Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

One of the surprise hits of 2018 was the horror movie A Quiet Place. I had generally enjoyed it, but was not necessarily convinced that there needed to be a sequel. So I made no rush to see A Quiet Place Part II. But I did at last get around to that... and found that I'd really been missing out.

This sequel (with a short "prequel" prologue) picks up in the immediate aftermath of the first movie, following the Abbott family as they try to survive a high-concept apocalypse of creatures who hunt you down if you make the slightest sound. This chapter revolves around efforts to locate other survivors who may have formed a stable community.

The movie landscape is now stuffed with films running two hours at least. A Quiet Place Part II is a refreshing and tight 97 minutes. Part of it being lean and mean is that it's meticulously crafted; every moment in the movie is setting something up or paying something off. Which is not to say that it's shallow; it includes major arcs for each of the characters, and some of the payoffs relate to things from the first movie (which I found myself wishing I'd rewatched before jumping into Part II).

That script is written by John Krasinski, working without the co-writers who contributed to the first movie. This solo effort is nonetheless as clever as the first film, and maybe more so. You have to forgive a few leaps in logic here and there (basically, splitting characters up when they'd be smarter not to do so). But get past those and you're rewarded with very clever set pieces, intriguing new contributions to the world, and an especially wonderful character arc for the character of Regan. (This movie is essentially hers, as much as the first belonged to Emily Blunt's Evelyn. Young actress Millicent Simmonds rises to the occasion.)

Kraskinski is an even stronger director than a writer, delivering multiple great sequences full of suspense and excitement. The technical challenges are greater here too; having "shown the monster" at the end of the first movie, CG becomes a more necessary component this time around. But things speed along briskly, the movie says what it wants to say, then abruptly rolls credits to leave you wanting more.

While I was reluctant at the idea of a Part II, I now find myself eager at the prospect of a Part III... which has been announced. So long as the same people are all involved again, in front of and behind the camera, count me in. Because I actually liked Part II better than the original, and I'd give it a B+. I actually respect the movie even more than that; rare is the sequel that can pick up the threads of a movie an intriguing way, and it's virtually unheard of in the horror genre.

In fact, I'd slot A Quiet Place Part II onto my Top 10 Movie List for the year. But which year? Back in March of 2020, the movie was actually the next major studio release scheduled when theaters began closing for COVID-19... and it was ultimately delayed all the way into 2021. Yet it is nonetheless listed as a 2020 film, because it had already had its red carpet premiere just a week before the delay. I suppose since my 2020 movie list still feels anemic (it only just reached 10 movies I'd consider decent), I'll file A Quiet Place Part II "officially" in 2020. (And pretty high on the list, at that.) In any case, I certainly recommend it.