After seeing its release delayed by 14 months, A Quiet Place Part II, the sequel to John Krasinski’s tautly plotted sci-fi thriller, had massive shoes to fill. As the first blockbuster movie to hit theaters in months, the film depended on viewers who were comfortable with visiting movie theaters.

Writer, director, and cast member John Krasinski knows this. He has attached a brief message to the opening of the film in which he thanks audiences for seeing his movie in theaters. “There’s nothing like it,” he says.

Indeed, there is nothing like his titanic, edge-of-your-seat sequel. It opens with a flashback sequence that explains the circumstances of the first film, depicting the arrival of blind, predatory aliens that hunt by sound. This segues to the main body of the film, which picks up where the first installment left off. 

As Evelyn Abbott (played by Emily Blunt, Krasinski’s wife) ventures beyond her homestead with kids Marcus (Noah Jupe), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and an unnamed newborn kept in a soundproof box, they face the familiar blind monsters and new, more insidious threats. Using sign language to communicate, they encounter Emmett, an old friend who becomes responsible for the family’s survival.

This sequel is superior in quality to the original. It makes exceptional strides in worldbuilding and character development, as the Abbotts grapple with their shortcomings and learn the skills needed for survival. Expertly plotted and filmed, it fully immerses viewers in a strange and twisted world where a single sound can prove lethal.