Are things getting back to normal? Maybe, as I have made my second trip to the cinema this year. Well, strictly speaking it is my third trip as I attempted to see A Quiet Place Part II on bank holiday Monday but was thwarted by my train breaking down!
Following the massive box office success of the original, a sequel was inevitable. Thankfully, John Krasinski returns for directing duties and this time has written the screenplay too. In many ways this is a more accomplished piece of film making. In the pre title sequence we briefly see the events on the day that the aliens arrive on earth.
That is done with a series of excellent tracking shots that really immerse the viewer in the action. After that, we are taken forward to the point the first film ended with Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and her three kids fleeing their hideaway when they stumble across family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy). The film boils up to an exciting climax as two stories unfold simultaneously.
Like the first movie there are some odd decisions made by the protagonists, but that is almost always the case in horror films. Also you might find yourself thinking “what are you waiting for” as people dither and increase their danger. However, this is mostly a great watch. Evelyn is a little bit side-lined this time, which is a shame when you have a performer of the calibre of Blunt. But that gives a chance for the brilliant Millicent Simmonds as her daughter Regan to shine.
Whilst it may not have the originality of premise of the original film, but it at least matches it in terms of tension and scares.
Rating: 8 out of 10