10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane is something I never expected to discover in 2016.  I will go so far as to say that right now it is one of the biggest surprises of this year.  The film centers on Michelle, (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who just broke off her engagement to Ben and is now headed to an unknown destination while contemplating her life choices.  After driving for some time and getting some phone calls from Ben while she is on the road Michelle gets into a horrific car accident.  Michelle wakes up to find herself in a bunker where she is now a resident with two other people Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) and both men believe the world has been attacked but they have no idea who or what has attacked the planet.  Michelle has to figure out what really happened and determine how she might escape to save and change her life.

I love this movie a lot.  10 Cloverfield Lane is a sharply made suspense thriller.  Much of what I love about this film comes from the fact the film is stripped completely of any scale and size the previous film had.  The story in 10 Cloverfield Lane is a self-contained story with very few obvious connections to its 2008 predecessor.  I love the fact that all of the action takes place in a very small area.  Because the area is so small any odd sound or noise can be unsettling given the proper timing.  The most unsettling character by far in this film is Howard as he casually flips emotional switches from normal to desperately angry based on how Michelle or Emmett answer his questions.  How Howard reacts to aby bit of information he’s given shapes how fearful the other two characters become and it’s a commanding performance from John Goodman.

I know many of you must be wondering about what the connection to Cloverfield (2008) might be.  My best advice is to put all notions about what you think can or might occur regarding that out of your head.  This is a film best viewed with as little prior knowledge of Cloverfield as possible because thinking about who or what might show up in the film spoils the rich involving experience that can be had when viewing this film.  Director Dan Trachtenberg does some incredible work with such a small film.  He chooses to do tight close shots and film toward characters’ reactions rather than pulling back and letting the conversation unfold from a distance as many directors may have done.

Aside from the claustrophobia and the intense conversations about Howard’s mental state and what may really be going on above ground another interesting aspect of the film deals with the theme of isolation.  Michelle isolates herself from her ex fiancé to start a new life and in turn lives with two people who isolated themselves because they feared a disaster.  Howard isolated himself because he feared a global disaster and Emmett isolated himself because he was afraid of being a failure.  More than being isolated for their failure to make decisions or tackle new life adventures the isolation they placed themselves under causes fear of anything different and in Howard paranoia is created that everyone is out to destroy what he has created to keep everyone safe.  It is powerful stuff.

I love how atmospheric every portion of the bunker becomes as Michelle and Emmett learn more about Howard and slowly come to realize they are trapping themselves with someone who may be more of a monster than anything above ground.  The fact that they can never fully decide whether Howard is bad and out to hurt them is a testament to Goodman’s performance.

Aside from the strong story and character beats there are other even more surprising things that the characters have to confront which makes 10 Cloverfield Lane a bountiful viewing experience that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good thriller.  I cannot recommend this film enough as it does everything right that Cloverfield was weak on.  See it as soon as you can or I’ll send the Cloverfield monster after you.