Review of 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) by Jingerjake — 11 Mar 2016

Outstanding!

Thrilling, chilling, unnerving, and uncomfortable. 10 Cloverfield Lane boasts an intriguing script, air-tight direction, haunting sound development, and is carried by a powerhouse performance from John Goodman. Goodman takes the film above and beyond what it maybe should have been, delivering the well-written mix of nervous tension and entertaining comic relief. Nearly every moment, start to finish, is directly moving the story along while keeping the audience guessing at every turn. What I take away from the film in a negative light is that the climax cuts off a well-crafted tension that felt as if it had just gotten rolling. This is also, obviously, a huge respect for the craft. But perhaps the worst thing about this film is its title. Had the title been different and the relation to Abrams's former project of the same name been alluded, the film would have been much more rewarding in the end. I mean, this outing is an entirely different beast than its "blood relative." Connecting the relation before seeing the new outing only hinders the well-built mystery. I feel like Abrams should've thought that through. However, as it stands, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a highly entertaining thriller that crawls its way deep beneath the skin. Highly recommended and well-worth a big screen view.