10 Cloverfield Lane: Review
After surviving a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with two men named Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Howard tells her that a massive chemical attack has rendered the air unbreathable and their only hope of survival is to remain inside. Despite the comforts of home, Howard’s menacing demeanor causes the young woman to plan her escape. After taking matters into her own hands, Michelle’s desire to learn the truth about the outside world comes to fruition.
It’s crazy that we’ve only known about this film for about 2 months or so and the hype behind it has been so immense. I was a HUGE fan of the original Cloverfield film so I freaked out along with everyone else when the trailer was dropped. Now there has been so much speculation as to what this movie is even about and now that it’s out I can tell you that it’s not exactly what you might think it is. There is without a doubt no clear cut connection to the original besides a few small things but nothing story wise though. What we ended up being treated with was an awesome thriller that kept you guessing the entire way. Throughout the film I couldn’t help but constantly wonder if Goodman’s character was really telling the truth or he was just a crazy person. If a movie can make me question certain things in its story then I know that there’s something special there. Director Dan Trachtenberg did an AMAZING job at creating a multi genre film that is unlike anything that I’ve seen before and I’m floored at the thought that this is his first feature film. This man has a long career ahead of him without a doubt. The third act of the film is what made it feel like Cloverfield to a certain degree. I’m not going to ruin anything but I will say that it will surprise you. Goodman totally blew me away with his performance. From the moment he appeared on screen he had this terrifying aura about him that grew even more with his calm and unpredictable demeanor. Winstead was so damn good as well. Her character was the perfect opposite to Howard and even though she seemed to be the “victim” she had so much strength. Gallagher Jr. unfortunately got the short end of the stick. I feel like his character wasn’t as developed or interesting as the other two and that he was mainly used as a step stool for the story. I would’ve liked to have seen his character a little more fleshed out but it wasn’t anything that would make you not enjoy the film. The film exceeded my expectations without a doubt but it did leave you with a lot more questions than answers and I just hope that we don’t have to wait too long to find out more. 9/10
