Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path in this “gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller” (Scott Mantz, BFCA) written and directed by John Krasinski.
For in-depth thoughts on A Quiet Place Part II, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of A Quiet Place Part II offers a lovely uptick in quality over the already incredible accompanying Blu-Ray. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. The increased range of the color spectrum is stunning to behold. The Dolby Vision enriches the colors from already impressive to out of this world when it comes to vibrancy. When the family is out in the daytime they are greeted with the lush environment of the natural world, the green of the foliage and blue of the sky hits you like a ton of bricks. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the dense trees are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. This 4K UHD presentation really delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. The Blu-Ray is great, but Paramount has delivered another fantastic transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release boasts a Dolby Atmos presentation that packs one hell of a punch. This is a film designed to put the utmost thought into sound design and this disc executes this perfectly. When the film gets active, this disc brings these monsters right into your living room with a depth and clarity of sound that is staggering. As the family moves throughout the world, every minor breeze and twig snap is given the appropriate weight to the thematic scenario. These and various environmental sounds flow out of your side and rear speakers. Each sound is precisely placed with perfect spatial awareness. The track engages all of the channels with panning effects and sounds of destruction that really makes you feel like you are in the thick of this survival tale. The implementation of environmental effects such as rainfall and wind come through in a natural way. There is an insane amount of activity in the low-end which will keep your house shaking when it comes time for things to hit the fan. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting muddied by the score or any sound effects. Paramount knocked it out of the park with this track, so those with a good surround sound setup should have fun with this one.
Special Features
- Director’s Diary – Filming with John Krasinski: A ten-minute featurette in which Krasinski explains why he chose to expand the universe, why the movie is a metaphor for growing up, constructing the town, staging large set pieces, shooting the one-shot car scene, shooting in the Old Mill and Train Graveyard, and more interesting anecdotes.
- Pulling Back the Curtain: A four-minute piece that explores the increased scope of the production, the ratcheting up of tension the characters face and more.
- Regan’s Journey: A six-minute look at where the Millicent Simmonds character is following the events of the first film, how it evolves throughout this next chapter, her relationship to new characters and more.
- Surviving the Marina: A five-minute featurette which gives a moderately in-depth look at the terrifying marina sequence including location scouting, visual effects and more.
- Detectable Disturbance – Visual Effects and Sound Design: A nearly nine-minute overview of the creature effects and use of sound to further the story from the first film and how it has been tweaked to be even more effective in this sophomore entry. The greatest insights are gained from the people behind the scenes that break down what they are going for in the execution.
Final Thoughts
A Quiet Place Part II hits many of the familiar beats from the first film, but the growth in directorial style from John Krasinski keeps this one from being anything but a lazy retread. The expanded scope of this world works heavily in the film’s favor by ratcheting up both the action and tension. The returning performers keep up their high quality of work while Cillian Murphy drops in as the perfect addition to the cast. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a fabulous A/V presentation and a decent selection of supplemental features. If you enjoyed this first film, there is no real reason you shouldn’t enjoy this one just as much. Recommended
A Quiet Place Part II will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on July 27, 2021. It is currently available to purchase on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
