the characters properly, whilst also explaining the cause of the invasion, and immediately creating an intense and chaotic feeling to the film.
Typically for sequels, the second film may feel like a spinoff to the first, more of an accessory rather than a direct sequel, however this film focussed more on progressing the story rather than creating a new one, which for me was a good thing by the way as it helped to give the film a great sense of progression without trying to retell the entire story too much.
I was also very impressed with the overall storyline and execution, there is a really strong sense and feeling of progression to the characters, the way in which they act and the influences they have. It is in this way that the story feels well put together and immersive, there are never any direct deviations away from what the characters are about - the survival of their family and the willingness to continue and find their way since Lee's death.
I was generally really impressed at how well the story of the film was executed though, despite a fairly complex storyline, the film always seemed to keep the audience updated and 'in the know' of what was happening, whether this was through visual clues such as the island, subtle movements or camera transitions, the film always had a good way of keeping us updated and keeping the storyline clear which I liked.
Equally as important though is the entertainment value, and it delivered! Not only was the film executed in the fast paced, exciting manner we expected, but the variety of twists and turns provided by swapping the camera to show individual characters stories was also refreshing. It almost felt as though there were several individual stories, for each character, and the manner in which the film was able to rotate through these was impressive, resulting in an exciting and understandable series of events - each as exciting as the next.
These perspectives are also interesting in the way that the film links to the initial film, subtle clues such as 'walking off sand onto the leaves' and the burning barn were both great examples to demonstrate how the characters were reflecting on the past events, but were working together to focus on the future, despite a high level of fear and uncertainty. Let's be honest though, one of the most attractive elements of the film is its fear factor, and whilst I didn't find the sequel as scary as the first film, the film contained various scenes that had some jump scares in them which were executed very well.
Replacing the lack of scares in this film are big action pieces, which are great on the big screen. That's not to say that the film isn't scary though, because it is! But I feel as though the film has matured slightly from trying to have as many jump scares as possible to being able to nestle these into the story much more effectively, resulting in a more intense experience. To support this, was the excellent usage of sound effects and cinematography, it really helped to immerse us in the current events that were going on through slow transitions, sudden pauses in audio for effect and also switches between Regan's perception where we were fully immersed in a fully mute bubble, and then transitioned back to the same world, but made more chaotic because of the audio and sounds we could now hear. This was used a fair amount in the film, and I was surprised that it didn't feel too much because it was used at numerous key points in the film for Regan, but each time it helped to give a fresh perspective on the situation - further helping to immerse us in the films events and characters.
Overall though, I wasn't too sure how the storyline would progress from the first film, however I really liked it and I feel as though the film evolves the overall story and character set film really well!
In terms of characters though, as mentioned, I was very impressed. They had many of the same personality traits that made them feel unique from the first film, but through the addition of time progression and new characters, it helped to keep them feeling fresh and interesting. Cillian Murphy's addition to the story is monumental and he once again shows he's one of the most underrated actors around,
Millicent Simmonds also shines in this film, providing a really insightful and exciting performance. Almost harkens back to Cillian's post apocalyptic days in 28 Days later. The returning characters are just as great and Emily Blunt gets to shine once again but steps down this time and lets Millicent take the spotlight and she uses it perfectly. Krasinski proves once again his prowess in directing and writing is immaculate which is surprising seeing how he's really just getting started in that realm of his career. I was also really impressed with Noah Jupe's performance too, he had a lot to put up with, getting his leg stuck in a bear trap, nearly suffocating to death and finally being attacked by the aliens - he seemed to put up with all of this really well, and albeit his performance in the above scenes being great, he was also a generally interesting character to watch progress throughout the story.
We also meet a variety of new characters too, which was refreshing, and whilst we didn't really get the opportunity to engage much with them, it did provide an invaluable insight into how people have changed in the fictional world over the 1+ year that they have been under attack, when Emmett mentions that people have changed and are not worth saving, initially this is chilling, but when we see the various types of people outside such as at the docks, we see a clear difference between how various groups of people are living, and their reactions to the invasion.
One of the things I found most exciting about the film is the interpretation of fear, naturally you would feel that the aliens are the main source of fear, but the manner in which characters tiptoe around each other and the additional groups of people they encounter also creates a really exciting atmosphere and keeps us suspicious of everyone we see the characters meet.
In short though, It introduces a lot more action and thrills while remaining faithful to the original film by expanding the world and character set. The cast, the story, the directing, the cinematography, the visual effects and the sound design are all really engaging, and result in a really enjoyable and thrilling watch. It's also worth noting that because of the character progression we see in front of us, it helps to ensure that we really care about the characters we see, when we see characters in pain or upset these emotions are relayed to us really well, resulting in a squint or moment of reflection.
In terms of what I didn't like about the movie, one of the main issues I had related to the emotions shown by some of the background characters, when we initially see the characters hiding in a cafe whilst aliens run rampant outside, the characters don't seem genuinely terrified or concerned. It was a slight shame, because I feel that if emphasised more, seeing the terror and shock from the public during the initial attack scenes would have provided a much better emphasis on the entire shock nature of the attack. Additionally, where the film earned a record opening weekend for a film of the pandemic era, bolstered by vaccinated moviegoers eager to return to theaters.
Like its predecessor, it demands an immersive sensory experience. Its prologue builds on inciting events only hinted at in the original, and the characters venture beyond their familiar home, introducing new settings and characters to us. Though the consensus was positive, explaining what the original didn't delve into opened a can of worms, resulting in story aspects that left something to be desired. In delivering on the elements that made the original film great, lazy writing crept into the screenplay.
This hardly disqualifies the success of this film, but it's worth noting where the film loosened its grip on narrative slightly. When I say this, I mean as in the various questions that the film’s plot raised due to the slightly lazy writing - why didn't the island community play out a message informing people that the aliens couldn't swim? Why does Marcus choose to venture out of the safety and security of their makeshift 'bunker' when Evelyn exclaims she will only be gone a short while? Why didn't the monster on the boat not attack straight away instead of waiting a full day? Whilst not necessarily things that ruin the integrity of the film, they do hint at some slightly lazy writing at parts of the film - although potentially these have only arisen from me in hindsight of watching the film and closely analysing it?
Additionally, I would argue that potentially for viewers that haven't seen the initial film, that they may be missing out on a variety of references, connections and overall insights into the movie. Whereas I didn't encounter these issues due to me seeing the first film upon release, due to the depth it goes into and the themes it builds upon from the first film, viewers without this experience may find themselves confused sometimes.
In short, whilst there were a few confusing aspects to the film, and some hints of writing laziness, I can't let this distract from how much of an overall quality film this feels in terms of its construction and storytelling ability.
Overall, I would give this film a 9. It's a great film and I am thoroughly glad that I was able to watch it as early as I could, not only does it build upon the themes and events of the first film but it also arguably excels above it in terms of character progression and its storytelling ability. The film is exciting, easy to watch and arguably most importantly, acts as a great sequel, potentially even excelling the first film completely! Whilst the film does have a few issues, this is to be expected, it can be difficult to get the balance right of accommodating new audiences and providing enough details to keep old fans engaged, and whilst this film does do an ok job of that, it does leave a little to be desired. In terms of a third film though, I personally cannot wait - at least I hope I'm not the only one that got the strong indication of another predecessor?!
It's worth mentioning though, this was my first film back at the cinema for 1+ year!! It's great to be back and I can't wait to see lots more great films!
Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did watching the film and writing this review, I hope you have a lovely day! If you would like to check out my Official Facebook page where you can see sneak previous and more film insights then please consider checking out the link below!
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