The original film in this franchise got 5 stars for its riveting storytelling. The sequel dropped to 3.5 stars. This origin story rates even lower. Lupita Nyong’o plays a woman who finds herself trapped in New York City when the alien creatures first invade. In case you haven’t seen the earlier ones, they have ultra-sensitive hearing to hone in on their prey, hence the title. Original writer/director John Krasinski has been replaced by Michaael Sarnoski, who doesn’t possess the power to create any real suspense. There are close calls and worse, but the film feels more like an adventure with the protagonists making their way thru challenges. There are several jump scares, but even the scenes that should be tense are only frantic. Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn (who shows up later) handle the situations with sufficient fear and there’s a cat to deepen the emotional connection. Even so, this prequel only serves as a compelling survival puzzle instead of a riveting thriller. 
(2 / 5)
