A Quiet Place and its sequel A Quiet Place Part II are critical and commercial success stories, but which post-apocalyptic "silent" film is better? It's safe to say most never assumed John Krasinki, best known for playing Jim Halpert on the hit sitcom The Office, would one day be a reliable sci-fi/horror director, or perhaps a filmmaker at all. Lots of actors have tried their hand at directing, only to flop, but people like Krasinski prove that sometimes someone can be just as good or better behind the camera as they are in front of it.
Co-written, directed by, and starring Krasinski, A Quiet Place came out of nowhere in 2018 to become a massive sleeper hit. While it had good buzz going into its release, the monster movie absolutely slayed the box office, bringing in $340 million worldwide on a budget of around $20 million. When all was said and done, the net profits made by A Quiet Place are said to be between $90 million and $100 million, which Paramount surely loved.
Naturally, A Quiet Place Part 2 was quickly greenlit, with Krasinki back as writer, director, and this time in a cameo as his now-deceased character Lee Abbott, with Emily Blunt's Evelyn fully taking the lead onscreen. Showing that lightning can sometimes strike twice, the critical reviews for the sequel are nearly as glowing, and it again opened at #1 at the box office, bringing in the biggest opening numbers since the pandemic began. Both are great films, of that there seems to be little disagreement, but which one is the best?
A Quiet Place vs Part II: Story
A Quiet Place told a rather intimate story about one family's life and fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic setting. A Quiet Place Part 2 does what most sequels do, or at least attempt to do, in that it expands on the existing world, story, and characters, while raising the stakes, increasing the level of threat, and revealing new elements. It does this quite well, but at the same time, more isn't always better.
By telling part of its story in flashback, and expanding its scope to focus on characters outside the Abbott family, A Quiet Place Part 2 actually weakens its narrative, albeit only when compared to the tighter, more suspenseful first film. Both films tell a great story, and Part 2 wisely avoids many of the pitfalls that often plague sequels opting to rely too much on formula. Still, it's hard to replicate the sense of discovery surrounding the vaguely defined world and unexplained alien invasion in the original, or the white-knuckle tension found there. Now that the monsters can actually be fought back against actively, some of that gets left behind.
A Quiet Place vs Part II: Cast & Characters
Sporting much of the same cast, A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part 2 unsurprisingly run neck and neck in this category. John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe all shine as the Abbotts in both films, in Krasinki's case, even despite having a limited flashback role. However, there's one bit of casting that helps Part 2 shine just a little bit brighter, and that's Cillian Murphy's work as Emmett.
Murphy first gained widespread recognition for his starring role of Jim in 28 Days Later, and now, nearly 20 years after, he's proven just as adept at creating a compelling character within a post-apocalyptic setting. Emmett is rough around the edges and has clearly been damaged by what he's gone through since the invasion, including the loss of his family. Still, it's a testament to Murphy's skills that the sequel goes off with only him and Simmonds' Regan for large portions, yet the story remains just as compelling as it did when focused on the Abbotts.
A Quiet Place vs Part II: Horror & Monster Action
This is one area that's hard to truly determine a definitive winner in, as the result largely comes down to how one prefers their horror and use of monsters. The first A Quiet Place is much tenser, and the monsters attack suddenly and often without their hideous visages being focused on until the later stages. Being a sequel, A Quiet Place Part 2 has no problem showcasing its alien monsters in full right away, and also has a bigger budget to work with. Combined with there now being a weapon to use against the alien monsters, this greatly ups the action factor and makes the sequel more thrilling in a general sense.
For the first time, there are also human villains introduced, leading to a type of action and suspense sequence not really possible with marauding monsters. That said, those who prefer a more horror-oriented presentation, and focus on scares and tension, will likely gravitate to how A Quiet Place does things. Those who want more action and actual battling of the monsters will probably like Part 2 more. Both do what they do extremely well, though.
A Quiet Place vs Part II: Use Of Sound
One of the most memorable aspects of A Quiet Place was its use of sound, and perhaps more importantly, the lack thereof, to tell its story. Since A Quiet Place universe's monsters are attracted to sound, the Abbott family did most of their communicating through American Sign Language, and the few times they were able to speak, it was due to a specially-constructed location that helped block the sound from reaching the aliens.
This fed into the tension and suspense, as even the slightest noise was enough to cause a jump scare in a worried audience member, and there are tales of theaters so quiet that one could hear a pin drop during particularly harrowing scenes. A Quiet Place Part 2 still definitely does play with sounds and silences, sometimes to great effect, but at the same time, isn't quite as concerned with that dichotomy. Locations are repeatedly provided that offer the ability to talk freely, and the sequel is generally a lot more chatty than the original, partly due to its need to convey much more exposition and backstory.
Why A Quiet Place Is Better Than Part II
As of this writing, A Quiet Place has 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, while A Quiet Place Part 2 has 90 percent. While critics definitely aren't always right, in this case, that slight divide between the two films holds true. Both of Krasinski's films are terrific and well worth watching, but A Quiet Place bests its sequel in most ways. It's more suspenseful and tense, more intriguing due to the mysterious nature of the apocalypse at the center, is tighter and more focused, and also feels less subject to using plot contrivances to expand the scope. Cillian Murphy adds a lot to Part 2, but in the end, A Quiet Place wins out.