A Quiet Place: Part II

Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place: Part II picks up almost immediately after the events of the first film and follows the surviving Abbotts (Emily Blunt’s Evelyn, Millicent Simmonds’ Regan, and Noah Jupe’s Marcus) as they attempt to find their way to safe haven. Filmmaker Krasinski, working from his own screenplay, does a fantastic job of effectively (and immediately) luring the viewer into the briskly-paced proceedings, as A Quiet Place: Part II kicks off with a palpably enthralling sequence detailing the series’ aliens initial arrival on our planet – with the visceral, thrilling bent of this engrossing prologue rivaling anything within the (admittedly superior) original film in terms of complete and total excitement. From there, however, the picture segues into a somewhat hit-and-miss midsection that doesn’t feel quite as streamlined or pared-down as one might’ve liked (and preferred) – with the less-than-spellbinding vibe compounded by a small handful of subplots and character beats that just don’t work all that well. (This is especially true of the treatment of Blunt’s Evelyn, who, despite being set up as a Ripley-esque ass-kicker at the close of A Quiet Place, ultimately takes a disappointingly passive role in the movie’s events.) Such concerns are, for the most part, rendered moot by the uniformly compelling performances and continuing presence of absolutely captivating suspense-oriented interludes, which does, when coupled with an electrifying climax, cement A Quiet Place: Part II‘s place as a top-notch sequel that predominantly fares better than expected.

***1/2 out of ****