In 2008, the film
“Cloverfield” took the world by storm as one of the first found footage movie
in years to capture mainstream attention. Its plot was simple: a guy in New
York, who films his daily life, ends up in the middle of a monster crisis.
Nothing special, but with it being the first mainstream found footage movie
since “The Blair Witch Project,” it became one of the most talked about movies
of that year. However, looking at it today after all of the talk about it has
died down completely, it isn’t really all that impressive. I mean, sure at the
time it was an interesting film to discuss, but there isn’t much else to it
besides that. The characters aren’t that memorable, the camera work is really
aggravating, the scares aren’t effective, and it’s just a boring flick. I mean,
it might have worked if I saw it during its hype, but even then I would say
that it doesn’t hold up as well.
When talks of a sequel were
buzzing around, a lot of people speculated that it was going to be “Super 8,”
but the film had nothing to do with “Cloverfield.” So as time went by, the idea
of a sequel had practically left everybody’s mind…that is until we saw THIS:
That’s right. A sequel
to “Cloverfield” came completely out of nowhere, and everybody was taken off
guard by it, listed under the titles "The Cellar" and "Valencia." Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Josh Campbell, Matt
Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle, the film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John
Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr, living in a bunker shelter to keep safe from a
supernatural attack that can’t exactly be explained. Considering I wasn’t that
enthusiastic with the first film, I had pretty low expectations for this film.
However, considering it had pretty captivating marketing, I felt like giving it
a chance.
So, how did this film
turn out? All I can say is, I was really impressed with what I saw. “10
Cloverfield Lane” is not only good, it’s one of the most effective films I have
seen this year.
With the film taking
place mostly in the bunker, it fills you with this sense of claustrophobia that
bites at you with each passing second. With such limited space, with the only
two people being complete strangers who you never know what’s truly going
through their heads or what will happen next. It’s another aspect that I love
about the film, how it keeps you on your toes guessing, even in the scenes where
it’s a little calmer. We do have a definitive antagonist, but we’re not quite
sure if what he says is all made up, or if what he said about the dangers
happening are true or not. With this being Dan Trachtenberg’s first film, I can
definitely see a bright future for this director, so I’m looking forward to what
he’ll bring next.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
as our heroine, Michelle, really does a magnificent job. We sympathize with her
character, trapped and scared with people who for all she knew could be serial
killers, especially one of them. And throughout the film, she goes from somebody
unsure about herself, into a woman willing to put up a fight if it means
surviving. Usually, when Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in a horror film, it turns
out complete shit (“Black Christmas,” “The Ring Two,” and “The Thing (2011)”
being prime example), but I guess she managed to break that curse here. John
Gallagher, Jr. as Emmett is very likable in this film too. He’s charismatic,
good natured, optimistic with the brighter sides of things, and willing to
throw himself for the sake of others. You really grow to like the guy as you
watch the film, making it all the more heartbreaking by the end of the film.
Of course, the main highlight
of the film is John Goodman as Howard. All I can say is John Goodman delivered
the most disturbing performance of his career. Every second he’s on screen, he
always has this unsettling nature to him, like he’ll snap at any second and
break somebody’s neck. And just when you think he couldn’t get any creepier,
the secrets that reveal his character later on become even more unsettling. The
Academy Awards has yet to honor John Goodman an Oscar, but I’m kind of hoping
that changes with this performance.
Now, was there anything
that I didn’t like about the film? Well, I’d have to say it was the ending. Not
that it was bad, far from it, but with it being connected to the “Cloverfield”
universe, I kind of wished it wasn’t. I was so enchanted by the scenario that I
completely forgot that it was supposed to be a sequel, and I think even the
film makers did too. It felt like the ending was done at the last minute to
remind audiences that it was still in the same universe. But that’s just me.
Overall, “10
Cloverfield Lane” is one of the most enthralling movies that I’ve seen this
year. Regardless of how you felt about the first “Cloverfield” movie, I’m guaranteeing
you’ll love this film. If you’ve got $20 to spare, go out and buy the blu ray
for this film, and have yourself a great film to watch for Halloween.
Rating: 9/10
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