Summer Fridays (2 hour early release) are back at work, and this year they’re every week. It’s absolutely prime movie watching time. Catch something in the 3:00 hour and be home with enough time for whatever else. In this case it was grocery shopping at a go at the power yoga sequence I was teaching in the morning at a ridiculously early hour, so an even more ridiculously early bed time that night.
Went back to the Dine In for this one, and now I knew the routine. Went straight to the bar line, although I then got diverted to the little satellite table. Figures. Although I was questioning if this was the right film for in seat dining, given the bigger need than usual for total silence. I did need to chew on my onion rings a little more slowly, but otherwise did okay. The social distanced seating helped with the volume and self consciousness as well.
Part II picks up exactly where Part I left off. Well actually, it takes a quick look back to Day One, and then continues where it left off. I had some reservations about there being a sequel because the last 30 seconds or so of the first are perfection. Thankfully this story is a logical progression. The first plot points of the first had some ramifications. Now the family’s gotta deal with those. And so the story goes on.
I’m having a little trouble getting excited about this one, which isn’t to say it’s not good. It’s excellent. The problem is that the first set such a high bar and was such a game changer. When the sequel doesn’t reach the impossibly high bar of the first, and doesn’t add anything new, it feels a bit like a let down in the moment. The first time around, we didn’t know what it was like to be scared to make any noise in a theater, worried about breathing too loud in a stranger’s ear. This time, you’re ready for it. You anticipate it. I also had a lot more faith in our family, so the suspense was slightly dulled. Still tense, but not in desperate need of a Xanax at the exit.
All that said, I am super impressed with John Krasinski as a director. First off, he’s super efficient. No wasted shots. Tight run time. Only includes what is absolutely necessary and leaves you wanting more. And so patient too. Those quiet sequences have to play out so slowly and he builds that suspense by stretching those moments out effectively. He also nails what I think is the most important aspect of directing an effective horror movie, and that’s putting meaning behind it. We’re not simply going for the jump scares. The horror/suspense elements are layered on something more powerful, and he has not been shy about saying these films are really love letters to his family. One of the final sequences (no spoilers) was so beautifully done. With parallel shots that showed how much those characters [redacted]. I sat there in awe.
Solid outing, even if I feel a bit underwhelmed. I hate to knock off points for being not quite as epically awesome as something epically awesome, so I won’t (hashtag subjective bs). I also prolly didn’t pick the right theater for it. It’s still a great experience to return to theaters for
A Quiet Place Part II – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/