'A Quiet Place: Part II' Review

Synopsis: Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.

Runtime: 97 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for terror, violence, and bloody/disturbing images)

Who should see it? Fans of sci-fi horror and the first film.

Written and directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place: Part II picks up right where A Quiet Place left off. The first film snuck up on me as I was amazed that "Jim from The Office" had the sensibilities of a great horror director. Sequels are even trickier to pull off, especially in the shadow of such a fresh, original concept, so I once again tempered my expectations. The follow-up to Krasinski's 2018 mainstream horror hit was supposed to be experienced by audiences over a year ago. In fact, I had tickets to a double feature screening last March that was canceled about a week beforehand as cinemas shut down around the world in response to COVID-19. Naturally, I eagerly awaited the day I'd get to see the sequel. And I'm glad to say that day finally arrived as theaters appear to now be on the upswing!

In A Quiet Place: Part II, viewers get to explore more of the post-apocalyptic landscape teased by the first film. As the world expands, it's quite evident that the budget did as well. For one, there are more sets and locations for the family to explore, and the monsters are shown onscreen much more frequently. Krasinski also demonstrates a more refined control of the camera as the technical filmmaking gets a boost as well. Narratively, I was relieved that Part II never felt like it was retreading its predecessor. Like the first film, the story is simple but effective. Krasinski even develops a plethora of uniquely intense circumstances for his cast to face and ensure viewers are on the edge of their seats. 

Something I didn't previously consider was that fending off the monsters would seem easier this time around since the Abbott family discovered their weakness at the end of the prior installment. I was surprised to see how Krasinski ensured the characters would remain vulnerable and face plenty of hair-raising challenges. The fight is more balanced, but the odds are not always in the Abbott family's favor as they struggle to survive. Krasinski also found creative solutions that allowed for more dialogue as opposed to the few spoken words in the first film. The sound design is once again the star of this sequel, as the hushed atmosphere ushers in a feeling of uneasiness at what's to come.  

The quaint ensemble from the original film return, with a baby in tow and the notable additions of Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. Though Emily Blunt gets top billing, Millicent Simmonds is undoubtedly the film's lead. Simmonds astounded me in the original film but continues to impress here with a remarkably nuanced performance. That said, each member of the Abbott family is given time to shine, and Blunt, Murphy, Simmonds, and Jupe lend plenty of gravitas to this creature feature. If you watch the films back-to-back, it is admittedly noticeable that Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds aged between filming. However, I prefer suspending disbelief over any uncanny digital de-aging. 

A Quiet Place: Part II may not match the emotional heights of the first, but the thrills, story, and character work are just as gripping. Without the element of surprise, Part II proves itself to be a sequel worthy of impassioned discussion. 

Film Assessment: A-

Top 10 Films of 2018

Just like that, another year has come and gone. It's become an annual tradition for me to share my ten favorite films of the year and I always enjoy reflecting on what I've seen. If you read most of my reviews, some of these selections may not be that surprising, but I think there may be a couple placements or choices which people won't see coming. This year I've seen 81 new releases in total, which is 10 more than last year. There are still quite a few reviews I need to write, but those will come in due time. Like always, I've noted some honorable mentions and will write a brief blurb about each film to justify its place on my list. I have uploaded reviews for them all, so if you're interested and haven't done so already, you can read my more in-depth thoughts by clicking the blue title once you're done perusing my list. 

Top 10 Films of 2018

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical order): Annihilation, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, If Beale Street Could Talk, Paddington 2, Roma, Thoroughbreds, Vice, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, and You Were Never Really Here.

10. Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy turned out to be one of the most emotional viewing experiences I've ever had in the theater. Some may call it emotionally manipulative, but I felt every emotional beat was well-earned on account of a layered story and excellent, career-best performances from Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carrell. The narrative structure is occasionally a little messy, but that only adds to the honest, down-to-earth depiction of addiction in my eyes. As a poignant, tearjerking cautionary tale about the perils of addiction, it more than serves its purpose. Also, have tissues on hand.

9. A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place snuck up on me earlier this year and turned out to be one of the most engaging and creative mainstream horror films I've seen in quite some time. I'm honestly not huge on the horror genre as a whole, but A Quiet Place quickly invested me in its story, concept, and characters with an excellent opening. On account of its terrific technical precision and exceptional core ensemble, Krasinski managed to make a horror film with heart as well as solid scares.

