A Quiet Place Part II: Movie Review

 Horror film sequels are usually a category to avoid. Most movie-goers give them a wide berth, and for a good reason: they're pretty disappointing, if not absolute shit. I'm glad to say that is not the case with 'A Quiet Place Part 2'.

When the first one dropped in 2018, the sensory experience of 'A Quiet Place' was unlike anything else I'd felt while watching a movie in the cinema. For most of the movie, there was little to no dialogue, and the audience was so engaged, they were scared to make any noise either. The sequel picks up where the first one left off: John Krasinski's character is dead, the family have figured out a way to beat/kill the sound-based monsters, and need to find a new haven. Plus, there's a newborn baby, something notorious for making loud noises at the wrong time.

Evelyn Abbot played by Emily Blunt now has to lead her remaining family to safety. Her deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) is trying to establish her own identity as a late-teen while also doing more for her people. She doesn't want to be seen as a liability but as a capable member of their tiny squad. Meanwhile, younger brother Marcus is trying to cope with the loss of his dad. He also wishes he could be of more use. Their goal: find more survivors and help humanity fight back.

'A Quiet Place Part 2' introduces more characters into the plot, expanding the story's universe to other areas. It also shows the other sides of a post-apocalyptic situation where humans with lesser morals choose to loot others for their own needs and wants.  Even with a far more dangerous enemy species taking over the planet, humans will make enemies among themselves. The first new character is Emmett, played brilliantly by Cillian Murphy. Their encounter stems from Marcus getting his leg caught in a beartrap, which leads to being chased by the aliens, and accidentally running into Emmett who helps them escape and hide.

He is known to the Abbotts as a friend from a time before the aliens but is hesitant to share his limited supplies. Emmett reconsiders and offers temporary shelter to Evelyn and her three kids. In their hideout, they update each other of their losses and Regan goes on to share her discovery of the alien's weakness. She'd found a way to weaponise her hearing aids to broadcast screechy soundwaves with a portable amplifier. It's added weight, but without it, the guns are almost useless.

The characters then find themselves split into smaller parties: Evelyn goes to get fresh O2 canisters for the sound-proofed baby basket, Marcus stays back in the hideout to protect the baby, while Regan runs off to chase a clue that could lead them to a survivor's camp and Emmett goes after her to bring her back to her family. Despite their initial dislike for each other, Regan and Emmett begin to bond as they battle monsters and bandits after confirming the presence of a haven not far from them. Telling you the rest would be spoiling the plotline, but trust me when I say it's worth the watch.

The sequel also features a few flashback sequences to tell more about what happened to create their present reality. Some of these scenes could have been shorter, but I suppose some audiences prefer the emotional moments to be stretched out.

'A Quiet Place Part 2' is not as brilliant as the first one, but it's a helluva sequel that ticks a lot of boxes for an enjoyable cinematic experience. Krasinki's smashed it again as the director and co-writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck also deserve fair credit for the characters and the premise.

This movie's theatre release was indeed delayed due to the global pandemic from the second half of 2020 to the second half of 2021. It's the kind of film you get to enjoy in a cineplex but I'm sure it'd also make for pretty good late-night viewing with noise-cancelling headphones.

I'd rate 'A Quiet Place Part 2' at 7 out of 9 ice-cream scoops. If you have the time, I'd even suggest watching both instalments back-to-back for a good horror movie night. And remember, enjoy these movies in silence (you may have to tell a movie buddy to shut up), with no chatting, or slurping, or noisy snacks like popcorn and nachos.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fast X: Movie Review

Image
This is it, the final instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise that started all the way back in 2001. To be precise, it's the first part of the tenth and final instalment in the series. There was a lot of build-up around this one with various petrolhead circles making plans for group viewings. But I wanted my Fast X experience to be as unadulterated as possible. I did not even watch a single trailer and did not have any inkling about what to expect in terms of stunts and new characters. I did not mention story plot expectations because I knew that there probably wasn't going to be one, not really.   Everything from hereon can be considered a spoiler, so skip to the final para for a rating/assessment. The "Plot" The central storyline, if that's what we can call it, for Fast X gives us a flashback to 'Fast Five' (arguably one of the best movies in the series in terms of heist sequences). We are treated to some tear-jerking flashbacks of Paul Walker as ...
Read more

Red Notice: Movie Review

Image
 It's quite common for movies to be made with no plot, a cast of popular actors with loyal fanbases and a big CGI budget. Red Notice is one of those movies. Netflix has been churning out an increasing number of platform-exclusive movies, but it's now harder to find good ones. When they dropped the first trailer for this action-flick starring Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson, I knew I was going to watch it as a fan of the Canadian funnyman. They also showed Gal Gadot as a key character to onboard a slew of horny teens as well. The movie plot is a treasure hunt for an Egyptian artefact, a bejewelled golden egg and part of a set of three, known as Cleopatra's eggs. It explains off the bat that the term Red Notice is the highest wanted level in Interpol, which is a sort of global police agency. The movie then introduces us to a generically-sassy boss lady Inspector Das, played by Ritu Arya, who's chasing one of the best art thieves in the world. She enters the scene accompa...
Read more

How A Brand Image Can Be Ruined By Its Own People

Image
In a highly competitive business environment, the only sustainable option is to build a brand that attracts certain types of buyers with quality products catering to their interests. Or to put it simply, brand image is key for long-term success. Unfortunately, too many brands make simple mistakes that can undo years of marketing exercises and not even realise it. The one I want to talk about here is how brand image is ruined/tarnished by its employees and affiliates.  I recently attended the Indian MotoGP and due to event circumstances, my tickets were adjusted to a different stand at the Buddh International Circuit. Mind you, these were far from the more affordable tickets and had a lot to live up to. My new seats were in a stand that had been rebranded as the Yamaha stand with massive tapestries and flags all around. The MotoGP is a three-day event with the main race on the final day. The first two days, casual fans did not bother to show up so that meant the stand was at half-ca...
Read more