Director: John Krasinski

Screenwriter: John Krasinski, Scott Beck

Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds

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John Krasinski’s long awaited sequel to his 2018 hit is finally getting its cinema release in the upcoming weeks. The anticipation is high for this one and rightly so, the nail biting thriller packs as big a punch as its predecessor thanks to the intense plot and scene stealing performances.

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The film opens with a flashback to Day 1 when we get a look into what actually happened to cause the apocalyptical world they now find themselves living in. In a traditional American town the locals gather for a little league baseball game, parents sat in the bleachers chat to each other and we are briefly introduced to Emmett (Cillian Murphy). As Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) and Evelyn’s son, Marcus (Noah Jupe), steps up to bat, everyone is distracted by a somewhat meteor falling from the sky and panic breaks out. I absolutely loved this opening, it gave a distinct feeling of what was at stake whilst this small, friendly town is under attack.

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A time jump then takes us back to where the first film left off, 400+ days into the apocalypse, Lee Abbott has been killed by the monsters and Evelyn, Marcus, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and their baby brother are leaving the farm that has been their home for the past year to try and find help. In doing so they come across Emmett, who gives them shelter for one night in the hope that they will leave him in peace the following day.

Twists and turns result in the group being separated from one another, Emmett and Regan find themselves seeking aid from another group of survivors whilst Evelyn goes out alone to try and find medical supplies.

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The cast is flawless, strong performances all round, which is a testament to all involved as it’s such a small cast. Blunt gives another incredibly well crafter performance as Evelyn, proving that a mother will do anything she can to protect her children. For me personally, the stand out performance was from Jupe, early on in the film he stands on a bear trap and the single scream of pain he lets out is painfully convincing, he’s definitely a young actor to watch out for. Simmonds also held her own, her performance was equally as strong as it was in the first film, and she is given a lot more to do in the sequel as the main brunt of the plot revolves around her and the decisions she makes.

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I really loved the film, despite being incredibly nervous whilst watching it, it hit all the right beats thanks to it’s creative direction and beautiful cinematography (shout out to Polly Morgan who managed to capture the reality of the situation through her stunning imagery). The score also held the audience in suspense throughout the entire piece.