10 Cloverfield Lane- Review

When it comes to unexpected films coming out, 10 Cloverfield Lane is by far one of the most unexpected to ever hit theaters. Nobody saw this film coming until a secret trailer was attached to 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. Immediately, all movie enthusiasts became enthralled with this project being that Cloverfield was absolutely awesome. Now, I have to stress something. 10 Cloverfield Lane is an excellent movie. The acting, the directing, and the plot are all incredible. But do not go into this film expecting a sequel to Cloverfield. This movie, although in the same universe, is something almost entirely different. 

In simple terms, I absolutely loved this movie. It's the type of film that gets you thinking and it also leaves you wanting a ton more. I know for a fact a lot of people have gone to see this film more than once, which says a lot. You have to analyze everything in terms of dialogue, imagery, and certain character actions to really understand how clever this movie is. I have to give a lot of credit to rookie director Dan Trachtenberg. This was his first major film and it was brilliant. He really developed very intense characters and developed a situation that I found generally interesting. Having the ability to use the Cloverfield universe, Trachtenberg developed a super realistic scenario and it was enthralling. I felt like I knew people that reminded me of the three main characters. The craziest part of this film is how real it feels.

Speaking of the characters, I have to give a lot of credit to the actors in this film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead was just awesome. She was a great leading lady and she managed to play a very fleshed out and deep rooted soul. Her character was complex and she really sold a terrific performance. John Gallagher Jr. was also terrific. He managed to add a comedic twist to this dark film and even added some emotional depth to the story. Now, the MVP of this film is John Goodman. Time and time again, this man proves he has incredible acting chops. He played the creepiest, but most understanding psychopath ever. You never really knew whether to root for him or against him. Another thing this film did brilliantly was really blur the lines of good and evil. You never really knew who to get behind. And I loved that aspect.

Now in terms of it being nothing like Cloverfield, this film takes place in an underground bunker. That's it. There's no big cities or no big alien invasions. This film examines the human condition under the circumstances presented in Cloverfield. I loved this spin because it gave us something extremely new. This film examined humanity and was extremely deep at certain points. The writing and the setting really allowed this film to develop incredible characters and develop a story worth telling. But do not be discouraged. This is a Cloverfield film and you did get a taste of what the first film did. It's a slight taste, but it will leave die hard fans happy. 

All in all, see this film. This is one of my early favorites of the year and something truly special.

Rating: A