'A Quiet Place Part II' (15)

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy

Where can I watch?: A Quiet Place Part II is in cinemas now

Rating: 4/5

Review: A Quiet Place Part II (AQPII, as no one's calling it) is one of those sequels that you didn't know you wanted or needed until you actually see it. Set both before and after the events of A Quiet Place, John Krasinski's much-delayed follow-up reunites us with the beleaguered Abbott family - only this time, we see the world through the eyes of Regan (Millicent Simmonds) instead of Evelyn (Emily Blunt). It's a clever decision and one that brings another dynamic to the story; through the use of her cochlear implant, Regan has the chance to continue her father's work and potentially save humanity, but at what cost?

The opening sequence is dedicated to 'Day 1', the moment the monsters arrive. Through an excellent use of sound scaping and suspense, Krasinksi expertly pulls us back into the world he crafted so deftly in The Quiet Place, and once the tension grabs you, it never lets go. There's a continuous feeling of dread running throughout the film: thanks to the death of a major character in the predecessor, the audience is completely aware that any of cast could be the next potential victim, making one sequence in particular especially nail-biting. Such a level of anxiety is created that even the obvious jump-scares managed to reduce me to a quivering wreck in my seat. There's also a potential new threat to worry about in the form of Emmett (Cillian Murphy, in particularly ambiguous mode) - is he friend or foe? He did say that those left alive weren't worth saving...

Clearly made to be enjoyed in the dark quiet of the cinema, AQPII marries an excellent use of sound, flicking between moments of silence and noise, with a taut, immersive score to create an atmosphere that's really quite terrifying. The snappy editing and equally speedy pace ensure that there's never a moment to catch your breath - the only issue is, how will the inevitable Part III match up?

A Must-Watch?: AQPII is to A Quiet Place what Aliens is to Alien: it develops from a horror franchise into a suspenseful action piece, marrying the occasion jump-scare with well-executed, high-octane scenes that don't shy away from showing the monster, but don't overdo it either. It's a thrilling piece of filmmaking, and one that deserves to be seen on the big screen. My only criticism? Not enough Emily Blunt.

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