K.T Simpson
It’s the sequel John Krasinski swears he hadn’t planned, until well after “A Quiet Place” had dominated the box office in 2018 – if true, “A Quiet Place Part II” makes for one hell of an afterthought.
A riveting opening sequence- arguably best moment in the film – chronicles how the lead-up to the creature invasion of the first film. It’s here that we see a lighter side of patriarch Lee Abbott (Krasinski) , wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt), deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and son Marcus (Noah Jupe), before they were forced to fend themselves against sound-chasing fiends.
The film then catches up with present day Evelyn, and the kids, as they embark on a mission to find a new home. En route, they’re begrudgingly rescued by neighbor Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a forlorn lone gun (his family didn’t make it), and shack up in his makeshift quarters.
While some of the surprises, and the novelty of watching a film without much of an audio track, might’ve worn off, “A Quiet Place Part II” is an extremely well-written, and superbly performed, middle chapter. Anchored with a powerful lead turn by young actress Millicent ‘Millie’ Davis, as determined daughter Regan (here embarking on a plight to find safe land), director Krasinski pushes commanding, convincing performances from a quartet of gifted thesps. While Blunt and franchise newcomer Cillian Murphy are expectantly solid, the follow-up is a real showcase for the youngsters, with Davis and Noah Jupe turning in award-worthy performances.
If it weren’t for the fact that Krasinski clearly has another sequel in mind this time around, he likely could’ve added another half-hour to the film, bringing more closure and more punch to it’s abrupt finale. Still, there’s an hour-and-a-half of excellent storytelling here not to be dismissed by a squat runtime.
Lets get it out of the way, this is an incredible 4K disc. With HDR10 and Dolby Vision, the film absolutely pops on the small screen. Detail is sharp, colours look natural and striking, and the black levels are amazing (though my Samsung struggles with the blacks sometimes, as fellow QLED owners will attest). The Dolby Vision though is where the movie comes alive though – make sure you’ve got the amp on, and the center speakers adjusted correctly for this one.
Extras may be thin to bare (a few short featurettes on the BD) but the audio and video quality of the UHD disc makes it more than a worthwhile buy.