8. Mary Poppins Returns

To put it plainly, Mary Poppins Returns is an utter delight. A simply splendid sequel that is, dare I say it, even better than the original... Thanks to a cheery, whimsical disposition, charming musical numbers, and a towering lead performance from Emily Blunt, it wound up being the spoonful of sugar I needed this holiday season.

7. Avengers: Infinity War

As the cinematic culmination of nineteen films and ten years of storytelling, Avengers: Infinity War is a unique and unprecedented achievement. A blockbuster of this scale simply has never been done. In terms of sheer spectacle, it is astounding, and I'm still impressed the Russo Bros managed to balance that immense ensemble as well as they did. However, my opinion of it has somewhat diminished since my first viewing as I came to the realization the grand spectacle often overshadowed any character growth and Avengers: Endgame could make or break it in the long run.

6. Widows

While being a riveting heist film, Widows is a superb character drama which features tons of well-woven social commentary and some of the best filmmaking I've seen all year. McQueen's got plenty to say and a lot of ground to cover but somehow gets away executing a complex smash-and-grab without sacrificing quality or entertainment value.

5. The Favourite

Devious plotting, elaborate machinations, and a trio of renowned female performers operating at peak capacity made The Favourite one of my favorites. It's sharp, twisted, and delightfully wicked. What more could you request?

4. Eighth Grade

Rarely do modern coming-of-age films offer an authentic representation of teenage life today. Fortunately, Bo Burnham gets it right, and Elsie Fisher provides a lead performance which is wonderfully sincere and among the best acting I've seen all year... and she's only fifteen! Eighth Grade is honest, hilarious, heartfelt, and relatable above all. Eighth Grade reminds audiences of awkward, cringe-worthy mess that is their teenage years, and within minutes, it's like we're reliving the moments we often over-exaggerate as the worst of our brief, privileged existence.

3. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

The hyper-stylized, frenetic animation style seen in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is truly unlike anything else I've ever seen. Not only is the film breathtakingly beautiful, but it understands the idea of Spider-Man better than any of the wall-crawler's live-action outings. Anyone can wear the mask. Anyone can be Spider-Man, which is perhaps why the character's still a staple of pop-culture. It swung towards the top of my list very late in the year, but instantly became a favorite of mine in terms of both animation and cinematic comic-book adaptations! Most importantly, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a love letter to Spidey and a fitting tribute to the legacy of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

2. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

It's telling when the sixth entry in a long-running spy series manages to up the ante and stand apart as not only the best franchise installment yet but also one of the greatest action films ever made. Mission: Impossible - Fallout is exhilarating from start-to-finish and a pulse-pounding exercise in action. Every major stunt and set piece in Fallout ranks among the best I've seen all year and the genre as a whole. Cruise's willingness to perform the stunts himself only further enhances the insanity, as it lends a greater deal of authenticity to the proceedings. In Fallout, the action, plot, and character all work in tandem to deliver the edge of your seat suspense audiences have come to expect from the series and McQuarrie even dares to question the effectiveness of the franchise's central hero.

1. First Man

In First Man, Damien Chazelle perfectly balances the intimate and grandiose nature of space. There's an imminent sense of danger as you watch astronauts enter a bucket of bolts intent on blasting off into space. In regards to the moon landing, Chazelle positioned one of the most infamous American achievements as an introspective and emotional affair. First Man takes one small step for cinematic space-exploration, and one giant leap for cementing Chazelle's position as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today!

'A Quiet Place' Review

Nominated For: Best Sound Editing. 

A Quiet Place follows a family who lives in silence because creatures drawn by sound threaten their survival. To say anything else regarding the plot would risk spoilers, and I'd rather not ruin the experience for anyone.

John Krasinski, whom you may be most familiar with as Jim from The Office, directed and co-wrote A Quiet Place in addition to starring in the film alongside real life spouse Emily Blunt. A Quiet Place marks Krasinski's third feature length directorial effort, but it also represents his first foray into the horror/thriller genre. Considering his comedic background and the natural difficulties of crafting unique and effective scares, the odds were certainly stacked against Krasinski. However, I'm starting to think comedians may be best-suited to directing these types of films after considering Jordan Peele's remarkable directorial debut last year and Krasinski's outstanding work here.

