Paramount Home Entertainment, out 30 August

Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.

This sequel to the highly-successful 2018 original was one of the first movie victims of COVID-19, being pulled from release just a week it was planned to hit cinemas. Over a year later, and does the world still want to watch a tale of post-apocalyptic survivors? It’s a big yes from me. And with the glorious UHD transfer and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, this home release is as close as you’re going to get to seeing it at the cinema.

Starting with a flashback to Day 1 of the alien invasion, we witness a small town coming under attack as the skies darken and hideous creatures begin to kill Earth’s locals. A cross between Stranger Things’ Lovecraftian Demogorgons, Alien xenomorphs and velociraptors, these apex predators are blind, and respond solely on sound to track their prey. And so survivors devise ingenious ways to tiptoe around the toothsome beasties, wary that just one crack of a twig might trigger an attack.

Picking up from the end of the first film, we’re now on Day 474, with Evelyn (Emily Blunt) taking teenage children Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and her baby away from their burning farm to find a new home. It’s here that they meet family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy) and we immediately wonder whether he’s daddy or baddy. He’s lost his family, but can he be trusted to look after the Abbotts?

John Krasinski writes and directs the sequel, this time only appearing in the opening sequence, for obvious reasons. And what a fine eye and ear he has for suspense, mounting sequences that serve up nail-biting terror simultaneously in different locations. The sound design is understandably minimalistic and yet highly effective, as is Marco Beltrami’s sparsely used score. The creature effects are A-list, the cast impress, and it’s great to see Regan and Marcus develop their characters.

The 4K disc is solely the movie, but it’s a great presentation. Playing in 2.39:1 letterbox, it shouldn’t be any surprise that a new studio movie that was processed in 4K would look vibrant, and this disc doesn’t disappoint, with some fine detail in the dark scenes (of which there are many). And the sound, which is such an important component in this film, really comes to life with the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, particularly when the predatory beasts are stalking the prey and you can hear a pin drop.

The Blu-ray HD disc in the box features the same aspect ratio transfer and Atmos soundtrack, as well as some extras. Director’s Diary is a ten-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with Krasinski, while Pulling Back the Curtain, Regan’s Journey and Surviving the Marina are other ‘making of’ clips between three and six minutes apiece. Detectable Disturbance looks at the visual effects and sound design, but again is under 10 minutes long.

Verdict: An excellent follow-up to a highly original sci-fi thriller. It’s a winning formula and if this quality can be maintained then further instalments will be more than welcome, beginning with Part III, greenlit for a 2023 release. It’s a shame that there’s no commentaries and that the extras are a little over half an hour, but this home video UHD sounds and looks so good that it may well become my go-to check disc for audio and picture.9/10

Nick Joy

A Quiet Place: Part II is available to Download & Keep now and on 4K Ultra HD+ Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™ & DVD from 30th August.