‘I have to get back to my family…’
As a massive horror fan, I want to absorb everything in the genre immediately. Alas, because my wife also wanted to watch A Quiet Place Part II, it has taken over two years for us to get around to it. Weirdly, it was only when I mentioned that Irish heartthrob Cillian Murphy appears in this excellent sequel that she found the time to watch it with me. Can’t think why…
Picking up where the first film left off (with a bit of the origin story thrown in for good measure) Part II takes pains to ensure that it isn’t a bland retread of the sequel. The main cast remains the same with Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe returning, and Murphy comes along for the ride also and as ever he makes a great addition. While the absence of Krasinski in front of the camera is keenly felt (bar an early cameo), he once again makes his mark as a writer-director and the second entry in what will now surely become a long-running franchise only occasionally feels like a pale imitation of the source material.
With the Abbott family forced to flee following the death of their patriarch, they take shelter at the home of their former neighbour Emmett (Murphy). Meanwhile, a strange radio signal provides a glimmer of hope that other survivors may be out there. While Part II does manage to distinguish itself from the first film, it does follow a number of pretty standard post-apocalyptic tropes that sometimes feel predictable. Krasinski gets away with it because his tension-building remains excellent and at a skinny 98 minutes, the film never outstays its welcome.
With a prequel due out in 2024 and a sequel the year after that, The Quiet Place has the potential to become a long-running horror saga. I for one would be delighted to see that happen. While it never comes close to matching the sheer intensity of the first film, Part II must still go down as a raging success.