10 Cloverfield Lane is the second film in the Cloverfield anthology franchise helmed by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Lost). This is the feature film debut of director Dan Trachtenberg who previously directed a short film for the popular PC game Portal. The film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (The Thing, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), John Goodman (Inside Llewyn Davis, The Big Lebowski) and John Gallagher, Jr. (The Newsroom, Short Term 12).
The film’s release follows that of 2008’s Cloverfield, the genre-defining found footage movie known for its understated, yet entrancing advertisement campaign. The film’s first trailer consisted of a recording of a party before the guests run out onto the New York City streets, only to see the head of the Statue of Liberty flung at them.
10 Cloverfield Lane centers around Winstead’s Michelle, a woman who leaves her significant other in the opening scenes of the film before getting into a car crash on a Louisiana road in the middle of the night. She awakens in an underground bunker with Goodman’s Howard, a survivalist/conspiracy theorist who informs Michelle that some sort of attack has occurred above ground that has left the air toxic to human beings and that they will remain safe in the bunker. John Gallagher, Jr.’s character, Emmett, is introduced shortly afterwards as a source of comic relief and a conflicting viewpoint to Howard’s pragmatic paranoia.
The true quality of 10 Cloverfield Lane comes in the thought that nothing can be truly trusted, especially in the form of Goodman’s performance as Howard. Throughout the film, it should be acknowledged that everything is being seen through the viewpoint of Michelle. As new information comes to light, Michelle’s opinion of Howard flip-flops from trusting to cautious. The audience is directed into similar emotions by Goodman’s strong performance. With the simple inflection of his voice on certain topics or the word choice that he manages to make sound creepy or emotional, it’s as easy to empathize and trust Howard as it is to demonize him.
Yet, this all pales in comparison to the fact that the film truly gives off the feeling that we as the audience are basically in Michelle’s shoes. The film can feel as claustrophobic as she does when trapped in the shelter. She is plagued with the thought of never truly knowing what’s going on.
Up until the final moments of the film, any thought that is contributed by any character is fair game and the fact that only three actors take up the majority of the screen-time makes every word worth dissecting in an attempt to find the truth.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance is also notable. It has to be considering she is the audience surrogate. Her performance as Michelle has flashes of the same ruthless ambition that Charlize Theron honed in Mad Max: Fury Road or Sharni Vinson showed in cult-horror film You’re Next. Michelle is another step forward in the strong and unique female protagonists that have taken Hollywood by storm. Her toughness and drive make her an easy character to cheer on throughout the duration of the film.
By the end of 10 Cloverfield Lane there are plenty of shifts and twists yet nothing feels contrived or cliche. Everything has been set-up and executed in a way that makes the film feel as if it got away with plenty without cheating the audience.
Those expecting a sequential sequel to Cloverfield will be disappointed. However, this film is still worth a watch. It has the spirit of Cloverfield and manages to execute it much better than the slightly disappointing found-footage film from 2008. Those eager to see a riveting thriller should definitely seek this one out, especially considering it has proved to be one of the best films in a cinema lull after awards season.
