Score: 7.75/10
The trailer dropped and the internet fluttered with excitement. A movie coming out really soon and no one even new it was going to be made.
J.J. Abrams—you sly devil. In a world where there are scoops about upcoming scoops, he managed to sneak this one past us.
Reportedly, 10 Cloverfield Lane is part of the Cloverfield franchise. Though, it kinda-sorta does—if you go by the name. Other than that, not so much. The movie can easily be its own entity. It’s a very loose connection. Maybe it’s akin to the The Twilight Zone series.
So if you’re expecting to see the characters being chased by creatures while carrying their shaky cam, you’ll be disappointed… Or maybe you’ll be relieved.
The movie is more of a claustrophobic thriller, which does a great job building tension, for the most part. Michelle is our eyes into this world. We know what she knows, which is very little. Trapped in a confined place, unsure of what’s going on outside.
Imagine, “Signs”, but the people you’re stuck with aren’t your family—instead, they’re strangers, who give you a bad vibe. And you have no idea what is going on on the other side of that door. Add in sporadic noises coming from the outside world that tease you with signs of life. But what could those sounds be? Are they good or bad?
Taking a tour inside the bunker…
Michelle shares the space with two other people: Emmit and Howard.
Emmit knows Howard. He comes across as an okay guy, but what do we really know about him. Howard is played by John Goodman, who is a control freak who poses the psychological threat. Not to mention, he’s an imposing figure. And this is where the story treads into the dark and foreboding waters of a psychological thriller.
John Goodman is amazing in the role. There’s a threatening presence about him, but it’s what goes on inside his head that is worrisome.
Clues are dropped along the way, but early on, we can’t nail it down completely and neither can Michelle. You can see the wheels turning and a shift in demeanor as she contemplates her situation.
What is outside?
At the start, the curiosity builds. Is she better off inside or not? Are these strangers crazy or not… telling the truth or not?
The movie does a good job at keeping the movie going. After all, it’s not easy to make a film that is mostly occurring in one place.
Though, there were a couple of time during the second act where I felt the story dragging a bit. Maybe even a little frustrated with the whole “are we ever going to know what’s outside?”; because it’s this dangling fruit that hangs over your head throughout and you just want to snatch it once and for all.
When it all comes to a head…
The start of the final act is well done, but the ending was just okay. Maybe because of all the build up.
But all in all, it was an tense filled story that had some shockers and nail biting moments.
