"A Quiet Place Part II" Is an Excellent Follow-Up

 

    The wait for "A Quiet Place Part II" has been longer than expected, but it was a wait that was well-deserved. Sequels, especially ones to horror films don't have the best track record but not only does "Part II" succeed as a great follow up, but it provides the groundwork for what could be a great franchise. 

The movie takes an interesting start by showing us the first day the monsters invaded before we have a direct follow up of the ending of the original film. Normally, I wouldn't think this prequel sequence would be a great idea as a lot of movies these days spend too much time explaining the backstory when it's really not necessary and can take away the mystique of the monsters if done incorrectly. Here though, it's not so much about showing the origins of the monster but rather showing us what life was beforehand to give some depth to the story later on. It also helps to introduce us to the new character Emmet played by Cillian Murphy, giving us just enough of a glimpse into his life so that we can understand him later on.

The story from then on is pretty straightforward as far as survival movies go. The Abbott family are forced to leave their home after the previous film and try to survive the wasteland while encountering dangers, some even worse than the monsters themselves. It's a pretty paint by numbers structure on paper, but writer/director John Krasinski has proven himself to be a talented man and here it's no different. The tension in this flick is insane, using a vast array of different sound and editing techniques rather than the traditional jump scare with little to no payoff or buildup that has become more common these days. I won't lie and say that jump scares aren't present here, but I counted maybe two of them total and they were paced and deserved rather than cheap and lazy so a big win here.

What I enjoyed the most from this movie is the daughter Regan, who gets center stage this time around. Despite her disability, she is more determined than anyone else to survive and reach a special location that can possibly help against the monsters. The actress Millicent Simmonds shows amazing range and she is the emotional core of the film and I can't wait to see her in future sequels and other projects. The rest of the cast do an admirable job as well but you can tell they are secondary characters this time around with the exception of Cillain Murphy, who has a well done character arc and its always nice to see the actor as he's one of my personal favorites.

The others are okay, although I have to say Noah Jupe, who plays the oldest brother kind of got gypped here. His character is incapacitated early on and he really adds nothing to the film other than crying and cowering until the climax but by then you're so annoyed with him and his decisions it doesn't leave any impact. He doesn't really grow as a character, he just suddenly works up the courage after everyone else has done the dirty work. It's a shame because I'm not blaming the actor, but it seems the film didn't need his character. 

"A Quiet Place Part II" also deserves praise for having a excellent camera crew and sound designers who make the movie so effective. This movie leaves no room to breathe which can be tiresome in a lot of movies but with a lighting paced running time, they managed to balance that just right. This is the best horror film I've seen so far this year and deserves your attention and all of the praise it's gotten. Do not miss this film, especially in theaters where it can best be appreciated. See this movie!

 

 

 A

Spiral: From the Book of SAW (2021)

 

"Spiral" is the ninth entry in the seemingly endless "Saw" series and stars Chris Rock as a detective searching for a serial killer targeting cops in his precinct using the methods of the long dead Jigsaw Killer. The "Saw" series has been dormant since 2017's "Jigsaw", which was the first attempt at resurrecting the franchise and while the movie did respectable numbers, it seemed that the "Saw" movies had their day in the sun. This second reboot/sequel does a bit better than "Jigsaw" but still retains the problems of previous entries making for a flawed but overall enjoyable film if you're a fan of the series.

Chris Rock co-wrote the screenplay and as you'd imagine, there are some lighter moments not seen in previous "Saw" films. The humor may be off putting to some, but the story feels like a throwback to the buddy cop flicks of the 80's such as "48 Hrs." or "Lethal Weapon" but still retains the overall tone of a horror/thriller which makes the film feel a lot more like Fincher's "Se7en". While this comparison has been a common criticism since the 2004 original, It feels like that's a better fit for "Spiral" as it's the first in the series to not have an overarching game that seems disconnected from the main plot but rather focuses more on those who've abused their positions of power so each trap feels more personal.

The traps themselves aren't particularly great though if you're a fan. I understand that this is a back-to-basics story and they weren't going to go crazy like in "Saw 3D" but fans do expect a bit more after nine films so gorehounds will likely be disappointed here. The cast all do fine considering the movie they're in but do go over the top. The performances are very "Law & Order" with the overly dramatic yelling and dialogue that you only see in TV cop shows but Rock's contributions do help elevate it a bit.

I think that "Spiral" wasted a lot of its potential by falling back on previous entry tropes too many times. Director Darren Lynn Bousman has directed four of these "Saw" films now and he just seems to go by the books even with an elevated budget of $20 million (the highest of the series) and having Rock contributing to the screenplay, you just wish they'd gotten someone new and hungry to prove themselves behind the camera to really freshen up this franchise. Overall, it's a perfectly watchable sequel but doesn't stand out from what came before enough to elevate it. Here's hoping they go somewhere with this story as the twist ending that has become synonymous with "Saw" leaves us on a cliffhanger for "Saw 10".

C+

Ranking the SAW Franchise From Worst to Best

 

Love it or hate it, there's no denying the massive influence of the 'SAW' franchise. Coming out in the early 2000's when horror movies were beginning to slump after the 'Scream' era had declined the first 'SAW' was a little indie project made by friends James Wan & Leigh Whannell for $1 million dollars. The film's simple but terrifying premise of a killer who devises devious games of survival for his victims resinated with audiences and the series went on to become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time, even beating out the likes of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees at the box office.

