A Quiet Place Part II - Now even quieter!

If you read up on the first 'Quiet Place' film, you'll see that actor/writer John Krasinski never had any plans for a sequel.  And, if you watched the original, you'll probably agree that it was all pretty nicely wrapped up in terms of storytelling and could definitely be left there.  But it was successful.  So successful in fact that a sequel was greenlit before the first movie could even leave the cinema.

A lot of people were worried that any continuation of the story about aliens wiping out humanity due to how well they can hear (seriously, one creaky floorboard and you're a monster's lunch!) would ruin what came before.  Luckily, I'm pleased to say that Part II is a pretty solid sequel - and that's saying something in terms of horror films!  First of all, it helps that the cast (and much of the team behind the camera) have returned and this gives a nice feeling of continuity.  Plus the bleak vibe is still there and the fact that you literally cannot even talk without some giant beast ripping you limb from limb keeps the tension levels high. 

Cillian Murphy is a welcome addition to the cast, but I felt that his inclusion came at the expense of Emily Blunt, who seemed to have less to do in this one.

There are a few moments where - you could say - that 'lore is broken.' I've mentioned that the whole gimmick of this film is that the aliens have super-sensitive hearing and so much as a whisper could give you away to them.  However, sometimes when characters are not meant to be killed at that particular point, they can even go as far as scream when they get their leg caught in a bear trap and live to tell the tale (or live to use sign language to tell the tale, to be precise).  I hear that's called 'plot armour' these days, but - hey - most films are like that, aren't they?

Anyway, if you liked the original, you should enjoy this one, too.  It certainly doesn't deviate from the formula that made the first one so successful and that's no bad thing.  If I had to say which one was better, I'd say the first, simply because it was original and had more John Krasinski in it more.  Either way, parts I or II are head and shoulders over the other similar horror flick, 'Birdbox,' - seriously, don't bother with that one, even if it does have Sandra Bullock in it.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that