10 Cloverfield Lane - movie review
10 Cloverfield Lane
Plot: After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.
Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Rating: 12A
Runtime: 1hr 43 mins
Release Date: Friday 18th March 2016
Well, well, well. Expect the unexpected eh? To say that the announcement of this film came out of nowhere is an understatement. Almost eight years after the original Cloverfield, Abrams' production team work their mystical magic once again by returning to this universe. However, one thing needs to be urgently stressed. This is by no means a Cloverfield sequel, prequel or even spin-off. 10 Cloverfield Lane has no extreme relation to the first film apart from that they take place in the same universe so if you're expecting a continuation of that tale, then this isn't the answer.
For what basically is a small independent film, the cast on show here is by no means extensive. We have three main characters that are our sole focus and that is that. In the forefront as our protagonist of the film is Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Having found moderate success in Hollywood so far with Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and Final Destination 3, Winstead is talented but not necessarily a household name. Leaving 10 Cloverfield Lane, Winstead was one of my favourite parts of the film. She is a revelation and completely sensational. Not once did she not give 100% and I felt immediately connected with her character from the opening scenes. That connection and bond that Winstead provides make the film even more gripping as we hope for her survival. But what I enjoyed most about her character was how smart she was. Many films nowadays have a tendency to make the female character in a survival film helpless and become a damsel in distress. Here, Michelle (Winstead) is smart and cunning but it's achieved in a realistic sense. She is also pretty badass. With the dominating presence of John Goodman, Winstead is able to hold her own physically and mentally. Speaking of Goodman, the Oscars may have been and gone, but I'm considering that he could be up for a supporting actor nomination. I have to tread carefully about his character because various twists are revealed throughout but Goodman's performance is faultless. He can switch from creepy to caring, sinister to sweet in a blink of an eye and it feels authentic. I could never decide if he was being truthful about the state the world was in, or if he was keeping them for his own menacing needs. Goodman plays Howard as the mysterious type and there was never a moment where I saw Goodman in the role. He simply became Howard. And finally, completing the trio is John Gallagher Jr as Emmett and he is very good in the role. He usually provides some of the more comedic and light-hearted elements to, what is basically, a sombre filled film, and that was refreshing to see. The writers also try to give Emmett an emotional back story and I was happy to see his character having some development but at the same time, was a little unnecessary. I would have preferred it if the mystery could have been prolonged. As for Gallagher himself, he is great and endearing and I did find myself enjoying his presence, yet I do feel he was overshadowed by the greatness of Winstead and Goodman who again, were shockingly amazing.
Like I mentioned in my opening, 10 Cloverfield Lane bares no connection to the original film apart from name and universe. For the majority of the runtime, we are trapped alongside the characters in the confines of the bunker and that could have made for an intense and gripping story with recent examples being Room and Buried, or it could have become tedious and boring. Fortunately, 10 Cloverfield Lane was incredibly tense and had me on the edge of my seat for about ninety percent of the runtime (I'll speak about the ending soon). This is a contained thriller about the human psyche and I loved how it kept me guessing from start to finish. The twists were fresh, original and entirely unexpected. At points, it lulls you into a false sense of security making you feel safe, and then suddenly, jolts you out of the safety into the intensity once again. I cannot stress how consistently thrilling this film was. I went with a good friend of mine and he walked out having bitten his nails substantially due to the tense nature of the feature. It presents what could easily be a real human story in a complex and interesting way. Something that I adored was how little it borrowed from other claustrophobic thrillers. Just when I thought that they had run out of fresh ideas, Dan Trachtenberg and his writing team throw another new and exciting idea to peak my curiosity even further. And for Trachtenberg, this is a monumental accomplishment as I believe this is his feature film debut and he goes all in. I would put money on this guy becoming a prominent figure in directing very soon. So, 10 Cloverfield Lane was on its way to becoming one of my favourite films of the year so far. That was, until the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, which is a lot more difficult than it seems, it felt very forced and unwarranted. Throughout the hour and half, the film has a very specific tone and style but in the last ten minutes, that changes and alters to fit back into the mythology of Cloverfield. I could be wrong entirely, but it felt that the studio had made a intense psychological thriller but because of the popular demand for a Cloverfield sequel, they began to tweak a few scenes and then an ending that referred back to the 2008 original. Think of it like Adele making a song with Snoop Dogg. Both are creative and very good artists but their style does not mix well. This ending ultimately made me leave the theatre quite underwhelmed, not because the film was bad, far from it, but more to do with the fact that the conclusion seemed to be tacked on to make it tie back into the franchise.
The technical aspect of 10 Cloverfield Lane are just as impressive as the story it's telling. Firstly, the film looks beautiful. The fluidity of the camera allows the tension to spread across the screen but the cinematography could suddenly change into a more close and compact shot highlighting the claustrophobia present within the writing. But the score is what really surprised me. From Bear McCreary, he is able to create a tense atmosphere from his music alone. As the opening credits roll, the score struck me as a standout and it continued to blow me away. What a score should do, is either help progress the story or set a mood and tone. It should never just be background music for people to tap their feet to. McCreary creates pieces that are horrifying or make your heart leap out of your chest because of how intense it truly is. I can safely say that this is one of the best scores showcased so far in 2016 and rivals many of the classic thriller and horror film scores of all time. Something that I need to address is the marketing for the film. How I wish smaller yet popular movies could be advertised like this. Most of the big franchises often plan their films very far in advance with press releases detailing the release dates in years to come. I mean, I'm glad that Marvel and DC have plans in motion but if you're telling me that you're releasing Green Lantern Corps in 2020, I feel conflicted about if I should feel excited or annoyed that I have to wait that long. What 10 Cloverfield Lane was able to achieve was insane and managed to pull the wool over everyone's eyes because until the trailer was released, I didn't even know of this film's existence. The trailer was also released in January which gave us two months to wait rather than years. This could have lead to a flop and failed spectacularly with no one knowing of the film's actuality but it didn't. Instead, it's on the tip of everyone's tongue. I'm not saying that every film needs to have a surprising reveal to the public but now and again would be nice.
I went into 10 Cloverfield Lane unsure of what to expect. Would this be a direct sequel to Cloverfield? Would it be as intense as Cloverfield was? What I got was a thrilling and fantastic piece of cinema. I think each and every actor gave the performance of the careers and the story changed my perception of what could be done with such a basic premise. The ending was disappointing and didn't fit in with the rest of the film but having looked back upon it, I don't think it spoilt my experience.
My Verdict: 8.5/10
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