Review of The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) by Christian M — 05 Feb 2018

The 3rd chapter set within the 'Cloverfield Universe' is that of an interesting one, strange but interesting.

The thing I admire most about all of the Cloverfield entries is that all have an element of containment even though the events that take place during their stories are extraordinary, fantastical and outlandish.

It doesn't feel as if it's a 'Universe' for movies, it doesn't resemble an MCU or a DCEU or any other film franchise. No Cloverfield movie has felt connected and if there were at all a connection to be made between any of them it would be the most vague and obscure reference to the point that it would almost be shifting into the realm of ambiguity.

The Cloverfield Paradox has been marketed as the one that shall create the bridge to connect all the entries aaaaaaaand.....It doesn't really, I mean it provided me with one of the biggest 'WTF' endings I've ever seen but the more I think...The more I analyse...The more I really begin to believe that this was never meant to be anything other than the standard procedural standalone Cloverfield movie that's not meant to have ties to the others; the ending however, completely throws that out of the window and we now have a 'Universe' that's muddled and incoherent but.....Oddly satisfying.

As a fan of all previous instalments and of this unique franchise I still find myself intrigued and wanting more.

Is The Cloverfield Paradox the weakest entry of the three? Yes. Did it turn me off and leave a stale taste in my mouth? No. Did it provide me with a lust to scour the internet finding forums and explanation videos as to how these movies connect? Abso-fucking-lutely.

It's messy, its scattered and most of the time its without sense but The Cloverfield Paradox somehow manages to knock back the negatives and becomes a polarizing bag of goodness.