8.5 out of 10
Cast:
John Goodman as Howard
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle
John Gallagher Jr. as Emmett
Douglas M. Griffin as Driver
Suzanne Cryer as Woman
Bradley Cooper as Ben
Sumalee Montano as Voice on Radio (voice)
Frank Mottek as Radio Broadcaster
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
10 Cloverfield Lane Review:
In 1971, Steven Spielberg directed a film called Duel for ABC Television, based on a Richard Matheson novel. Duel later proved so successful, and such a good movie, that Universal Studios released it into theaters in Europe. Duel also announced Spielberg as an important, new filmmaker to watch. Four years later, Jaws shattered box office records worldwide and changed the paradigm so thoroughly that nothing remained the same. Simply put, there would be no Jaws without Duel. There would be no Godfather without Francis Ford Coppola’s foray into horror, 1963’s Dementia-13. Many great directors cut their teeth in genre fare – low-budget filmmaking that gave us remarkable talents and visions.
That’s what the “Cloverfield” series (fledgling though it may be) seems to be. It’s not a theme; it’s a brand. J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot are using their considerable marketing muscle to allow fresh new talent to cut a path into filmmaking, and giving us extraordinary new stories and visions in the process. If that’s what the “Cloverfield” films become, this is to the benefit to audiences everywhere, not only as fans of great science fiction and horror cinema, but also giving us the pleasure to see unique voices break through and shine. It would be wonderful if in the coming years the “Cloverfield” franchise becomes as respected as, say, “The Twilight Zone,” in establishing a base where new, urgent genre cinema can thrive and be discovered.
This is a roundabout way of saying that Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane is a remarkable first feature – confidently directed, expertly paced, thrilling and genuinely scary. There are moments that made the audience collectively gasp, squirming in fear and delight. It’s anchored by three terrific performances, including a career great one by John Goodman, who is at turns sympathetic, funny, and terrifying, sometimes all in the same scene. Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Michelle is resourceful, smart, and heroic, and Winstead’s strength and resilience carries the film. John Gallagher Jr. as Emmett gives kindness and humor to his performance, which during times of high tension is the perfect anodyne to the moment. These three actors play off each other perfectly, creating an effective and riveting dynamic. Trachtenberg’s direction of these actors is orchestrated masterfully; even as the dread builds, the focus stays on their performances. The characters’ fears are our own, and the ride is exhilarating.
The less you know the better, but the basic premise has Michelle (Winstead) leaving her boyfriend after an argument. Distraught, she goes on a drive when she is suddenly in a terrible accident. Michelle awakens, injured and chained to a pipe, as her keeper Howard coolly informs her that the world has basically ended, and that Howard has saved her life. Trapped in an underground bunker with local handyman Emmett (Gallagher), Michelle is desperate to know the truth about her captor/savior and the reality of the situation outside. Of course, things are not as they seem, and the drama between Michelle, Howard, and Emmett escalates to its breaking point.
Dan Trachtenberg, along with screenwriters Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle, elegantly builds the tension, but 10 Cloverfield Lane doesn’t tease or cheat – each scare is legitimate, and I caught myself jumping a few times. Each new piece of information opens the world up, and 10 Cloverfield Lane admirably doesn’t hold back when it needs to ratchet up the intensity. There is such confidence in how Trachtenberg tells his story that this doesn’t feel like a first film at all. While the setting is intimate, there are larger forces at work and ideas that make 10 Cloverfield Lane more than the sum of its parts. Even with the limited information the audience receives, we are invested and believe in this world that Trachtenberg and the screenwriters have created.
Bear McCreary’s score is dark and foreboding, but it doesn’t telegraph the scares, either – some of the most terrifying sequences in 10 Cloverfield Lane have little music at all. Stefan Grube’s editing keeps everything moving briskly, and Jeff Cutter’s cinematography is top-notch, building the claustrophobia and the dread but also not shying away from the bigger moments. While the budget is on the lower end, the film never feels like it is constraining against it; again, that sense of verisimilitude is genuine, and it is not difficult for the audience to fall into this world.
This is some of the best work John Goodman has ever done. His Howard is a balancing act, and we are never quite sure of Howard’s intentions, and Goodman plays the other characters, and the audience, like a master cellist. We are repulsed and yet sympathetic to Howard, and Goodman navigates the difficulties of the character (and the secrets of the plot) with real grace. It helps that he’s supported so well by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Gallagher Jr. As our heroine, Winstead gives as much as she takes from Goodman, and their conflict drives the film. John Gallagher Jr. brings some levity into his work as Emmett, but it’s no less passionate for it, and our bonding with these characters is the biggest reason that 10 Cloverfield Lane works as well as it does, especially in the darker, scarier moments.
Of course, the big question is how 10 Cloverfield Lane ties in to the first film, and the answer is that it doesn’t – not exactly. If one squints hard enough, perhaps they could find commonalities – I did notice a Slusho neon sign in a gas station – but that would be missing the point of what Trachtenberg, J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bad Robot are doing. “Cloverfield” is about telling stories, playing with genre, and letting talented filmmakers play. It reminded me strongly of many wonderful science fiction and horror stories I read growing up, like Ray Bradbury’s “Dark Carnival” or Harlan Ellison’s “Strange Wine,” or Stephen King’s “Night Shift.” I wish I could see a “Cloverfield” movie every year, as fresh talent gets a shot at playing with a decent budget while telling stories around the campfire. We have certainly not seen the last of Dan Trachtenberg. Like Duel 45 years ago, this feels like a bold announcement of a major new voice. 10 Cloverfield Lane is a remarkable achievement in genre cinema, and I can’t wait to see what Dan Trachtenberg, and Bad Robot, do next.
