10 Cloverfield Lane
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Stars: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Callagher Jr
Duration: 103 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

2008’s Cloverfield was a found footage horror film that, thanks to an extremely clever marketing campaign that kept many details secret, generated so much hype and curiosity that audiences went in droves to watch it once it was finally released. That it was also a very good film helped it towards earning cult status among aficionados of the genre.

Its success, predictably, demanded a sequel, and the idea of one often came up over subsequent years in interviews with Cloverfield’s director Matt Reeves, writer Drew Goddard, and producer J.J. Abrams. Less predictably, however, is that – so far, at least – an obvious sequel has never come to fruition; and, from the outset, it is no spoiler to say that despite its title, 10 Cloverfield Lane (which also seems to have come from nowhere given its production was shrouded in secrecy) is not a sequel, prequel or equal at all to its namesake – its connections to the original are so tenuous I suspect the filmmakers are leaving it up to audiences to make the connections they want to. Suffice it to say that producer Abrams has described it as a ‘spiritual successor’ to the original, a film that captures similar elements and moods; yet is more than capable of carrying itself of as a stand-alone feature.

We are introduced in the opening to Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who is clearly having relationship issues as she hurriedly leaves her home and drives somewhere into the night, ignoring pleading phone calls from her boyfriend Ben.

One horrific car accident later, she wakes up shackled to a bed, in an underground bunker, being cared for by Howard (John Goodman), a survivalist who claims that he has saved her life by keeping her there and they can’t leave due to some apocalyptic catastrophe that’s befallen the world. The presence of another man, Emmet (John Gallagher Jr) only adds to the confusion.

It’s a film that switches moods so swiftly and violently

10 Cloverfield Land is essentially a three-hander that comes to audiences with a premise that may not be inordinately original, but it is so well-executed that all similarities to other movies featuring doomsday scenarios are quickly forgotten thanks to the superb performances by all involved, and the uncomfortable feeling of foreboding that permeates events thanks to Dan Trachtenberg’s taut and tense-filled direction.

The director works off an excellent script written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken and Damien Chazelle. It ticks all the right boxes in terms of narrative, dialogue and character development. Michelle, Howard and Emmet are all presented as full-fleshed characters who the audience invests in fully, and they are brought to life by the trio of actors at its centre.

This is not Winstead’s first foray into horror, but the actor certainly buries the ‘scream queen’ trope with her feisty, intelligent and bravura turn as Michelle, who never comes across as a victim; but a determined and, it must be said, highly resourceful woman who never lets her palpable and understandable fear overcome her innate sense of survival.

Goodman keeps us guessing throughout… is he a homicidal maniac? Is he merely an over-paranoid but trustworthy guy? Is he someone who’s been badly hurt in the past and just wants friendship? Goodman flits from one persona to the other with consummate ease in a role he tackles with aplomb. It’s a role that could have easily fallen into pastiche yet the actor keeps it all on the right side of funny and downright creepy. Gallagher Jr.’s role is more muted, yet his sympathetic and friendly Emmet also raises questions about his motives.

All throughout you never quite know what’s going the happen next or what the outcome is going to be. It’s a film that switches moods so swiftly and violently, you’re constantly on the edge of your seat. The action takes place within the bunker and Trachtenberg and his team make the most of the confined spaces to augment the claustrophobia considerably, while punctuating the mystery and tension with some delicious moments of black humour as this odd trio settles into life in their own little world.

Watching videos, listening to music, early suppers, board games… yet never have scenes of ostensible domesticity have held such thick, quiet menace… as the film heads edgily to its conclusion in between the odd twist and turn. The final one is less twisty than I would have hoped and maybe a little obvious… but I will leave it at that as I don’t want to spoil anything.