Film Review of ‘A Quiet Place Part II’: Lightning Strikes Twice for Filmmaker John Krasinski When released in April of 2018, “A Quiet Place” came with no high commercial or critical expectations. The studio (Paramount) was reasonably sure it could recoup the modest $20 million budget, yet didn’t screen it for the press until the Wednesday prior to opening day—a time too late for many daily newspapers to cover it. What Paramount hadn’t counted on was the almost universal critical acclaim (96 percent) and the taking in of over $50 million at the box office on the first weekend (and an eventual worldwide total of nearly $341 million). It was clear this movie carried with it appeal beyond the usual horror demographic, mostly because it’s not really a horror movie, but more of high-wire, sci-fi thriller. Before the close of the second weekend, Paramount ordered a follow-up.