“10 Cloverfield Lane” is intense, claustrophobic and a fantastic psychological thriller.
There are tons of movies that have lots of marketing and trailers that give away a lot, which to some extent spoils some of the exciting moments that audiences anticipate to see in a movie, especially when it comes to horror films. The trailer for “10 Cloverfield Lane” was released two months ago and showed few significant details. The marketing campaign did a very successful job on making this movie mysterious.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is neither a sequel nor a prequel to 2008’s “Cloverfield,” but is set in the same universe, and it’s truly fantastic.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” follows the story of Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who gets into a car accident and is rescued by Howard (John Goodman). Howard takes her into an underground bomb shelter and tells her that there has been a chemical attack and that the air outside is toxic. Inside the bomb shelter, there is another captive, Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr.), and Michelle sees things that make her question if Howard is actually telling the truth.
The performances from the cast were outstanding. Winstead was truly great in her lead role — this is probably the best performance that I’ve seen from her. Her character is very smart and is able to figure out things pretty quickly, and the audience is able to root for her.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead takes on the role of Michelle in “10 Cloverfield Lane.”
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Gallagher also did a really nice job in his role. He is someone you can sympathize with, and, even though he is the least compelling character, he still is someone that you can root for.
Even still, the standout in this movie is Goodman, who gave a frightening and riveting performance. He really puts the audience on edge, and you never know when he is going to either lose his mind or act rationally. Goodman is such an underrated actor, and this movie proves that he is one of the best actors working today.
John Goodman stars as Howard in the thriller.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Dan Trachtenberg is the director of the movie, and this is his directorial debut. He did a great job of using the location well and making the movie intense and gritty.
The writing for this movie was spectacular, as the scenes that I thought were the most intense were the conversations that these three characters would have. Throughout the conversations, you are on the edge of your seat because you do not know what to expect, and you can really feel the intensity start to rise.
The only problem I had with the movie was the third act. The third act was well done, and it was exciting to watch, but it honestly felt like a different movie than the first two acts. I suppose it makes sense, because it somewhat ties in to “Cloverfield,” but it does not change the fact that I thought the first two acts were better.
However, there is so much that I loved about “10 Cloverfield Lane” that it overshadows the one flaw that I saw in the movie.
Some people may walk out of this movie disappointed because it is not a direct sequel to “Cloverfield,” like many were expecting. This movie stands on its own, and if you go into this movie expecting a fantastic psychological thriller that is very well made, then you will not be disappointed. I applaud the effort that was put into this movie, and I cannot wait to see what Trachtenberg does next.
