WARNING: The following contains spoilers for A Quiet Place II, now in theatres
A Quiet Place II follows the immediate events of the preceding film. The narrative focuses on the Abbott family -- Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and the children's newborn sibling -- as they try to survive in a world decimated by the arrival of mysterious and murderous Monsters from space. However, the three also quickly end up separated from each other upon finding shelter with their friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), from before the world fell apart. Since the film is already purposefully disjointed, it could have been an exciting chance to fully explore the world -- if it had been produced as a mini-series instead of a movie.
While an injured Marcus watches over the infant, his mother seeks out medicine and bandages to save his life. Meanwhile, Regan sets off to reach a radio tower to broadcast the sounds that hurt the Monster from the previous film across a larger distance, hopefully, bring them elsewhere. Emmett follows and soon joins her in her mission.
Each of these plot lines largely operates independently of each other, with each encountering its own unique challenges with little backup. Evelyn returns to a local pharmacy, moving through what is, in essence, a ghost town to secure enough supplies while making as little noise as possible. Marcus has to figure out how to keep his infant sibling quiet while maintaining their oxygen supply, which becomes more difficult once the pair ends up trapped behind a steel door. Regan and Emmett deal with both hardship and surprise during their journey. They encounter a pack of almost savage humans who've adapted to a world with the Monsters as well as a small town that's successfully rebuilt on an island and is responsible for the broadcast signal.
Each of these sequences is an inherently interesting idea, using the narrative trick of the character's silence to create massive tension out of simple actions like walking through a hall or trying to board a boat. But each plotline is also somewhat hindered by the briefness by which they play out. Due to A Quiet Place II's quick pace and short run-time, the tension isn't mined as completely as it could be. Viewers get a broad idea of how this world works and who inhabits it but without a better understanding of the concepts. The scavagers and the town Regan encounters are perfect examples, both compelling ideas that just don't have the time to be fully utilized. This results in almost all of the situations ending the same -- loud noise, attract Monster, repeat -- and eventually give the film a predictable rhythm.
As a film, there's little time to focus on the Abbott family's arcs either, with Evelyn largely pushed to the side while her children try to survive primarily on their own. In a mini-series, entire episodes could focus on each corner of the world, allowing the entire family to develop more fully. Interesting elements of this world, such as the savage group of scavengers or the island-set town, would get more space to be explored. Even attempts to counter the Monsters could have been given a bigger showcase.
Even Emmett, who is painted in a clear light and given a good amount of gravitas by Cillian Murphy, could have been afforded more time to really shine as a character. His contrast against the Abbott family is inherently tragic. Still, it could have been heartbreaking to actually see play out, instead of the film's more erudite and straightforward description of events. The world of A Quiet Place II is strong enough to deserve additional attention. It's just a shame it never got the chance to be fully explored.
A Quiet Place II isn't a bad film by any stretch of the imagination. It's also not a slow film, with the quick pace helping keep the movie from dragging despite the overall plot largely being "don't die." But if there had been more time to explore the world, it could have become something truly special or, at the very least, a universe that another follow-up could further flesh out.
Written and directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place: Part II stars Emily Blunt, Djimon Hounsou, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds and Cillian Murphy. The film arrives in theaters May 28
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