A Quiet Place is a film which relishes in its intriguing post-apocalyptic environment. If the monsters hear you, you're toast. Say "Hi." Dead. Drop something? Better start running as stealthily as you possibly can before the creatures catch you. Make any noise and you'll be dead in a matter of seconds. In this world, silence is survival. Therefore, this family has been forced to fundamentally adapt their entire way of life in order to persevere. They communicate almost entirely through sign language, carry around bags of sand to cover pathways, and walk around barefoot to make minimal noise. While this concept is undeniably quite creative, it's ultimately the execution that matters most, not the idea itself. Under lesser hands, A Quiet Place could have simply been standard horror-fare. Fortunately, Krasinski's in charge though, as he and his crew prove up to the task of delivering a spectacularly suspenseful, sound-driven thriller. 

As I've already insinuated, A Quiet Place is a film that lives or dies based on a few very important things. Obviously, sound is integral to everything. Therefore, A Quiet Place relies almost entirely on sound to craft a suspenseful atmosphere, and it is with great pleasure that I say the sound design is seriously SUPERB and Marco Beltrami's score is incredibly effective in immersing the audiences into a terrifying turn of events. The sound editing and sound mixing stand out as some of the most noteworthy work I've seen in a film since Baby Driver (not including sci-fi or war films). There's an unbelievable attention of detail to noises normally slight, subtle, and lost to the loud hub-bub of busy environments. You'll be able to hear the faintest footstep, the rustling of leaves, and even the actors' breathing if your audience cooperates. The film will be best experienced in the quietest possible theater, so I'd actually recommend purposely going to an early or late showing to see it with a smaller crowd if your schedule permits. 

Otherwise, A Quiet Place is an exceptional directorial display from Krasinski all around. The film's perfectly paced at a reasonable runtime of ninety minutes and it's worth noting that Charlotte Bruus Christensen often framed the camera so that it appears as though the characters are being watched by some sort of predator. Of course, it also helps that Krasinski, Bryan Woods, and Scott Beck were able to write a well-throughout screenplay with logic, stakes, and an emotional element. Oftentimes, characters in a horror film suffer from an overbearing and obnoxious incompetence. Well, that's not the case in A Quiet Place. The Abbott family have prepared a contingency for everything. It's the unforeseen and unavoidable accidents which ratchet up the tension. I found the film to be gripping from beginning-to-end as I sat on the edge of my seat anxious about the inevitability of these characters generating noise. 

When it happens, every moment onward becomes an absolute nail-biter as you immediately understand the importance of preserving silence. On that note, the creatures are creepy, but I didn't include images of them to preserve the element of surprise. You'll see them earlier than you probably expect to, but once you do, you'll nervously bide your time hoping you don't have to see them again because their appearance spells certain doom for those around. 

The lynch pin of it all though is undoubtedly the impressive acting on display. Without a convincing look of fear in an actor's face, everything falls apart. And on that note, the actors are handicapped without the ability to speak due to the obvious story implications. There are some inventive workarounds for this, but they're few and far between, so the actors are ultimately tasked with communicating a family dynamic through mere facial expressions and sign language. John Krasinski and Emily Blunt effectively measure up to the challenge set before them, playing parents and spouses Lee and Evelyn. As one might suspect, their real life marriage authenticates their chemistry and enhances the intimacy between their characters so you feel the connection between them even without dialogue to reaffirm it. Both actors also offer extraordinary performances independently of one another and shine in specific sequences I wouldn't dare spoil.

As for the young performers, I was enamored with the performances from both Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. Simmonds and Jupe portray siblings Regan and Marco respectively, and both child actors communicated remarkably well without words. I found out afterwards that Simmonds is actually deaf, which only lent further credence to her character's condition. One may shrug off her performance because of this, but I'd say that's an example of shortsightedness because Simmonds showcases true talent through her various heightened emotional states. 

To say I was speechless after watching A Quiet Place would be an understatement, as I had no idea how to best articulate its brilliance to my readership. Those interested in seeing the next great horror film better listen up because A Quiet Place is absolutely unrelenting. It will probably be awhile before people stop talking about it.

Film Assessment: A+