A Quiet Place (1 & 2)
A QUIET PLACE (15)
D: John Krasinski
Paramount/Platinum Dunes (Michael Bay, Andrew Form & Bradley Fuller)
US 2018
90 mins
Horror/Drama
W: John Krasinski, Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
DP: Charlotte Bruus Christensen
Ed: Christopher Tellefsen
Mus: Marco Beltrami
Emily Blunt (Evelyn Abbott), John Krasinski (Lee Abbott), Millicent Simmonds (Regan Abbott), Noah Jupe (Marcus Abbott), Cade Woodward (Beau Abbott)
A Quiet Place is best enjoyed in a quiet place, as the atmospheric tension is built up through the film's use of sound (or lack of).
The story places right in the middle of the situation, set in a post apocalyptic near future where a species of creature has hunted mankind into virtual extinction. The only surviving family are the Abbotts, who have adapted to this reality by communicating in sign language and undertaking daily chores in silence... but they must prepare for a big test when it emerges that Evelyn is pregnant and the due date is fast approaching.
This is very much a drama film, although it does have massive horror quotient on the plot device, and John Krasinski does an excellent job directing, as well as co-writing and starring in this movie, as well as Emily Blunt and the other co-stars who fully achieve telling the story without the usual conventional dialogue.
The CGI monsters aren't as polished as they could be, but they still pose a threatening and frightening menace even though the film doesn't resort to jump scares to achieve terror.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that the movie was produced by Michael Bay. Thankfully, there are no ear-splitting pyrotechnic displays to suggest this during the running time.
8/10
A QUIET PLACE: PART II (15)
D: John Krasinski
Paramount / Platinum Dunes / Sunday Night (Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller & John Krasinski)
US 🇺🇸 2021
97 mins
Horror/Adventure
W: John Krasinski [based on characters created by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck]
DP: Polly Morgan
Ed: Michael P. Shawver
Mus: Marco Beltrami
Emily Blunt (Evelyn Abbott), Cillian Murphy (Emmett), Millicent Simmonds (Regan Abbott), Noah Jupe (Marcus Abbott), John Krasinski (Lee Abbott)
A sequel to the 2018 horror A Quiet Place, which I personally felt didn’t need a follow-up, but since that film made a lot of money here we are…
The opening scene is set prior to the events of the first film, showing the origins of the alien species, which is very well directed, but completely unnecessary. Personally, I always think that there should be some mystery to be left up to the viewer’s imagination, but that’s a rarity with films nowadays.
The rest of the story takes place after the events of the first film, where the surviving members of the Abbott family leave their home and venture beyond their farm to look for other survivors in the post-apocalyptic world, joining up with Emmett, a recluse who was once friends with the family, but the alien species are still in pursuit.
Armed with a bigger budget than the first film, it seems to be a case of bigger, louder and more. A shame, since I thought the first films strengths were that less is more and it built up the tension and claustrophobia perfectly by being set at one primary location.
As a sequel, it isn’t bad, but it really wasn’t necessary as all the heart & soul was in the first movie.
6/10
