I enjoyed THE QUIET PLACE enough for its atmosphere that I caught THE QUIET PLACE II, which is far more conventional but was actually a little more enjoyable for me.
At the end of THE QUIET PLACE, the farm is a bit of a wreck, and the dad is dead. THE QUIET PLACE II opens with an engaging look at how the apocalypse started and then brings us right back to where the first film left off. Led by the mom (Emily Blunt), the family decides to leave their farm (though I’m not sure why they have to do so), following the last remaining beacon to where they hope to find other survivors. There, they discover Emmett (the always enjoyable Cillian Murphy), who simply wants to be left alone but is now pressed to help (and then is oddly forced by the script to confess how dead wrong he was not to help more and sooner, despite everything he did). Regan, the daughter, meanwhile, has a way to hurt the monstrous aliens and believes she can help humanity fight back.
What follows is more conventional fare than the first film, which focused on the family relationships and immersed me such that I found myself holding my breath in many scenes so as not to make a sound. Still, I found the sequel a bit more enjoyable simply for the rising stakes and action. Otherwise, as with the first film, there are plenty of instances where smart people do dumb things to increase the tension, which had me laughing at a few points. Overall, though, it’s not a bad film and I enjoyed the ride. Thumbs up as a popcorn flick.
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