A Quiet Place Part 2 – Non-Spoiler Review

Friends, the other evening after finishing my shift at the movie theater, I was able to check out A Quiet Place 2, the first film I have been able to watch since becoming an employee as a matter of fact. I had to work very hard to not get spoiled by anything, this was especially tough when acting as an usher, preparing to thank the patrons as they are leaving the auditoriums means that there are times I am standing in front of an open door with the last few minutes of the film playing. With a bit of luck as well as the fact I had some very understanding co-workers, I managed to stay away from anything that would ruin the film before I had a chance to see it. It has been a long wait to see A Quiet Place Part 2 and while I will only touch upon what you might see in the trailers for the film, I can honestly say that I personally felt it was worth the wait.

A Quiet Place Part 2 sheds some light on the origins of the sound sensitive monsters that seem to have rendered the world into a nearly silent post-apocalyptic place. I realize that there are hints given in the first film about where the monsters came from, if memory serves there are newspapers and notes written on the dry-erase board that Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) has set up in his family’s house. But after a pretty intense opening that gives us a glimpse of what it was like when the monsters first arrived in the town of Millbrook, as well as introducing an important new character, the film picks up right after the ending of the 2018 movie. And while the Abbotts might have a way to fight back against the monsters now, thanks to Regan’s (Millicent Simmonds) cochlear implant providing painful feedback to the violent creatures – they cannot stay at the farm due to the fire in the barn and the flooding in the house.

Emily Blunt, who delivers an incredibly strong performance as Evelyn Abbott, must attempt to protect her two teenage children, Regan and Marcus (Noah Jupe), and now a newborn baby in a world where just a rattled glass could bring quick death. It is Regan who notices a lone signal fire in the distant, offering the possibility of other survivors willing to lend them aid. But has a world of silence and the strain of just trying to live one more day without alerting the roaming monsters just changed humanity too much?

That is a very important question posed in A Quiet Place 2, and something that the Abbotts are confronted with when they reach Emmet, played by Cillian Murphy, who is holed up at an old steel foundry. It is pretty evident right from their first meeting that Emmet has prepped the place to not only be alerted of any of the monsters nosing around, but he’s barricaded more than the foundry, the man has done his best to pretty much distance himself from any feelings or connections to the outside world.

Being a post-apocalyptic world isn’t just because of the monsters, the end of the world can bring out the worst in people, even those folks who might have once been neighbors. But the takeaway from the film, which was written and directed by Krasinski, is that there is always hope or at the very least doing the right thing is worth fighting for. A Quiet Place 2 is a rare movie sequel that feels like a logical continuation of the story that delivers thrills and chills as well as plenty of heart. The performances from the entire cast are fantastic but I think special praise needs to be given to Millicent Simmonds, not only does her character carry the weight of the majority of the movie, but she is deftly able to hold her own with the likes of Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Peaky Blinders).

In closing out this article, if you liked A Quiet Place, you should do your best to head out to theater and check out the sequel for yourself. Here is hoping that the film will continue to do good business, that way we might get a trilogy out of the series.