Shhhhh: The Sequel

 

Starting in March 2020, there's a billboard near my house that was announcing the the release of "A Quiet Place Part II."   It was set to open the last weekend of that March.

Yeah, well.

Because of COVID, lots of billboards all over town didn't get changed for months.  This was one of them.  And I was constantly reminded that this movie was coming.  Soon.  Having seen and enjoyed the first installment, I was waiting for the day to see the sequel.  It took 14 months but "A Quiet Place Part II" finally has opened.   And I am delighted that it never went to a streaming service or On Demand during the pandemic.   Because, truly, this is the type of movie that should be seen in a theater.

As the ad above says.   Duh.

Director-writer John Krasinski, with the first film, crafted a wonderfully simple monster movie with a minimum of dialogue.  How do you do that?   Well, you create monsters who hate noise.   The characters have to stay quiet.  Talk about word efficiency.  And character efficiency.  One of the youngsters in the film is hearing-impaired.

Well, the first tale opened with a family already on the run from the creatures who, like in "Jaws," are not seen for the longest time.  Part II gives you a different perspective.   It begins with Day 1 and you see the first entry into the world by these aliens (?).   And you see the monsters immediately.   But they quickly move you to Day 474.   Yes, you know some of the family members have already...well...you know.  But the survivors are still on the run and you get the same delicious kinds of scares you got with the first one.  

The creatures are unique and their sound allergies are clever.  They kill things that make noise which means I would love them to meet my upstairs neighbor.  At the same time, loud shrill sounds can make them implode, which means Joy Behar of "The View" may have a use after all.   Regardless, it's all well done and riveting.   I was thankful nobody's phone went off in the middle.

Again, there is a wonderful reaction when a theater-going community shares a horror movie together.   "A Quiet Place Part II" services just that.   Thank goodness it finally got to open in a movie house where it truly belongs.

LEN'S RATING:  Three-and-a-half stars.

Dinner last night:  Grilled beef knockwurst.