‘A Quiet Place Part II’: This Character Reflects the ‘Heart of the World Right Now’
You’ve heard of the Oscars, but have you heard of the Isaacs? The Isaac Awards, in honor of the great Oscar Isaac, are Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s unique spin on the Academy Awards. However, the Isaac Awards are different from the Oscars in that they celebrate the best movies of 2021 that deserve recognition but will not receive that recognition through Oscar nods. The 2022 Isaac Awards feature five categories: Best Performance, Best Scene-Stealer, Best Crowd-Pleasing Moment, Best Action Sequence, and Fan-Favorite Movie. Voting will be open via this form from March 7-20. Winners will be announced on March 24.
Under the guise of fiction, movies have an inherent ability to make bold statements about the world. Oftentimes, genres like fantasy, sci-fi, and horror use supernatural or fantastical elements to accomplish just that. Such is the case with 2018’s A Quiet Place and its 2021 sequel. In fact, one star of A Quiet Place Part II — currently competing for Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s 2022 Isaac Award for Fan-Favorite Movie — believes his character is very relevant to today’s climate.
‘A Quiet Place Part II’ arrived at a strange time
No one knew quite what to expect when John Krasinski — best known as Jim from The Office — directed and starred in A Quiet Place. The actor had only directed one previous movie, the 2016 comedy-drama The Hollars. With little direct experience in horror, Krasinski’s movie wowed critics and audiences. And it wound up earning more than $340 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Strangely, its sequel was among the first major releases delayed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Paramount originally planned to release A Quiet Place Part II in spring 2020. But the movie didn’t end up hitting wide release until May 28, 2021, more than a year after its premiere. Needless to say, audiences seeing Krasinski’s sequel were likely doing so through the lens of a much different world now.
Cillian Murphy said his character is most relevant
The pandemic only amplified the fear, paranoia, and misinformation that had been running rampant for years. And as Cillian Murphy — who joins the main cast in A Quiet Place Part II — told Total Film (via Games Radar+), his character perhaps most directly embodies many of the themes moviegoers had seen reflected in the news.
“For me, [my character] Emmett represents where the heart of the world lies right now, which is: finally feeling like they’ve all given up. Here comes this girl [Millicent Simmonds’ Regan] who allows you to believe in more and allows you to believe in yourself. That idea, I’ve always been really enthralled by.”
Krasinski didn’t intend A Quiet Place to be a franchise. In fact, he had to convince his co-star and real-life wife Emily Blunt that making a follow-up was a good idea. As Murphy explained, however, A Quiet Place Part II seems to have successfully build on its predecessor and have something particularly poignant to say about the moment.
Will the actor return for ‘A Quiet Place Part III’?
Since A Quiet Place was so laser-focused on the Abbott family, its sequel almost needed to take a step back in order to move forward. The second movie opens with a flashback that shows the day the monsters arrived. And in the process, A Quiet Place Part II introduces Murphy’s Emmett.
He becomes a key character in the story, as he and Millicent Simmonds’ Regan set off on a mission together. However, it’s unclear whether Murphy will return for A Quiet Place Part III. That film hits theaters in 2025. Perhaps the actor could even pop up in the announced spinoff directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig), due out in 2023.
Vote for the 2022 Isaac Awards here now through Sunday, March 20. Winners will be announced on March 24.
