Sequels are usually hit or miss, not this time. While some sequels are disjointed and lack continuity from the previous film, A Quiet Place Part II takes the suspense to another level.  John Krasinski, who stars and directs, has a brilliant and creative vision for a story of survival in a setting with little to no resources, and even less places to hide.  The intensity of A Quiet Place Part II builds through many audible suspense moments that had me on the edge of my seat, wondering what danger is ahead and who is going to survive. Emily Blunt, Krasinski’s wife and co-lead, delivers a knockout performance in this second installment and is the key to the film’s chance of survival at the box office.

Picking up from the devastating impact the events of the previous film had on the Abbott family, A Quiet Place Part II follows the protagonists as they lose their home and shelter to the monstrous creatures that are sensitive to sound. Evelyn (Blunt), Regan (played by Millicent Simmonds), and Marcus (played by Noah Jupe) embark on the road in search of a new shelter.  Complicating matters are the cries of the infant child accompanying them, an unforeseen difficulty in a world where predators stalk their prey by sound.  There is hope though as they come across Emmett (played by Cillian Murphy). A Quiet Place Part II becomes an epic tale of resourcefulness as the group struggles to remain quiet and survive, aided by Regan who is deaf and uses sign language, a critical tool in the constant struggle for survival.

What spoke to me the most about this sequel is the use of sound.  There are many moments where fragments of sound can mean danger; the subsequent silence can be equally as frightening, with a jump-scare moment waiting to happen. Krasinski’s directing is purely calculated on these jump moments that paint the environment of A Quiet Place Part II as a dichotomy of sound and silence, survival and death. The expanded suspense of the characters leaving the safety of their home for the road opens doors for more questions about the best strategies for survival.

This film’s ambiance is truly best experienced in large formats. I saw this in IMAX and the use of silence made me feel like the absence of sound was itself like a character on screen, constantly signaling the acquisition of safety and the arrival of danger. I could feel the return of sound during the suspenseful payoff scenes; the atmosphere would be reverberating, and I felt I was truly immersed in the apocalyptic and creative world created by the vision of John Krasinski.

This suspense film is just brilliant, especially for a sequel. After a year and half delay due to the pandemic, A Quiet Place Part II was well worth the wait. For fans that loved the first movie, the sequel will not disappoint, with the many audiovisual elements of A Quiet Place Part II winding a path of excitement, fear, and curiosity. Four stars for A Quiet Place Part II.