If the modern age of film has taught us anything, it is the effectiveness of a well thought-out marketing campaign. Films live and die by their trailers, as too much information can lead to viewers already knowing too much going in, and a lack of information can leave viewers feeling betrayed when their expectations aren’t met. This marketing landscape has made it especially difficult to advertise mystery films, as they function best when viewers go in blind. That said, “10 Cloverfield Lane” pulls off what many mysteries fail to achieve: it surprises at every turn.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is an interesting title for the film. Once referred to as “The Cellar” during pre-production, the film follows Michelle — played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead — as she is part of a car crash and wakes up in an underground bomb shelter occupied by two men — Howard and Emmit, played by John Goodman and John Gallagher, Jr., respectively. Howard, the bomb shelter’s owner, informs her that a massive attack has left the outside world uninhabitable, and that they will be surviving in the bunker for years to come. What follows is a topsy-turvy nail-biter that will have viewers guessing up until the very end.
The choice to associate the film with 2008’s “Cloverfield” is endlessly interesting, as it conjures expectations in the viewer’s mind about the nature of the film, yet the two share almost nothing in common. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is not filmed in the manic, exhaustive way “Cloverfield” was. “10 Cloverfield Lane” doesn’t even exist in the same universe as the first. But, by laying common ground for the viewer in the form of a callback title, thereby implicating some sort of resemblance, the film allows itself to tinker with expectations it hasn’t really built yet. Put more succinctly, “10 Cloverfield Lane” toys with its viewers before the film even begins — and the results are exhilarating.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is a tense, tight, and incredibly well-paced thriller. First time director Dan Trachtenberg performs with a high sense of craft, and it shows. Every actor turns in a breathtaking performance — John Goodman is especially phenomenal — and the film plays its cards very close to its chest; I left my showing with burning questions still in my mind. And at a light 103 minutes, the film lasts just as long as it needs to.
But the film is also much more than that. It’s a character study of Michelle, a woman lacking strength who is forced to take action. It’s also surprisingly humorous at times — a welcome break from the paranoia and tension that run throughout the film — and its claustrophobic set design and cinematography will leave you uneasy. Coincided with John Goodman’s genius performance as the ever-mysterious Howard, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is an explosive debut for director Trachtenberg. He will be one to watch in the future.
Without spoiling anything, the film is forced to eventually make decisions about its universe, and its third-act choices may leave some viewers disappointed. Is the outside world truly toxic? Are there monsters similar to those in “Cloverfield”? These answers must eventually manifest, and regardless of what they are, they remove a bit of mystery from the film.
So while “10 Cloverfield Lane” isn’t perfect, it is an exciting and fun film that will have viewers on the edge of their seat. Regardless of preconceived notions about the first film, “10 Cloverfield Lane” deserves your time and attention.
