10 Cloverfield Lane: The Address You’ll Never Leave

Because Bad Robot films are super cereal about insisting that moviegoers avoid spoilers for their films, I’ll put the rest of my spoiler-y review of 10 Cloverfield Lane behind a cut. But first, a frequently asked question: is it necessary to have watched Cloverfield before watching 10 Cloverfield Lane? The answer is no; 10 Cloverfield Lane is merely set in the world and watching either film first won’t spoil the other.

Follow me for the rest of the spoilers…

I didn’t know much about 10 Cloverfield Lane before watching the movie, so the tension and dread of the unknown were ratcheted up as I watched. The film opens on Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as she’s driving away from her boyfriend. While distracted, she crashes her car and wakes up in a basement with no memory of how she got there. Her savior is an elderly ex-military man named Howard (John Goodman). Howard has some bad news. The world outside has become polluted and neither Michelle, nor another man Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) can leave the bunker…for everyone’s safety. Michelle is immediately  suspicious and she enlists Emmett’s help to escape. But can they do it in time before Howard finds out? And what exactly is going outside?

JJ Abrams has called 10 Cloverfield Lane a “spiritual successor” to Cloverfield. While the characters or monsters from the first movie are absent here, there’s other characters and other monsters. Setting this movie in the Cloverfield universe allows the director to explore how others would react to an alien invasion. While the Cloverfield teenagers run for their lives, Howard is content to sit and wait out the disaster. At the end of the day; however, it’s revealed that Howard is just as much of a monster as the ones attaching Earth.

10 Cloverfield Lane was originally a low-budget horror movie called The Cellar, that was retconned into the Cloverfield universe during filming. Normally I’m the first person to cry foul at this kind of plot shoehorning (as I did on at least three of the Hellraiser movies). Here; however, the plot point integration works. Michelle and Howard aren’t characters from Cloverfield, and the dangers they face aren’t the same ones from that first movie. Rather, 10 Cloverfield Lane tells us a different story in the same universe, and reminds us that while aliens are attacking, there’s more to the world than New York. Not everyone is going to be running out of a brownstone away from a party the way the protagonists did in Cloverfield.

It’s how the characters react to the crisis that forms the crux of this movie. Michelle is suspicious of Howard, who isn’t used to being questioned. It’s telling that during a game of Pictionary, Howard guesses “child” when Emmett points to Michelle, not getting that Emmet wanted him to guess “woman.” Howard is a larger-than-life imposing father figure, the epitome of authority figures. John Goodman is terrifying in this role. Forget every comedic thing you’ve seen him in, Goodman’s mannerisms in 10 CLoverfield Lane will make you quake in fear. Winstead is his match as the determined Michelle. Winstead’s character doesn’t fall for any cliché horror tropes; she understands her predicament and does her best to get out of it. It’s a strong female role and one that should show up more often on-screen.

While JJ Abrams is merely in a producer role on this film, that’s like saying Tim Burton didn’t direct The Nightmare Before Christmas. While technically true, Abrams’ hand is all over this movie. However, 10 Cloverfield Lane takes familiar Abrams tropes and uses them to great effect. The small budget means there’s no room for fat…or lens flare. The action is character-driven, which immediately elevates 10 Cloverfield Lane above most horror movies. If you’re a fan of strong actors and tight scripts. check it out.

10 Cloverfield Lane tl;drs

Quick summary: Michelle gets into a car wreck and wakes up in a bomb shelter. Turns out she’s been rescued by Howard, who tells her that the air outside has become polluted and she can’t escape. Howard, Michelle, and Emmett all adjust to each other as they live in the bunker. Over time; however,, Michelle, starts to realize that things aren’t as they seem.

Too many writers? Three people worked on the story, but you don’t notice, it’s so tightly packed.

Recommended if you like: JJ Abrams “twist” movies, John Goodman being terrifying.

Better than I expected? Hell yes, all of it. Goodman’s and Winstead’s performance are Oscar-worthy.

Worse than I hoped? Oddly enough, some of the tension becomes too predictable once Michelle escapes the number.

Should it be rebooted? It’s already set in the Cloverfield universe, so a reboot isn’t necessary. Looking forward to the sequel.

Verdict: Awesome movie that is worthy of some acting awards.

Related Reading: Wiki article