#noahjupe

I just uploaded a quick spoiler free review of “A Quiet Place 2″ .  I hope anyone who watches enjoys

A Quiet Place Part II is at least as good as the original, which says a lot. Tense, tightly written, with strong performances and a story that’s worth telling, the wait's been worth it.

Following the events of the first film, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), and her children Regan (Milicent Simmonds), and Marcus (Noah Jupe) are searching for refuge and a way to care for the new baby. Armed with a new weapon against the blind creatures who've wiped out most of humanity, they hope a former family friend, Emmett (Cylian Murphy), will be willing to help.

This Part II gets things right by asking a simple question: “then what?”. The Abbott family have lost their home and their father but they’ve gained knowledge about the aliens. There’s hope, though the victory they scored at the end of the first movie was small. The next step is to share their discovery with the world but venturing outside means interacting with other people. I know what you’re thinking. This is a post-apocalyptic film. Cue the marauders and scavengers. One of my favorite things about A Quiet Place Part II is that it addresses the fact that when any disaster strikes, we can expect the worst of humanity to come out… but also the best. Regan will not let her father's sacrifice go in vain. She doesn't blame her brother for being afraid or her mother for wanting to take care of what the family has left so she decides to go out on her own. She’s brave, self-sufficient, and tough. So what if she’s unable to hear the monsters as they creep towards her? Her resolve will compensate.

Though the film cannot surprise us the way its predecessor did, the top-notch writing makes up for it. I know it doesn’t sound like much for actions to have consequences and tie into each other but writer/director John Krasinski keeps wowing you. In most movies, you can see what’s coming next simply by keeping track of what the camera highlights. Here, actions create ripples with multiple consequences. An object left behind means the first character won't have it in a way that makes a scene more intense than it could've possibly been otherwise. Then, a second person will pick it up later. You thought you knew where the consequences would end but it was just the beginning. Everything is properly foreshadowed but there’s so much going back to things, and things setting up other things that you don’t see what’s coming next. You’re not waiting for the characters to catch up to you, you’re running alongside them.

A Quiet Place Part II builds upon its world, it enriches your relationship with the characters through flashbacks (this is where John Krasinski gets to reprise his role) and growth. Tension is masterfully generated by separating the family and keeping you wondering what's coming next, revealing a dire situation, then reversing it. You get to breathe just enough for things to begin again - all largely through its visuals and performances rather than dialogue. Even in a non-pandemic year, this would be one of the summer's highlights.   (July 16, 2021)