First Take: 10 Cloverfield Lane: A blood relative, but NOT A SEQUEL to Cloverfield

SYPNOSIS:

After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.

Cloverfield pioneered the idea of the found footage cinematography back in 2008, and as such, fan expectation was very high for this new entry (and I must stress, this is not Cloverfield 2) in JJ Abrams and his team’s dystopian horror/thriller hybrid. Luckily, 10 Cloverfield Lane functions as a brilliant companion piece to the original film.

It might not share the same style or themes, but it does provide some breathtaking performances from John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, utilising some beautiful dialogue from Whiplash writer Damien Chazelle, Josh Campbell and Matthew Stueken. For a first time director, Dan Trachtenberg does a brilliant job utilising only one central location for most of the film, with some very inventive cinematography by Jeff Cutter complementing Trachtenberg’s vision. However, there are some pacing issues in the first few minutes that got on my nerves, but unlike many other critics, I had no issues with the final act that has been written about heavily online. 

Bear McCreary’s score creates the tension needed to convey this story, and it is done very successfully. This might be a 12a certificate film, but as is the nature of Cloverfield, it’s a film more oriented to a 15. Apart from that, the film is a slow burning, involving thriller that needs a big screen for full immersion.

THE VERDICT

Not only did Dan Trachtenberg do a good job on this film, he only went and knocked it out of the park, and even though there are some minor pacing issues here and there, this is still a solid effort that fans and casual audiences can enjoy.

Rating- 4/5