Review – 10 Cloverfield Lane

I am going to give this review without giving too much away because 10 Cloverfield Lane is a movie that you need to see with as little information about the movie as possible when going in.

Thanks in large part to a brilliant marketing campaign with stellar trailers, 10 Cloverfield Lane is, much like the last movie with word ‘Cloverfield’ in the title, a giant mystery.  Nobody really knows what is going on and that makes for one a thrilling, captivating, extremely entertaining filmgoing experience.

After a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is locked in a bomb shelter with Frank (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) who claim the outside is contaminated by a widespread chemical attack.

There is so much tension in this film, you never feel comfortable while watching it.  Michelle has no idea where she is or what is going on and neither do we.  Can we trust Frank?  What is really happening on the outside?  You are always questioning every move and everyone’s motives while leaning on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen.  You feel the claustrophobia of the bomb shelter as the movie goes.  The walls get tighter and tighter as the tension and mysteries build more and more.

When that “something” finally happens, it starts off a wild chain of events that will have you gasping at every turn.  This is as tense and stomach churning as any horror movie I have seen in the last few years.  The action, when it comes, it exciting and flashy, with excellent effects that are a feast for the eyes.

The performances in this movie is surprisingly really good.  John Goodman is outstanding as Frank.  We never know how to feel about him and Goodman rides the fine line between creepy, insane, and empathy like a pro.  It is one of his most impressive performances.  Gallagher adds some comedy touches, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives one of the best performances of her career as Michelle.  This is a strong female character with a lot of depth to her.  She reminded me of new age Ripley from Aliens (1986).  She really carried the movie and it was nice to see a performance like this in a movie you wouldn’t usually expect great performances.

10 Cloverfield Lane is great cinema.  It is a tension filled, claustrophobic brain twister that never lets up until the fantastically crazy, mind-blowing ending.  The great script, direction, and trio of performances all elevate this from a genre standard to one of the best movies of 2016 so far.

MY RATING – 3.5/4

Did you see 10 Cloverfield Lane? What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook on the Kevflix main page.