10
Cloverfield lane is a 2016 sci-fi horror movie. Produced by JJ Abrams
(Cloverfield, Lost) and directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film stars
John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim,
The Thing) and John Gallagher Jr.
Described as a “spiritual sequel” to 2008’s Cloverfield, the film was
completed under the name "Valencia" and was revealed as 10 Cloverfield
Lane 2 months before its release.
The
movie opens with Michelle (Winstead) leaving her partner after a row
but, due to an unfortunate turn of events, she wakes up in chains in a
cold basement. This basement is actually a post-apocalyptic bunker
belonging to Howard (Goodman),
a conspiracy nut who was more than prepared for the “attacks” that he
tells Michelle have destroyed humanity above. They are also joined by Emmett
(Gallagher), a farmhand who helped construct the bunker and now finds
himself also confined for what Howard describes
as “a 1 to 2 year” period. Things soon turn from tense to violent as
Howard struggles to contain his true nature and Michelle is able to
escape the bunker, only to discover that the truth about the attacks is
surprisingly more crazy than even Howard suggested.
The
main question mark over this film which threatens to overshadow it, is
whether this is actually a sequel to Cloverfield. We know that the film
was completed under the title “Valencia” and was based on a spec script
called “The Cellar”
which had nothing to do the Cloverfield universe. However, Abrams and
co apparently noticed thematic similarities which led them to rework the
movie into 10 Cloverfield Lane. Abrams himself has stated that “It’s
not called Cloverfield 2 because it’s not Cloverfield
2” and I think this accurately presents the film as a “spinoff” rather
than a direct sequel. That’s not to say that the events in the film
aren’t clearly linked to the events of Cloverfield, just in a more
interesting and mysterious way than you might expect
(this is Abrams after all!). I found it really refreshing that the
film/trailer was revealed a mere 2 months before release and I found it
exactly the right amount of time to get excited.
Now,
if you can get over the fact that this is both a film that has been
cleverly woven into the universe of an existing science fiction universe
and, conversely, a film that has been shoehorned into a franchise to
maximise profit, you
will find one of the most taut and tense thrillers to come out in
years. The Hitchcockian claustrophobia and paranoia seeps from every
pore of a career best performance from Goodman, as well as from the
fantastically designed set. Winstead is impeccable as
always and Bear Macreary’s score ramps up the tension periodically to
match the actors ebb and flow. The twists and turns in the plot were
subtle enough to be felt underneath the atmosphere and the process of
trying to figure out the characters, as well what
was happening in the outside world, was a joy. The ending will surely
divide audiences as, despite knowing what we know from the first film,
it didn’t quite go in the direction I thought it would (but not in a way
that felt cheap). Rather, the ending leaves
an enticing thread hanging much like the satellite crash at the end of
the first film.
In
a post Prometheus (2012) world, I think we’ve all learned to manage our
expectations when we hear of a semi-sequel or “ a film that shares DNA”
and it’s easy to see this film as a cash in on what was a very
successful movie. However,
the movie is so well written, so tightly directed and so perfectly
acted, that you soon forget that there is meant to be any franchise
connection at all and it’s on this basis that the movie should be
assessed. Some may be bemused with the ending and clear
foundation being laid for future instalments but, after all the dust
has settled, this will stand up as one of the best movies of the year.
And if you’re after a plot that makes complete sense and is tied up in a
neat little package at the end…then what the
hell are you doing watching a JJ Abrams production?
***** 5 Stars
What did you think of the movie? Is it really connected o Cloverfield?
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