Perhaps one of the most unconventional sequels of all-time, 10 Cloverfield Lane assembles almost no resemblance to 2008’s cult classic Cloverfield other than maybe its name. The movie takes place in rural Louisiana, while Cloverfield takes place in New York City. We never truly know how much 10 Cloverfield Lane is in the future, but we can assume it’s as soon as a couple of days and maybe as long as a couple of weeks. Cloverfield was a shaky camera-found footage film about aliens invading the city. 10 Cloverfield Lane is not that. It’s more like a spin-off than it is a sequel. An alien invasion is a possibility for how these characters find themselves. Still, it is just one of the possibilities described by Howard (John Goodman – Flight, Barton Fink), the film’s antagonist. Goodman might be better than he ever has been before. It certainly is his darker role and the first movie in many, many years (King Ralph anyone) in which he has played a starring role.

I think the less you know about this film going in, the more you might like it. I also believe that you’ll like this movie if you watch a lot of movies in the theater rather than just a few per year. It’s not that this was a poor movie by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just a different type of mainstream movie. If you’ve seen the trailer, you know that three people live in a somewhat restricted environment while Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now is playing in the background. If I recall correctly, I don’t even think there were any words in the original trailer that I saw. There is a lot of intrigue in the trailer that culminates when a young, unrecognizable female tries to escape from some kind of bunker while John Goodman tries to prevent her from doing so. It gives off a pins and needles feeling for sure, and I knew as soon as I saw the trailer that I would need to see this movie on its opening weekend.

The unknown young woman that I am referring to is Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Kill the Messenger, The Spectacular Now). After wrecking her car, she finds herself with a messed up knee while hooked to an IV in a room on a mattress in an otherwise empty room that immediately gives you the feeling that you might have been tricked into seeing the most recent installment in the Saw franchise. Rest assured, however, that Jigsaw is not a part of this movie. The room actually is an offshoot in the basement of a bomb shelter that belongs to be the imposing captor Howard. He arrives at the room and informs her that there has been an unknown attack on the United States and that no one above ground is unsafe. Howard, who lives on some sort of ranch in the middle of nowhere, is an apocalypse prepper and has a ready-made shelter that might be nicer than the house you live in now. It has running water, a plumbing system, heat and electrical, enough food to last a few years, etc. Think of a mid-sized two-bedroom apartment that is complete with its own jukebox that you’d find in your favorite 80’s bar.

But as well-suited as the living accommodations are, that isn’t enough to convince Michelle to stay after Howard tells her it might be a year or two before they are given the go-ahead to evacuate. Moreso, she doesn’t even know who this man is or how she got where she is (the last thing she remembers is her car spinning out of control). She thinks she is unsafe despite Howard’s repeated proclamations that he is not there to hurt her. Not only is Michelle uncertain if she can believe him, but she’s also unsure if he’s even sane. She does know, however, that Howard is in control. He’s aware of the situation. He’s stronger than her. And he has the keys that can keep her locked up whenever he wants. So while she has reason to suspect him when he says that there is some sort of invasion or that the air on surface-level is toxic, she has bigger issues that she has to deal with…like staying alive.

Fortunately for Michelle, she is not alone. Also inhabiting this bunker is Emmet (John Gallagher Jr. – Short Term 12, Jonah Hex), Howard’s trusted employee. Unlike Howard, Emmet seems a bit saner, friendlier, and someone she feels is easier for her to trust. In addition, he’s closer to Michelle in age, and there is an instant feeling that we are in this thing together. However, this is Howard’s bunker, and both Emmet and Michelle know it. So whether they like each other or not, the three of them will have to learn how to live with one another because it could be years before that bunker door is once again opened.

We know the reason why these characters are forced into this shelter. Rarely do we learn more about what’s going on than the characters do for that length of time. For me, this film never felt frustrating. And even though there is only so much you can do while trapped inside of a bunker, I never felt like the pace was too slow. Moreso, I didn’t want this movie to win. I was fully entrenched in the storyline and loved the way that each of the three characters interacted. As mentioned in this second paragraph, if you only go to the movies a handful of times each year or if horror/suspense isn’t really your thing, you may question your decision to see this movie while watching it. But if you are a movie junkie, as am I, I don’t know how you could be disappointed by this movie. To say that Alfred Hitchcock would be proud would be a complete understatement. To me, the Hitchcock movie that this was most similar to would probably Psycho which is, arguably, his best. But, again, if you like a film like Psycho, I don’t see a scenario where you wouldn’t enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Plot 9/10
Character Development 8.5/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 9.5/10 (there are so many ways in which this movie had the chance to fail…one of which is the failing performance of even one of these three characters)
Screenplay 9/10
Directing  9.5/10
Cinematography 9.5/10 (amazing)
Sound 10/10 (incredible)
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 8.5/10 (we have shows like Doomsday Preppers for a reason…I find some of these end of world preparedness shows to be fascinating)
92.5%

Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie

• Panic Room
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