10 Cloverfield Lane

A sequel to 2008’s Cloverfield (but not really), 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Michelle as she crashes her car one fateful night and subsequently awakens chained to a bed inside a bunker – with the movie detailing the relationship that eventually forms between Michelle, her captor (John Goodman’s Howard), and another man in the bunker (John Gallagher Jr’s Emmett). Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg, working from Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle’s screenplay, has infused 10 Cloverfield Lane with an slow-burn, intensely cinematic feel that couldn’t be further away from its predecessor’s fast-paced and relentlessly jittery sensibilities, with the movie’s deliberate atmosphere, in its first half, emphasizing character development over any overt instances of suspense or radical narrative shifts. It’s a strategy that admittedly does test the viewer’s patience on a sporadic basis, with the movie containing a number of long stretches in which the three characters attempt to adjust to their cramped, uncomfortable circumstances. Some of these interludes are far from enthralling, admittedly, and yet it’s worth noting that even during its more obviously subdued moments 10 Cloverfield Lane manages to effectively hold the viewer’s interest – with the absolutely flawless performances by the three leads going a long way towards keeping things interesting throughout. The movie’s shift from agreeable to engrossing comes at around the one-hour mark, however, as the narrative adopts a far more urgent feel that’s reflected in a variety of almost unbearably tense sequences – with the final 20 minutes or so packing an especially impressive edge-of-your-seat punch. And although the ending needlessly leaves the door wide open for a sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane ultimately establishes itself as one of the most effective and downright creepy thrillers to come around in quite some time. (It’s a shame, though, that the film’s title essentially acts as a huge spoiler.)

***1/2 out of ****