THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 28, 2021 Page 9 ~ The Advocate Movie Review ~ “A Quiet Place Part II” – Grade B Emily Blunt returns in “A Quiet Place Part II” with Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe in the latest sequel to John Krasinski’s 2018 horror fi lm, “The Quiet Place.” By Mitchell Ringenberg A lmost two decades after Newsweek announced M. Night Shyamalan as “The Next Spielberg” on their cover, director John Krasinski (best known for playing the ever-smug Jim on “The Offi ce”) earned similarly bold pronouncements with his second directorial eff ort, “A Quiet Place,” in 2018. That horror-thriller was certainly one in the Spielbergian tradition: a slick creature feature with an unabashedly sentimental (and surprisingly eff ective) family story at its center. It also featured a genuinely novel concept: a world overrun by monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing, forcing those still living to remain quiet for the majority of the fi lm, lest they become lunch next. That gimmick made for an enthralling theatrical experience, forcing the audiences to wait in silent terror alongside the characters. Therefore, few movies seem more appropriate to lead this crucial Memorial Day Weekend charge at the theaters than “A Quiet Place Part II,” an early summer blockbuster that delivers plenty of killer suspense sequences and heartfelt character beats on par with the fi rst fi lm, even if it ultimately feels like more of the same. Those who have missed going to the movies this past year should find this a fi tting return, as Krasinski clearly designed his sequel to be seen on the big screen: Every ominous creak and fl itter in the sound design, every creature darting just out of frame in the background – it all lands with maximum impact in a theater. “Part II” opens with a fl ashback that gives audiences a glimpse of life moments before the alien invasion. Most importantly, however, it’s a showcase of what makes Krasinski such a promising director. As Lee (Krasinski), his wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and hearing-impaired daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds, who steals the whole show here) watches his son, Marcus (Noah Jupe) during his Little League game, cinematographer Polly Morgan frames this mundane weekend afternoon with palpable menace. These images of pure Americana – barbecues, baseball, nuclear families – are undermined by eerie silences and the uncomfortable open spaces Morgan leaves in every frame. An over-the-shoulder shot of a kid at home plate leaves the wide-open sky in the foreground, suggesting an incoming alien invasion that the audience knows could be coming at any instant. When chaos does indeed erupt, the camera remains on the actors’ faces, letting the monsters scutter in and out of focus. It’s an ingenious technique that prioritizes the human drama while also elevating the horror of the alien threat. The rest of the fi lm takes place immediately after the events of the fi rst “Quiet Place,” following the central family as they leave the now-destroyed farm they called their home and venture out into the world seeking a new one. Story-wise, there really isn’t anything here one couldn’t fi nd in, say, your average episode of “The Walking Dead.” Post-apocalyptic tropes abound here, and yet “Part II” does just enough to rise above its more generic genre contemporaries. First and foremost is positioning Millicent Simmonds’ character Regan as the real lead, subverting expectations with the introduction of a grizzled survivor, played by Cillian Murphy, named Emmett. Here, Regan emerges as the determined leader of the pair, her steely resolve making up for Emmett’s frightened skepticism. In the end, “A Quiet Place Part II” doesn’t necessarily tell you anything that the fi rst one didn’t three years ago. Family is still a source of courage in the most dire of situations, and watching this follow-up is simply watching these characters learn that lesson once again. Nonetheless, “Part II” would stand out as a worthwhile trip to the theater in any summer movie season. In 2021, of course, that’s now twice as true. Photo by Rodrigo de Mendoza Remember. Honor. Celebrate. WE’LL BE CLOSED ON MEMORIAL DAY, MONDAY, MAY 31ST, TO REMEMBER ALL WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY. AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN ACCESS OUR ATMS AND ONLINE BANKING ANYTIME. 419 BROADWAY, EVERETT MA 02149 Right by you. 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 7 7 1 SALEM ST, LYNNFIELD MA 01940 7 8 1 - 7 7 6 - 4444 WWW.EVERETTBANK .COM Member FDIC Member DIF
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