10 Cloverfield Lane

Dir: Dan Trachtenberg

2016

****

10 Cloverfield Lane started out as a simple script titled The Cellar and followed a similar premise but when the people at Bad Robot Productions put their heads together they decided that with a couple of small tweaks, The Cellar was the perfect opportunity to sneak out a sort-of sequel to their 2008 monster picture Cloverfield. Thankfully the decision to film it with a good old fashioned third-person narrative was made early on and it is a suitably still and well composed visual experience. I honestly don't think I could watch another 'found footage' type film again, I believe the sub-genre is dead until proven otherwise. The original Cloverfield made quite an impact, the truth is it was a very average monster movie but it was the found footage element and the way it was marketed that really made it stand out. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy any big monster movie but personally I find it somewhat of a turn off when the gimmicky advertising for a film makes more of an impact than the actual film itself. The film itself didn't really do anything new, it did take found footage to the very limits but I would argue that the sub-genre has seen much better. I actually found it unwatchable at times and I wasn't at all fussed about the conclusion. 10 Cloverfield Lane on the other hand has grabbed my attention and has almost made the first film more intriguing. I hadn't really cared about the origins of the original monster but now after watching the next chapter I want to know more. Even though I knew the films were linked I wasn't aware of the film's conclusion and I'm glad to say it isn't predictable at all. There are plenty of 'trapped in a cellar' type films out there but 10 Cloverfield Lane is certainly one of the best and more original of the genre. It's not that it tries anything particularly new either, it just gets the mood and setting right and makes it look easy in the process, although that ending helped. The film's structure is key to its success and the viewer is left second-guessing right up to the end credits. The simple but detailed set was very well thought-through and gave the film that eerie feeling you get from watching old 50s sci-fi movies - a clear tribute to the films it is influenced by. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is well cast as our protagonist and John Gallagher Jr. plays the mystery companion rather well. However, it is John Goodman who steals the show as a volcano of man who is responsible for their survival as well as their suffering. It's not a film full of tricks and twists but of chilling tension. It's really not just for lovers of sci-fi and anyone who didn't like Cloverfield need not be put off by its connection. It was 2016's surprise sort-of sequel that no one really asked for but were grateful for all the same.