*This review contains spoilers, read at your own risk.*
“A Quiet Place” is a rare example of a family-friendly horror/thriller movie. There’s no sexual content, no profanity and the scenes involving death are tastefully shot. “A Quiet Place II” stays true to the family-friendly tone, except three profane words. There were a few surprises where a dutifully quiet audience couldn’t help but wince, but the main focus for me during the movie was wondering when Marcus Abbott, the oldest child in the family, was going to die.
The movie starts with a flashback to the first day the monsters came. Marcus plays baseball while his family watches, and then the attack happens. After the carnage, the movie picks up where it left off in the first one with the Abbott family and a newborn child in the basement after discovering how high frequency sound affects the monsters.
From the opening baseball scene, I determined Marcus would not make it through the movie alive. He was a nervous wreck at-bat and dodged balls instead of hitting them, leaving me wondering how he’d handle monsters.
One of the questions viewers had at the end of the first film was “How is the Abbott family going to survive without Lee?” Marcus’ sister Reagan finds creative solutions like her dad and the mother fills the role of the leader, but Marcus is still a bumbling idiot who’s only saving grace is the women around him. Here are all the times Marcus should probably have died but miraculously survived.
Marcus should have died #1:
The Abbott family accidentally sets off a tripwire creating a loud noise attracting monsters. While they sprinted toward safety, Marcus made himself useful by promptly stepping into a bear trap. He then lets out a blood curdling scream without any attempt to dampen the noise. Marcus’ need to scream is probably understandable. But, at least shove your shirt in your mouth if you have to scream in a world where noise equals death. Also, less than 24 hours before, Evelyn stepped on a nail and took it like a champ.
Marcus should have died #2:
At one point, Marcus is left to take care of the baby alone. His only job is to stay below ground where the monsters can’t hear and be ready to hop into a furnace for safety. The advantage of the furnace is it can only be opened by pulling from the outside or pushing from the inside, making it essentially monster proof. The disadvantage is the furnace is airtight and a towel must be placed where the latch would lock into place so it can still be opened from the inside. Marcus abandons his post to wander the factory and accidentally makes a ruckus. He had one job: stay put. He messed it up and somehow got back down to the baby before the monster reached him.
Marcus should have died #3:
Marcus, now with a monster close behind, gets to the furnace, putting the baby and oxygen tank inside. Smart thinking. Instead of settling into the vault and closing the door with the towel in place, Marcus realized he wanted to listen to music and went back for the radio before shutting the furnace door. He barely makes it back to the vault in time but didn’t make sure the towel was in place to keep the door from locking.
The powerful female leads gave viewers a reason to keep watching this film. Their determination, loyalty and ingenuity are what kept everyone alive and created several tense scenes of outsmarting the monsters. “A Quiet Place II” is a great conversation starter for the whole family about how we all at times need some grace. Some – I’m looking at you, Marcus – a little more than others.
By: Noah Harrel
