Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an intense, suspenseful thriller that has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It’s a great movie, but if you’re expecting a straight sequel to the 2008 film Cloverfield, you may end up being disappointed with the film.
The movie follows three characters: Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Howard (John Goodman), and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). After being in a car crash, Michelle wakes up in an underground bunker built by Howard and is told that there was an attack, leaving everyone outside the bunker dead, and her only way to survive is to stay inside. If you’ve seen any of the trailers or commercials for the movie, then you know that this is the basic plot of the movie, but to say anything else about the plot would delve into spoiler territory.
From here on, the movie gets increasingly suspenseful as you wonder whether or not Howard is telling the truth. Is the world outside really gone? Is there no chance of survival outside of the bunker? These are only some of the questions the movie causes you to ask. The plot moves at a nice pace, never lingering too long and not rushing through anything either. It helps that the script is nice and tight as well.
Kudos has to go to the cast as they all do an amazing job getting you to fully invest in each of the characters. Michelle is our protagonist, and she’s played really well by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Winstead expertly conveys the fear that Michelle feels throughout the movie, while at the same time showing how strong her character really is. Michelle isn’t someone that blindly follows what others say. She knows that something is amiss in the bunker, and does whatever she can to try and escape.
John Goodman is a force to be reckoned with as Howard, Michelle’s captor/savior. Whenever he’s on the screen, his presence leaves everyone worried and questioning what he’s going to do. The way in which Goodman switches from being a loving guy that can make you laugh, to someone that’s scary and intimidating constantly has you on your toes, and I loved every moment of it. Although you’ll be terrified of him, you’ll want to see more of him. Emmett is our comic relief character, and John Gallagher Jr does a great job adding some needed levity to the movie when things get real tense, however short lived it may be.
A major point of contention that fans of the original movie will have with 10 Cloverfield Lane is the fact that this movie really isn’t connected to the original. Aside from some blink and you’ll miss them references (that you’ll only notice if you participated in the viral game for the original), there isn’t anything in this movie that can direct you back to the first one. This will lead to many people being disappointed by the movie and feeling as if it lied just to make a quick buck. It’s important to know going into the movie that it’s not connected at all, as that will make watching the movie more enjoyable.
It’s best to think of the movie as a spiritual successor to the original, or as part of a Cloverfield “anthology” series, as they’re both similar in the sense that they are suspenseful movies that are shrouded in mystery and have you asking questions throughout the movie. For those that like to indulge in conspiracy theories though, there are some things that you could use to connect the two movies together.
All in all, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a great movie. It makes great use of its cast, and moves along at the nice pace. The movie is constantly keeping you in suspense, sinking its teeth into you from the moment it starts. For fans of the original, I encourage you to give the movie a chance. It’s sure to satisfy you if you go in separating it from the original. And who knows? Perhaps we’ll actually get a straight sequel to this movie. If we just get more “anthology” movies, that’s fine too. More Cloverfield is a good thing in my book.
10 Cloverfield Lane is in theaters now.
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