The Mosley Review: A Quiet Place Part II

I want you to think about your favorite wine. Think of that label that you can spot amongst the rest of the bottles on the rack. You know the accents of flavor and the bite of the alcohol. Its the perfect blend that you reach for when you feel the need for something special to go with your dinner. If the first film was that perfect bottle, then this film is the glass full of the same perfection. It is so rare for sequels in the horror thriller genre to continue what made the original so great and this film was an outstanding follow up to an already surprising debut. The same amount of care to the tone and characters was universal in every scene. I loved that the story of how it all began was explored from the perspective of the family and not the typical governmental aspect. The origins of the creatures are revealed, but with enough mystery still intact. The opening 10 minutes was enough of a showcase of the elegance in the directing and visual storytelling skills of the writer and director. The characters are what you care about and that same family drama mixed with horror tone is still intact and it makes the characters all the more compelling.

John Krasinski returns for a bit as Lee Abbott and he was just as fantastic as he was in the first film. Emily Blunt was once again a powerhouse as Evelyn Abbott. She continues being the rock her children can count on and I loved seeing her fight to stay calm in the face of certain doom. Noah Jupe was excellent again as their son Marcus and he gets put through the ringer in this chapter. The boy is so talented and I loved a certain scene between him and his baby sibling. Cillian Murphy joins the cast as Emmett an old friend to the Abbott family. I loved seeing him as the parallel to the Abbott family as he goes through an even rougher time dealing with these creatures. He helps open that door to seeing how others have survived in this living nightmare. Djimon Hounsou was great as always and I won't say who he is the film, but I loved seeing him pop up. Once again the spotlight is on the same actress that made the first film all the more powerful, returns. Millicent Simmonds shines as Regan Abbott and I love the determination and strength she exudes in every scene. She was one of the keys to their survival and I loved seeing the next step she takes to save her family and possibly the world. I loved her in every scene and the moments with her brother in the film were especially triumphant in delivering the raw emotion. This is such a wonderful and the most perfect cast I've seen in a long time.

The score by the magnificent Marco Beltrami was just as powerful and even more so this time around as he accents the many moments of surprise, terror and heart. The sound design was a character in of itself in the original and it is the true centerpiece in this film. Not only with nature, but it is also used to great degree to immerse you into Regan's perspective as she faces more of those creatures. Again, the first 10 minutes is great for the sound because even though some sounds are heightened, you start to realize how much noise we make doing the most routine or mundane everyday things such as putting an apple in a plastic bag. You are just on edge the entire film and my heart was pounding. Writer and Director John Krasinski has done it yet again and is showing that he has the skills, creativity and vision of a masterclass filmmaker and I can't wait to see what he's got planned for the family in Part III. This is hands down one of the best sequels ever made and one of the best films of 2021! Watch the first film and then immediately SEE THIS FILM! Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!