10 Cloverfield Lane

It had been a good many years since watching Cloverfield, and upon watching the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane, I had a pretty solid idea of how this new movie was going to pan out. Now maybe this trailer only showed in Europe or perhaps even just Britain where I'm from, because I can't for a moment believe that people didn't expect exactly what was going to happen after watching the 3 minutes of footage? The twist was given away. The plot spoiled. Anyone with half a brain could've deduced the entirety of the story from the trailer.

So, saying that, I knew what to expect. I went into watching the movie with a pretty strong idea of what was going to happen- and I wasn't far off.

The first 3 quarters of this movie is one movie in itself, and the last quarter is an entirely different one. So far from one another in terms of genre that even despite knowing what was going to happen, I was still stunned by the total change.

The first 3/4 is, honestly, extremely well done. John Goodman portrays such a convincing creepiness and terrifying instability that I found my skin crawling in almost every scene he was in. He completely steals the movie for me. And thank God, because without him I don't think there would be much to hold it up. The psycho-thriller element to this movie is fantastic. If it had remained solely within that genre, I think you'd be working with a solid 9/10.

But the ending just sours it for me. Expected, but not enjoyable. Cool CGI and action is great in itself but after a buildup of drama and tension and claustrophobic social interactions, it just feels odd and misplaced.

All in all, a great movie that's thoroughly worth watching- but I feel the sharp deviation at the end will either confuse and disappoint, or be a snippet of excitement that isn't nearly satisfying enough.

Full disclosure: The year is 2007. A trailer hits cinema screens advertising a mysterious film named "Cloverfield." Nobody knows what it's about, except that it's riding on the wave of the found footage genre, and that it seems to depict a giant monster attack on New York. Speculation immediately breaks out all over the internet, but nowhere more fiercely than on the IMDb forums, with many folks being caught up in the genius viral marketing. I myself was one of those people, along with my wife. Yes, we met on IMDb's Cloverfield forum. She moved from the US to Australia a few years after, we got married, and we've lived together happily ever since.

Yes, that is the power of film; it can bring people together in the most unlikely ways possible.

So, it's with some excitement that we were blindsided by the brief and vague advertising campaign for 10 Cloverfield Lane. Does it have any connections to the original Cloverfield? What's JJ Abrams playing at here, exactly? Without giving too much away, it's not a direct sequel, but rather a sequel in tone. I'm assuming Abrams is going for an anthology style series here, with each entry being a different story tied together by their themes and science-fiction setting. It's clearly a marketing thing, but if that means we'll get more films like this, I'm certainly okay with it.

10 Cloverfield Lane eschews its predecessor's found-footage trappings, and immerses us in a classic style bottle thriller. The setting is limited and claustrophobic, and the cast small, but the story and tension will grab you and not let up until the end. The nature of the mystery means your opinion will hang very precariously on whether you like that ending, and I suspect it will be divisive. There's not a great deal of resolution, and if I'm correct in assuming this will be an anthology series from now on, I doubt we'll ever get any. But that's fine, because I don't think the story that would follow the film really needs to be told.

What matters are the performances. John Goodman is the real draw card here. He gives a stunning turn that is delightful, sympathetic and absolutely terrifying in equal doses. He's had so many great roles in the past, but he is unforgettable here. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is also very likable as the resourceful protagonist. Perhaps a little too resourceful at times, but for the most part we're with her happily throughout.

The film looks fantastic despite the cramped environs, with great use of color and shadow and some interesting cinematography. There are some nice designs and special effects toward the end of the film, even if they may be considered a little derivative. The score is tense and effective, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The script is great with very little flab, and if you like these kinds of stories which lock characters together in tight, paranoid spaces then you'll find a lot to enjoy here. Just don't go in expecting Cloverfield 2, because this is not it. It's its own beast, and has a brave ending that you'll either love or hate.

To describe 10 Cloverfield Lane in one word: Genreless.

I won't say much about the film as I'm a strong believer of going in blind, but I will say that the performances, writing, and cinematic pacing worked perfectly together to create a truly unique film.

I loved watching it, and the moments of comedy sprouting up throughout made the duality between light-hearted humanity and dark confusion work perfectly together. I would give the Titles and Credits 10/10 as well, because they were just so damn fantastic and fresh and reminded me that titling is an art form like any other in the cinematic Genre. If you enjoy good film, you will enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane.

First things first, after watch this movie you will learn that nothing is what it seems to be.

At the beginning you will appreciate what appears to be a well made drama, after a while you will be immersed in a thriller with some awesome actors providing you moments of fear, sadness, uneasiness, terror and disbelief.

The story will make you doubt the movie at first but don't let it make you give up of watching it. You will certainly be captured by the fast changes in the narrative transforming this movie from one thing to another, where in a moment you will be happy watching it and a second after you will be terrorized by something; or wanting to know what is really happening and a moment after seeing all your beliefs crushing down by another event that reveals itself.

It is a awesome movie that anyone who wants to watch different stories should invest an hour in it.

It would have been solid 8 or 9 if it wasn't for the ending. Except that it was quite an intense mystery.