Dog’s Movie House: “10 Cloverfield Lane” Effective Chiller, No Monsters Necessary!

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Relaxing During Doomsday in “10 Cloverfield Lane”

Found footage films are something of a declining sub-genre, but one of the good ones is Matt Reeves “Cloverfield” from 2008. The documentary-style thriller about a giant monster rampaging through New York, a few nauseating shaky-cam shots aside, is a genuinely entertaining creature feature that left room further explorations of the Cloverfield universe. So when the trailers came almost out of nowhere for “10 Cloverfield Lane” a little over a month ago, fans of the original started to get excited. Now the bad news is that “10 Cloverfield Lane” has very little to do, if anything, with the original film. You’ll see no rampaging creature laying waste to majestic cities or hipster quips from camcorder-carrying millennials. The good news is that “10 Cloverfield Lane” is one fine suspense thriller in its own right, a cinematic journey that may even outdo its predecessor.

“10 Cloverfield Lane” details the story of Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) a fashion designer fleeing from a bad relationship. As she drives into the night, she’s blindsided by a truck and driven off the road. When she wakes up, Michelle finds herself bandaged, medicated, and very much a prisoner of a bear of a man named Howard (John Goodman). It turns out that Howard is a survivalist and he claims there has been an attack that has rendered the surface uninhabitable and most of the world’s population dead. Howard claims to have saved Michelle’s life and that now they must make a new life in the underground bunker until the air eventually clears and they are able to go to the surface again.

Unfortunately Howard seems a bit off. His temper gets the best of him at times and his paranoia has an unpleasant effect on Michelle and the bunker’s other guest, a former employee of Howard’s named Emmit (John Gallagher Jr.). As they attempt to adjust to their new lives, Howard’s strange, mercurial demeanor and Michelle’s inherent need to discover the truth lead to circumstances in which all of their lives are placed in deadly jeopardy.

And that’s all I’m gonna tell ya. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is wonderfully directed by first time feature director Dan Trachtenberg from an engaging script by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”). While the title may lead you to believe this is a monster mashup, this is very much a human drama, but no less suspenseful for the lack of creepy-crawlies. The bunker is a wonderfully designed set that combines a fall sense of security with a very real feeling of claustrophobia while the outside setting of this massive cornfield miles from the highway provides just the right amount of isolation.

What makes “10 Cloverfield Lane” really cook is the performances. John Goodman is terrific as the creepily paternal Howard. The moment we meet him we realize there’s something not quite right about him, but he never really crosses the line into over the top villainy. Goodman is able to keep you rooting for the best in Howard while knowing all the while that there is a powder keg inside the man ready to explode. It’s a terrifying performance in all the right ways and Goodman is clearly the film’s most valuable player. He’s got terrific support from Winstead as Michelle, a woman dealing with her own demons who realizes she can’t entirely trust her supposed savior. Gallagher Jr. also does fine work as Emmit, a man who wants to believe Howard but has his eyes slowly opened to the fact that something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.

For three quarters of its running time “10 Cloverfield Lane” is a tight, twisty, and very human thriller, but in its last act the film takes a sudden turn into science fiction territory that is somewhat jarring despite the fact that it is very well done and equally entertaining, for different reasons. How much you enjoy “10 Cloverfield Lane” will depend on how much you buy the final act. I happen to think it works solely on the effect it has on the emotional growth of one of the main characters, but that’s just my opinion.

Producer J.J. Abrams has said that this film and “Cloverfield” are connected and future films will tie everything together, should they get the chance to make them. That said, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is a terrific standalone film that benefits from taught direction, clever writing, and terrific performances. If you’re in the mood for a twisty thriller with a science fiction bent, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is for you. 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

“10 Cloverfield Lane” is Rated PG-13 for thematic material including frightening sequences of threat with some violence, and brief language.