Title: 10 Cloverfield Lane
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Rating: PG-13
Time: 103 minutes
After surviving a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with two men. Howard (John Goodman) tells her that a massive chemical attack has rendered the air unbreathable, and their only hope of survival is to remain inside. Despite the comforts of home, Howard’s controlling and menacing nature makes Michelle want to escape. After taking matters into her own hands, the young woman finally discovers the truth about the outside world.
My Review:
I did not enjoy Cloverfield (not a fan of shaky cam, unless it’s The Blair Witch…. just feel that it’s overdone.), so I was a bit leary of this one. Although it’s not a part two, it still takes place in the same world/timeline. But not a shaky cam in sight, so that was wonderful.
The tension starts right at the beginning with Michelle packing a bag in a hurry, and leaving her apartment. At first I was wondering if she left because of what had happened in Cloverfield, but we find out it’s some sort of relationship drama. She ends up in a locked cement room, and eventually finds out she’ in Howard’s bunker. He’s a survivalist who tells her that the world has ended, and the air up above is not breathable. She also meets Emmett, who had helped to build the bunker, and ran there when the crazy stuff started going down.
This movie does a wonderful job in ratcheting up the tension, and keeping it there, barely giving you a moment to breath before something else happens. There are so many questions that Howard can’t/won’t answer. There are times when Michelle will believe Howard, but then he does something, or they find something in the bunker that makes her not believe him. John Goodman does an excellent job playing a man on the edge, one minute you believe him (the same as Michelle), then the next minute he flies into a fit of rage, and you start questioning everything too.
At first Emmett is fine without stirring up any trouble, but the clues that start to fall into place have him questioning things too. They make a final break to get outside, but more horrible things happen. The whole time you’re rooting for them to escape, but is whatever is waiting for them outside, any better than what’s in the bunker.