Euro international News : Will A Quiet Place Part II meet the sky-high expectations of the original? It remains to be seen, but first let’s revisit the first film and ponder over what made it special.
A Quiet Place Part II is here. The first movie, released in 2018, was one of the most inventive, original horror movies of at least the decade. Will the sequel meet the sky-high expectations of the original? It remains to be seen, but first let’s revisit the first film and ponder over what made it special.
Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place stars Krasinski and his wife, actor Emily Blunt. It introduced us to the Abbot family and told us how their world was turned upside down when blind extraterrestrial monsters invaded the earth. These aliens were super-sensitive to hearing and killed most of the population, and reduced others to speak in whispers or communicate using the sign language.
Here are a few reasons why the film worked so well:
1. Novel concept
The concept was new and innovative and allowed the writers (Krasinski, Bryan Woods, and Scott Beck) to create various tense, edge-of-your-seat moments that were peppered throughout the movie. The dystopian world is always a fertile ground for imagination, and the script of the movie, as well as its execution, proved that the premise of the movie was not just a gimmick.
2. Great acting
Emily Blunt was the MVP of A Quiet Place. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)
Having actors of Krasinski and Blunt’s calibre helped the film. Blunt, especially, was downright brilliant throughout, but particularly in the final act when her character is pushed to the limit of endurance and courage. It felt less like acting and more like she was inhabiting a person. The kids, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, were great as well.
3. Direction
Watching A Quiet Place, it did not seem like it was the work of a first-time horror director. Krasinski’s direction was assured with nary a miss. The pacing was just right, not too much like an action film, and yet faster than a so-called art horror movies. So it worked for both casual and serious movie goers. The direction was one of the biggest reasons the film worked so well.
4. Strong characters and relatable themes
While A Quiet Place was a horror and escapist film, it also had substantial character development, and themes like grief saturated it. Both Evelyn and Lee, the couple played by Krasinski and Blunt, are hanging on to the idea of family since there is nobody else left. They are also dealing with the grief over their youngest son’s death, who was killed by the monsters about a year before the film’s events. Additionally, the film also underlined the important of family in adverse circumstances.
5. Sound design
The film’s story necessitated a unique sound design and A Quiet Place delivered big time. In A Quiet Place, dialogue was minimal so non-human sounds had to do the talking. Sound effects in the film helped build a feeling of dread. Nature and ambient sounds were seamlessly mixed with the soundtrack, which was complimentary and not at all distracted from the experience.
