Film News South Africa

#OnTheBigScreen: A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella

Two films open on the big screen in South Africa, this weekend: A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella.

A Quiet Place Part II

In 2018, John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place turned silence into the building blocks of fright and forged from the horror-thriller genre a modern fable of family love, communication and survival. With its mix of relentless tension and layered storytelling about a tight-knit clan fending off an immensely destructive, sound-attuned alien force, A Quiet Place became a startling hit and cultural phenomenon.

Now, comes the story’s unnerving second chapter, directed, written and produced by Krasinski, based on characters created by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck.

Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realise that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the fragile sanctuary of the ‘sand path’ the Abbotts created to prevail in a reality where even a single footstep could be deadly – and into a world of infinite peril beyond. From the opening moments of the film, the family is on the run, beyond any semblance of security and searching for refuge in a town gone mad with fear. In a time when empathy and connection have nearly vanished from the world, the Abbotts strive not only to protect each other from the threat of sound but to find hope in the terrifying hush around them.

Read more

Cruella

The character of Cruella de Vil captivated audiences with her exuberance, camp sensibilities and quick wit since she was first seen on the pages of Dodie Smith’s book in 1950, and makes a welcome return in Disney’s Cruella; an origin story, revealing the fascinating tale of how gifted, non-conforming young girl evolved into the stylishly villainous Cruella de Vil.

Set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grafter named Estella (Emma Stone), a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they can build a life for themselves on the London streets.

One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly Haute. But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.

Disney’s Cruella is directed by Craig Gillespie (I Tonya) with a screenplay by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara, story by Aline Brosh McKenna and Kelly Marcel and Steve Zissis; based upon the novel The One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith.

Read more

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases.

About Daniel Dercksen

Daniel Dercksen has been a contributor for Lifestyle since 2012. As the driving force behind the successful independent training initiative The Writing Studio and a published film and theatre journalist of 40 years, teaching workshops in creative writing, playwriting and screenwriting throughout South Africa and internationally the past 22 years. Visit www.writingstudio.co.za
Let's do Biz