10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Mystery, Sci-FI, Thriller
Directed By: Dan Trachtenberg
Considering the current landscape for the film industry it is rather remarkable that up until two months ago none of us even knew this film existed, let alone that it was being released in the beginning of March. In a world so filled with spoilers JJ Abrams Bad Robot did the impossible by hiding this movie from public eye, and for good reason too. Despite the name, this is not a direct sequel to Matt reeves 2008 film but rather an extension of that universe, so don't go in with expectations of shaky cam and giant monsters. Instead, prepare yourself for a slow-burn, highly intense, science-fiction thriller that will have you mentally exhausted by the time the credits roll.
10 Cloverfield Lane operates as a small scale thriller, with the majority of the film focusing on just three people. The film opens with our main character Michelle (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) packing up her things in an attempt to outrun her problems. On the road out of town she is struck by another traveler, leaving her unconscious in a car wreck. She awakens to find herself trapped inside a mysterious bunker with another man named Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) and the man who claims to have saved their lives, Howard (John Goodman). That's all you need to know prior to seeing the film, why they are down there and why Howard thinks he has saved their lives are questions only to be answered on screen.
First time director Dan Trachtenberg has come out of the gate with as strong of a performance as you can have, crafting a film that is both a throwback to our favorite classics while at the same time feeling entirely fresh and original. The film is fantastically paced, building the tension at all the right moments and delivering plenty of twists and turns when you least expect it. Every time you think you have the movie or its characters figured out it throws something at you that you never saw coming.
What really elevates this movie higher than your typical science-fiction movie is the performances Trachtenberg was able to pull from his core actors. With the film focusing almost entirely on just three people what those actors put on screen is what makes the movie what it is. John Gallagher Jr. is fantastic as the optimistic Emmett but it is John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth-Winstead that shape this movie into a stellar thriller.
Winstead has shown time and time again that she has got what it takes to be the new "Sigourney Weaver" and if her performance here doesn't solidify her status as this generation's genre film bad-ass then I don't know what will. Then there is John Goodman who we all know he is a masterful character actor but what he brings to life in this film is something far more than we have seen from him in a while. What he does as Howard is chillingly real and easily the best performance we have seen so far this year.
To add to the "old-school" feel of this movie Bear McCreary brings a stellar score that only makes this feel more like your favorite classic science-fiction movie. It helps to build tension in some of the most intense scenes while also alleviating a lot of the stress in the calmer moments of the film. Added together with superb performances and a solid directorial debut from Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane sets the bar high for all other sci-fi movies to come this year.
Much like Ex-Machina last spring, this film is sure to surprise most people and be talked about plenty in the future. Go into this movie with as little knowledge of what is going to happen as possible and you are sure to be rewarded. For the fans of the original this has plenty to keep you speculating on how they connect, if at all. If you haven't seen the first movie, don't worry, you can easily enjoy this film without it (though I recommend checking it out, I adore it). After seeing this I am quite intrigued to see what Bad Robot does with the "Cloverfield" name next, I think it has an exciting future ahead of it.
As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!
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