Review of 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) by Micahezzes — 15 Apr 2016

Incredibly tense and well-paced with sudden bursts of comedy to relieve the tension, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a wonderfully dark look at a life spent entrapped and its toll on the human psyche, without preaching or talking down on its viewers. It's incredibly suspenseful, with enough payoff at the ending to keep you satisfied with the build up. John Goodman, as always, steals every scene he is a part of, using phenomenally creepy yet endearing versions of his character one after the other.

My only complaint, and I understand why they did this, is that the ending felt a bit like a big-budget ending that didn't fit the rest of the film. Yes, the payoff is good and unexpected (at least for me), it drags on a bit out of its own bunker and dips its feet in the water of a big-budget action sci-fi film. I see why they did this; it leaves the opportunity for sequels of greater name value or production value. And there's not necessarily anything wrong with that concept, it's just that it didn't fit the rest of the film thematically.

Having said that, 10 Cloverfield Lane is one of the most suspenseful movies I've seen in recent years, keeping shots tight and balanced with great performances from all three of the main characters.