10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane

Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

The Story:
Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is involved in a car accident, and when she comes to, she's shackled to a pipe in a bunker, under the watchful eye of Howard (John Goodman), who tells her there's been a chemical attack, and everyone above ground is dead.  Howard's neighbor, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) is also in the bunker, and Michelle begins to wonder if she's a captive, someone who was rescued by a genuinely nice man, or something in-between, and whether or not the world she knew is gone forever.

The Synopsis:
Back in 2008, producer J.J. Abrams released "Cloverfield," which was a first-person shaky-cam view of New York City thrown into turmoil after an attack from an unknown creature.  It was an incredibly action-packed thrill ride with a cast of relative unknowns and palpable energy and excitement.

For years, audiences had been pining for a sequel, and it seemed it would never come.  Then, out of the blue, Abrams releases a trailer for "10 Cloverfield Lane," a film that was so secretive that it wasn't even originally designed to be a "Cloverfield" sequel (the original title was "The Cellar"), but Abrams manged to turn it into another film in the "Cloverfield" banner.  He doesn't consider it a sequel, but rather a "blood relative" to the original film.  From the trailer alone, you can clearly see it's not a direct sequel.

First, this film abandoned the now-defunct found-footage style filming of someone running around wildly with a camera, shaking it all over the place (hence the term "shaky cam" originated).  Instead, it revered to old classic Hollywood style of tripod film work, which immensely helps in developing the characters and allowing the viewer to really grasp everything that is going on.

Second, the film doesn't bolster nonstop action, but rather turns into a three-person play, essentially something you could see on the Broadway stage.  In "Cloverfield," you don't really get to know the main characters, and it leaves you with a disconnect where you're pulled out of the film.  With "10 Cloverfield Lane," the film centers around three main characters, all of whom were brilliantly developed and acted by three masterclass professionals, and this allows the audience to be sucked into the film and feel like you're a part of what's going on.

Speaking of professional actors, "10 Cloverfield Lane" pulls in three amazing actors who are at the top of their craft.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead's portrayal of Michelle - a woman who struggles with being strong and not running from the face of danger - correlates to other great femme fatales of horror.  John Gallagher Jr. gives an insightful and witty performance as the happy-go-lucky Emmett, but the main powerhouse of the film is John Goodman.  He's appeared in over 100 films and television series, and often overlooked to the detriment of the viewer.  Here, he is free and open to express his full acting ability as Howard, a man who could be a savior...or a demon.  He walks that tightrope with the talent that would make Philippe Petit jealous.

This is a film where "less is more" fully applies, both to the film itself and knowledge beforehand.  I won't give away any major spoilers, because this is a film that demands to be seen in its purest form - free from spoilers and gossip.  You'll undoubtedly talk about this film often after it ends, and then you can talk to me one-on-one about the subtle nuances and roads it takes. 

The Summary:
"10 Cloverfield Lane" might not be an exact sequel, but it tells a fuller, richer story with fantastic performances and a continual feel of dread throughout.

The Score: A