With the newest entry coming this Friday, I took a look back at the franchise up to this point and have done a quick ranking from the worst to best. Be sure to check back tomorrow as well when I post my final review for 'Spiral'. Now let us begin our game...

8. SAW 3D: The Final Chapter 

 

 

Still at the bottom for me personally is the "Final Chapter" which probably won't be a surprise for most. Despite having the highest budget of the series up to that point, it's clear it all went into the cheesy 3D and as a result the movie's production value feels very cheap. The story is the biggest issue here with no development or additions to the overall lore and the main game, which involves a man who lies about being a Jigsaw survivor for personal gain really feels distanced from the main plot. The one thing I'll give 'SAW 3D' is the traps themselves are some of the most brutal and mean-spirited of the series with special mention given to the Brazen Bull trap (look it up but don't say I didn't warn you). Overall, I don't think any of the movies in this series are unwatchable but 'Final Chapter' is the most forgettable.

 

 

 

 

 

 7. SAW IV 

 

The fourth movie barely made it from being on the bottom of the list while going through these again. What kept it off the bottom is seeing the origin of John Kramer's transformation into Jigsaw and the film's ability to tie up a lot of loose ends and adds a lot to the overall lore of the franchise. It's biggest issues are the traps themselves which are pretty unmemorable compared to others we've seen and the overall message of Detective Riggs' game seems like a pretty weak reason to even subject him to all of this. 'SAW IV' still has value like all the films as I said before but those who love the horror and trap elements won't find much with this one.

  6.  SAW V 

From this movie on, we begin to have an issue with the franchise where the stories began to branch into two different paths. It feels like the game being played by Jigsaw (now being taken over by Det. Hoffman) is unrelated to the overall story of the series, which is the FBI and Strahm tracking down the copycat killer. It's still cool to see the traps and games these people go through and there's still great tension there to see who will survive, but it's weird that it just feels like a separate movie to me. I personally enjoyed the cat and mouse game between the police and the Jigsaw copycat killers more so I was more invested in this one than I was the first time I saw it but for reasons I didn't expect.

5. SAW VI 

 

 'SAW VI' wasn't the first movie in the series to have political and social undertones, but it's the most obvious with it's critical views on health and insurance business practices. While far from subtle with these criticisms, it does make for a more enjoyable sequel than others and we get to see more of that cat and mouse mystery element with the police that I enjoyed in the previous film. The traps and overall game are better too with the shotgun merry go round being an iconic addition. Even if the game with the insurance man still feels disconnected as previously stated, it's at least the best of the three games I mentioned. 'SAW VI' surprisingly was the lowest grossing of the series but in a way understandable but overall it's one of the best.

 

 

 

 4. Jigsaw

 

 After the final chapter, the series took a hiatus as things began to dwindle. It would be a decade before we saw the franchise return with 'Jigsaw' which promised to take things back to basics and provide a simple but better sequel than what had come before. For the most part, I think they got it right. Having the Spierig Brothers come in when the series had been mainly the same group since day one was a good idea and they made the best looking movie in the series and the best sequel since Part 2. The big flaw for me with 'Jigsaw' is the film's final reveal of who is behind everything as it does create plotholes and odd consistencies with the rest of the series. Even If I'm not a fan of the main twist there is a second and sort of third twist thrown in there that did catch me by surprise I'm not going to lie. 'Jigsaw was a really enjoyable sequel even if it made me scratch my head a few times with its logic.

 

3. SAW III 

 

The most brutal entry by far is 'SAW III' which even going back and watching it again it's the one I would say is the hardest to watch even for a big horror fan like myself. The gore is realistic and lingered on for a long time (especially in the unrated cut). It also is an important entry as it begins the proper introduction of Jigsaw's future plans and his apprentices as well as important story elements with certain characters that would affect future sequels. I may not go back to this one as much due to its nasty nature but as a sequel it's one of the best.

 

 

 

2. SAW II 

 

Appropriately, the second best is the second film which keeps the style and creepy tone of the previous film but like any sequel ramps it up to 11. We get some great traps here, good characters, a nice twist ending that rivals the first film and we get to see Tobin Bell's brilliant Jigsaw performance in full beginning with this film. It may not be as extravagant as later sequels but 'SAW II' has the stronger script, stronger acting, and more realism to its world and violence that tops those later films. 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course my number one is the original 'SAW' film. To me, it isn't even about the movie itself but the story of it and how it changed the industry. It's a wonderful tale for film students who want to make their dream come true and have millions of people love your work. Like 'The Blair Witch Project' or 'Halloween' before it, 'SAW' is a movie that shows that you can make your life's ambition work even under the strict conditions the film had. The horror film industry is the underdog of Hollywood and it deserves respect for helping people realize their dreams of filmmaking. Like it or not, 'SAW' is an important movie.

I hope you guys enjoyed my list. Which of the series is your favorite? Are you going to see 'Spiral' this weekend? Let me know in the comment section below. Thanks for reading everyone.