10 Cloverfield Lane

Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Bradley Cooper (voice)
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
2016
Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up after a car accident to find she is imprisoned in an underground bunker. Her captor (John Goodman) swears that he saved her from an attack that has poisoned the air above.

Review:

Tim: In a day when we know about movies many, many years before they actually arrive in theaters, 10 Cloverfield Lane was a delightful surprise. The movie was filmed in secret, no one the wiser for what the movie actually was. Then, when the first trailer released, people were stunned to see the connection to Cloverfield and had only a short time before the film hit theaters. The marketing was genius, as it was a total shock.

The movie itself is actually really good. I wondered whether it would be able to stand on its own, or if it would rely too heavily upon the Cloverfield connection. I actually felt like the movie could have had closer ties. There's actually no connection to the earlier film, other than apparently being set in the same universe. That was mildly disappointing, because I would have loved a film with a closer tie. On the positive side, though, the lack of a direct connection allows this film to stand on its own and breathe. Fortunately, this is a very strong movie in its own right.

Never mind the film's climax (which I thought was very cool). The majority of the movie features three characters in an underground bunker. The claustrophobic aspect was fantastic, as it lent additional suspense to the movie. The basic idea is a brilliant one- if you woke up in an underground bunker and were told that an attack had poisoned the air above, and to leave the bunker would result in death- what you would do? Would you believe the story and stay locked up, potentially for years? Would you take your health and life into your own hands? The psychological aspects of this story are incredible and I loved considering what I would do.

The cast is very strong. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a good actor- I feel like she hasn't quite gotten the right roles yet, but this one is a step in the right direction. She's thoroughly believable and identifiable enough that the audience connects with her. She was the right actress for this part. The great John Goodman (seriously, he's a criminally underrated actor) is fantastic as the captor/savior. He hits all the right notes with this ambiguous performance. You really don't know what to think about him, which is perfect. I loved his performance and loved his interactions with Winstead. Goodman makes this movie in so many ways. John Gallagher Jr. felt like the weak link among the three main cast members, although he wasn't bad. Really, this film gives its actors a chance to shine since it's a stripped down, narrowly focused story. That is a really good thing.

Director Dan Trachtenberg (making his feature film directorial debut in impressive fashion) constructs some very effective, very intense, thrilling sequences. Climbing through the air ducts, the woman outside the bunker, the insane, unexpected climax- this film had a number of sequences that made you inch forward on your seat. Too many movies like this are predictable. Thankfully, 10 Cloverfield Lane is the opposite- you never really knew what to expect, or what would happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting, original thriller. It does ask quite a bit of the audience- the majority of the movie is rooted in realism and then the climax is so extreme. However, I went along for the ride and had a great time doing it. I read that a future movie might draw a closer connection between this film and Cloverfield- I certainly hope that is the case. I loved Cloverfield and while this film doesn't quite reach the heights of the first film, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a worthy sequel-ish movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cloverfield