REVIEW: 10 Cloverfield Lane

I have been a fan of J.J. Abrams since his 2004 LOST series first aired. There isn’t much I haven’t been a fan of since then except for Cloverfield. I wanted to like it so bad but the shaky, point of view camera work killed it for me. So when I saw there was going to be another Cloverfield I was anything but excited. Then I watched the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane and there was no more shaky cam and so much mystery. Is this a sequel? Is it happening simultaneously with what is going on with people in New York in the first Cloverfield? Does it have nothing to do with the first Cloverfield and is John Goodman just crazy? Do these people think the world has ended? So many questions! I was instantly hooked.

As I said before the first Cloverfield movie for me was a total disappointment. Not only did the camera work make me sick, but most of the time I could even see what was happening. It was an alien disaster sci-fi film and you barely got a glimpse of what was actually attacking everyone. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the exact opposite of it’s predecessor. It is meticulously thought out and builds with so much intensity and uncertainty throughout the entire film that when the characters finally reach the turning you honestly can’t turn away from the insanity.

Cloverfield-12As I said before the first Cloverfield movie for me was a total disappointment. Not only did the camera work make me sick, but most of the time I could even see what was happening. It was an alien disaster sci-fi film and you barely got a glimpse of what was actually attacking everyone. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the exact opposite of it’s predecessor. It is meticulously thought out and builds with so much intensity and uncertainty throughout the entire film that when the characters finally reach the turning you honestly can’t turn away from the insanity.

As I said before the first Cloverfield movie for me was a total disappointment. Not only did the camera work make me sick, but most of the time I could even see what was happening. It was an alien disaster sci-fi film and you barely got a glimpse of what was actually attacking everyone. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the exact opposite of it’s predecessor. It is meticulously thought out and builds with so much intensity and uncertainty throughout the entire film that when the characters finally reach the turning you honestly can’t turn away from the insanity.

10 Cloverfield Lane is a perfect mixture of suspense, mystery and intensity. The cast is fantastic, but John Goodman steals the show as a seemingly insane doomsday preparer. He takes in a girl who is skeptical as to what is going on outside of the bunker and what his intentions really are. There are times when you think Howard (John Goodman), is insane and then in an instant think that maybe something really did happen to the world outside and he is telling the truth, only then to go right back to thinking he is crazy. John Goodman does a fantastic job in making you squirm in your seat and feel terrified, all the while making you feel like he is a good guy that did a good thing by taking in others and saving them. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Gallagher Jr. also do a great job. You go on this insane ride with them never knowing like their characters, whether or not they are captives or victims, or that they should be thankful that they are there in the bunker.

The film is well laid out and does a great job creating an intense atmosphere with camera work in a small space. The three actors deliver great performances that keep you questioning everything almost until the very end. There aren’t very many dull moments. There isn’t much else to say with out giving away some of the story but It’s definitely a roller coaster of emotions. It’s a great thriller that keeps you guessing and has some treats for all you Cloverfield fans out there!

 

Keep Exploring
The Hole in the Ground
Sundance 2019: Irish Horror Flick ‘The Hole in the Ground’ Explores the Horrors of Parenthood