Theatrical Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

"Hopefully this is the first of many movies set in the Cloverfield Universe."

(aka Escape From The Creepy Basement.)
Release Date: March 11th.
Country: USA.
Rating: PG-13.
Written by: Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken.
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg.
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr.

Yes, this movie is related to Cloverfield, and no, there's no real clear-cut connection between the two films. But there is. At least under the surface, anyway.

Listen, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a great movie that works on a few different levels, which for me, is saying a lot. You see, I was never a big fan of Cloverfield; it was good, but it just didn't blow me way like it did just about everyone else who saw it. This sequel though had me from the start and didn't let go until then end, when I found myself wanting more.

I enjoyed it so much, that I actually want to go back and give Cloverfield another shot.

It's going to be really hard to talk about the plot of this movie without completely ruining its twists and turns, so we're going to keep it as vague as possible.

Cutie pie Michelle is running away from an unsavory relationship (literally, in her car), when she's broadsided by another car, leaving her in a wreck. She wakes up in some creepy room, handcuffed to her bed and hooked up to an IV, where an odd survivalist named Howard tells her that he's brought her to his bunker because the world above has undergone some sort of biological/chemical attack which has rendered the air unbreakable. If they leave the safety of the bunker, they die.

"DON'T BE SCARED OR I'LL KILL YOU."

Even though there's another guy (Emmett) down there with them who backs up Howard's story, Michelle is suspicious of the whole thing. As time goes on however, she comes to realize that he's telling the truth; there has been some sort of attack above ground, and going outside might just kill them. She also begins to realize that something is not quite right with Howard, and that she may be in even more danger by staying in the bunker.

Edge-of-your-seat intensity ensues.

IN. OUT. SHE'S SCREWED EITHER WAY.

10 Cloverfield Lane was an intense little Thriller that told more than one story at once, and it's that duality that made it such a damned good watch. On one hand, there's been some sort of an attack, and being in the bunker is just about the only safe place to be. On the other, the guy who brought Michelle to the bunker comes off as a survivalist nut-job, and you're never really sure if he's a good or bad guy... at least at first.

Both storylines, their progression, and the reveals that they offer, are equally fantastic.

YEAH. THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

The cast is essentially made up of three people (we don't count Bradley Cooper's voice on a cell phone), and they were all fantastic here. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is not only a total QT, but she's a hell of an actress too, and she does her usual brand of excellent work here. Same goes for John Gallagher Jr., minus the QT part.

The real star of the show though is John Goodman. We've been big fans of his since we first saw him on Roseanne nearly 30 years ago, and he's one of those guys that always knocks it out of the park, whether he's doing comedy or drama. Here, he's genuinely creepy and unsettling as Howard, and he just chews the scenery every time he's on camera.

WE SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS GUY.

Is this a true sequel to Cloverfield? Kinda, but it's really more of a movie that takes place in the same world as the first movie than it is a true sequel. An off-shoot, if you will. Do we have a clear understanding of what's going on, both inside and outside of the bunker, by the time the movie ends? Pretty much. Some of the in-bunker stuff is left a bit ambiguous, although it's pretty clear what's going on; and the "attack" above and what caused it are pretty clear-cut.

IT'S ALL REALLY ONE BIG PUZZLE. A CREEPY, DREAD-FILLED PUZZLE.

***BEWARE SPOILERS***
For posterity's sake, here's my personal take on the movie:

The gist of it is: Michelle is running away from an abusive relationship, and ends up in another one that she really can't escape.

Howard built the bunker for his family, and they left him either because he was crazy, he abused one or both of them, or all of the above. When they did that, he lost it, abducted the other girl, Brittany, and held her in the bunker, because he needed a "replacement" daughter. Not sure how creepy that situation got (although I imagine it was probably really creepy), but it ended with Howard killing the girl. Knowing that the attack was coming, and having ruined his pedo-like relationships with his daughter and the abducted girl, he needed a replacement for her. That turned out to be Michelle. I'm pretty sure that the car that pulls in behind her at the gas station was Howard; he saw her, followed her, and crashed into her, so that he could take her back to his bunker.

In this way, Howard is the true Cloverfield Monster in this movie... even though there are aliens out there killing humanity with their gas and sharp teeth. Because that aspect of the movie wasn't a swerve at all, it was all happening.

***END SPOILERS***

Of course I could be off on a few points, but I'm pretty sure that's about right.

A SELFIE? NOW?!?

Not really, but there are a few disturbing scenes of violence.

SOMEONE'S GOING IN THAT BARREL.

Nope. PG-13.

PLENTY OF SEXY TANK TOP-WEARING THOUGH.

This is how sequels should be done. Also, 10 Cloverfield Lane was a better J.J. Abrams production than Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Yeah, I said it.

JOHN GOODMAN RULES ALL.

An exciting, absorbing movie, 10 Cloverfield Lane sucked us in from the get-go, kept us at full attention until the end, and then left us wanting more. If you haven't made the trip to a theater near you to check it out, you should really do so. If not, it definitely deserves a look when it hits VOD.

It's definitely one of our favorite movies of the year so far.

A

10 Cloverfield Lane is in theaters now.

MEW is always a welcomed sight in any movie.