It was always inevitable that A Quiet Place, John Krasinski‘s 2018 high-concept horror, would have a sequel at some point. The movie was a critical and commercial hit, racking up almost $340 million out of a $17 million budget. Story-wise, it still had enough room left to explore for more. So it was unfortunate then that the sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, fails to live up to the expectations and high standards that the first movie has established.
The problem is not that it’s terribly made — no, from a technical standpoint, it’s still well crafted. But Part II seems to not go as far as it could have, and instead, reuses the same formula, narrative, and everything from the first film, even down to its ending. And as a result, it loses much of its roars and ends up feeling very sequel-ish.
A Missed Opportunity
Part II opens with a prologue that’s far more thrilling than the rest of the movie. It’s a lovely spring in a small town where the Abbotts — husband Lee (Krasinski), wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt), daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), sons Marcus (Noah Jupe) and Beau (Cade Woodward) — reside. A long, tracking shot follows Lee as he walks through the main street to pick up some stuff before going to a Little League where Marcus is playing. The rest of the Abbott family members are already there. Lee’s friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), whose role will become important later on, is also there watching his son play.
Right when Marcus is about to hit the ball after a couple of failed attempts, something is streaking across the sky at a high velocity — so fast and concerning that the game has to be stopped. As everyone, including Lee and Evelyne, is getting back to their cars, the intergalactic aliens we were introduced to in the first movie start appearing, destroying everything, and killing everyone.
Fast forward to day 474, just minutes after the ending of A Quiet Place, where Lee died heroically to save his kids. Now, the remaining Abbotts, which includes a newborn infant, decide to leave their farm to find the other survivors. This is where Emmett reenters the picture. Now bearded, tired, and haunted by the deaths of his own family, Emmett refuses to take Evelyn and her kids to his sanctuary, believing that in this new world, no people are worth saving anymore — an interesting idea that a lot of dystopian movies and TV have introduced so many times before, though this time, Krasinski is only interested at poking fun at it without actually delving into it. A bummer.
So much of what happens in A Quiet Place Part II is just an introduction to more compelling ideas. While Emmett’s grief gets explored enough, giving the movie a bit of emotional depth, the same thing can not be said when it comes to the Abbotts. The patriarch of the family has just died, and no one appears to be looking crushed or heartbroken. Of course, living in a world with dangerous monsters lurking around can be the reason why they’ve got no time to mourn. But it doesn’t make seeing them just move forward so easily less strange. It’s almost as though the movie is set a couple of years after Lee’s death, not just the day after. And if “no time to grieve because there are monsters everywhere” is really the reason why Krasinski decides to not highlight the family’s heartache, then making Emmett, who’s dealing with the same stuff as the Abbotts and is someone who’s so consumed by his loss, seems pretty contradictory in the end.
What made A Quiet Place great and different than the other dystopian horror is that even though the matter of survival serves an important role in the narrative, it never forgets about the human drama at its center. But in Part II, the closest the movie has to being emotional is just a brief interaction between Emmett and Regan halfway to the ending, which speaks more to Murphy and Simmonds’ performances rather than the writing. Krasinski focuses so much on making things bigger that he forgets about the magic of the first movie, which is the smaller, intimate moments and the heartfelt dynamic between the characters. It’s a completely missed opportunity.
Disjointed Narrative
During the second half, Part II is divided into three narratives. The first revolves around Emmet and Regan as they try to get to a nearby island after believing that the people there might need some help; then, there’s Evelyn, who goes to collect more oxygen tank for her baby; and the last centers on Marcus who’s left alone to look after his brother. Krasinski clearly wants to amp up the tension by splitting up the characters, but in the process, all these narratives end up feeling more like a series of disconnected events with plenty of unnecessary jump-scares.
Yes, editor Michael P. Shawver tailors each scene as best as he could — at times, it even mirrors Spielberg or Christopher Nolan‘s films, editing-wise. And yes, the sound design remains terrific, both nerve-wracking and immersive. But there’s only so much that the technical aspects can accomplish when the writing isn’t even great, to begin with. Krasinski has proven himself that he’s a solid director and scriptwriter in the first movie, but now looking at how inert Part II is, the actor-turned-filmmaker might actually bite off more than he can chew this time around.
Conclusion
When A Quiet Place Part II works, it really works. The performances from the cast — especially from Murphy and Simmonds — remain fantastic. The sound design and the claustrophobic cinematography offer enough tension. But unfortunately, for the most part, and because of Krasinski‘s poor writing and decision-making, the movie falls flat.
What do you think of the ending? Let us know in the comments below!
A Quiet Place Part II was released in theaters on May 28, 2021, and will be released in the UK on June 3, 2021.
Watch A Quiet Place Part II
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