A hearing-impaired child leads the revolt against lethal
aliens with super-sensitive ears in this follow-up to the smash-hit horror
The first Quiet Place movie emitted the most piercing silent scream imaginable. This sequel from writer-director John Krasinski may not quite have all its focus and intimate horror, while the borrowings from Alien, Jurassic Park and Jaws are admittedly more obvious this time around. But it’s a really effective and engrossing followup, with an absolutely sensational “prelude” sequence at the top of the movie, a barnstorming shocker equal to anything in AQP1 – showing the panic and terror that hit planet Earth when we were initially invaded by these hideous blind beasts whose supersensitive hearing meant that humans could only survive by being silent. The slightest noise would bring slaughter.
AQP2 repurposes the situation as a quest narrative, intercutting with some style the nightmarish ordeals of those who venture out from their bunker, and those who have remained behind. The dual storylines are wrapped up together ingeniously with images and ideas slyly implanted at the very beginning. And there are some jump scares that had me Fosbury-flopping out of my seat with a yelp.