REVIEWS NO-ONE ASKED FOR
by Ashton Brown
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
dir Dan Trachtenberg
NOT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING BUT ALSO SO MUCH MORE
I have a thing for monsters, aliens and creatures. Many, many years ago when I saw JJ Abrams' shaky cam delight, Cloverfield, I was enthralled. I have always been a sucker for the shaky cam sub-genre of horror and we all know by now that Mr Abrams knows exactly what he is doing. So it was with pure excitement and high expectation that I headed along to the cinema today, solo, to see the kinda sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane - which is not really a sequel to Cloverfield (nor is it shaky cam!). There are two reasons why I wanted to experience this alone. The first being that I hadn't been to the movies on my own before, let alone a horror, and I wanted to know if the experience was in any way enhanced by being isolated in what was pretty much a deserted theatre (Friday at midday). The second being that no-one else was free to see this movie on a Friday at Midday. I must admit I was excitedly nervous about watching a horror/thriller alone and it certainly did make the whole experience slightly more nerve wracking.
The film starts free from dialogue and continues this way throughout a large portion of it's opening moments. Our ears are introduced to an absolutely gorgeous musical score from the exceptional Bear McCreary (who's name I immediately recognised from the opening credits of The Walking Dead) and sets the tone of edge of your seat "something bad is going to happen" and holds this feeling for the entire 2 hour run time. The opening credit scene is one of my favourite opening scenes from the last year or so (up there with Deadpool but for entirely different reasons) and brilliantly merges the credits with the action without taking you out of the world of the movie, even for a second.
I watch a hell of a lot of horrors and thrillers. So I feel I have a pretty rough idea of what to expect from a film regardless of it's sub genre. Where 10 Cloverfield Lane succeeds is by frequently luring you into thinking that you have figured out the story, predicted the twists and it leads you to expect predictability but then rips the rug out from under your feet. Particularly towards the end I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself at having figured out what was going on - and was soon taken in an even more profound and interesting direction. Cloverfield Lane never quite let's you get on top of what is happening, but it also doesn't get caught up in trying to be too clever, or too twisty turny. It has the right amount of fresh plot to keep you intrigued for the entire film. Although I couldn't help but notice some similarities to the story of the more indie Hidden (2015), this was still unique and interesting in it's entirety and a stand out film within the genre. With some genuine jaw dropping moments (one in particular where I literally had my jaw drop), it's an intense and intriguing ride.
Part horror, part thriller, all great.
Newcomer director, Dan Tachtenberg, makes sure the film is so beautifully paced that we never loose interest, we never get distracted nor do we ever fully catch our breath. But the thing that really makes 10 Cloverfield Lane stand out is it's cast. With a core cast of three actors, all providing such grounded, believable and strong performances that we hang off every word they say and never doubt for a moment the reality of the world they have created. From a strong, smart, brave female lead (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to the exceptional John Goodman in a role where he is simply flawless in pitch and delivery of his character, to relative newcomer John Gallagher Jr in the supporting seat - this cast know how to perform and oh boy do they ever. A beautifully well cast ensemble.
10 Cloverfield Lane never gets bogged down in cheap jump scares but rather crafts an environment of suspense that doesn't just have you uncomfortable on a few occasions, but rather leaves you feeling claustrophobic, unnerved and reasonably uneasy for it's entirety. Whilst it honours some classic horror tropes, it doesn't rely on them and I would highly recommend getting along to the cinema to see this beauty of a thriller. You don't need to have seen Cloverfield in the slightest to get full enjoyment out of this cinematic journey - but you should anyway.
Highly recommend.
I have a thing for monsters, aliens and creatures. Many, many years ago when I saw JJ Abrams' shaky cam delight, Cloverfield, I was enthralled. I have always been a sucker for the shaky cam sub-genre of horror and we all know by now that Mr Abrams knows exactly what he is doing. So it was with pure excitement and high expectation that I headed along to the cinema today, solo, to see the kinda sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane - which is not really a sequel to Cloverfield (nor is it shaky cam!). There are two reasons why I wanted to experience this alone. The first being that I hadn't been to the movies on my own before, let alone a horror, and I wanted to know if the experience was in any way enhanced by being isolated in what was pretty much a deserted theatre (Friday at midday). The second being that no-one else was free to see this movie on a Friday at Midday. I must admit I was excitedly nervous about watching a horror/thriller alone and it certainly did make the whole experience slightly more nerve wracking.
The film starts free from dialogue and continues this way throughout a large portion of it's opening moments. Our ears are introduced to an absolutely gorgeous musical score from the exceptional Bear McCreary (who's name I immediately recognised from the opening credits of The Walking Dead) and sets the tone of edge of your seat "something bad is going to happen" and holds this feeling for the entire 2 hour run time. The opening credit scene is one of my favourite opening scenes from the last year or so (up there with Deadpool but for entirely different reasons) and brilliantly merges the credits with the action without taking you out of the world of the movie, even for a second.
I watch a hell of a lot of horrors and thrillers. So I feel I have a pretty rough idea of what to expect from a film regardless of it's sub genre. Where 10 Cloverfield Lane succeeds is by frequently luring you into thinking that you have figured out the story, predicted the twists and it leads you to expect predictability but then rips the rug out from under your feet. Particularly towards the end I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself at having figured out what was going on - and was soon taken in an even more profound and interesting direction. Cloverfield Lane never quite let's you get on top of what is happening, but it also doesn't get caught up in trying to be too clever, or too twisty turny. It has the right amount of fresh plot to keep you intrigued for the entire film. Although I couldn't help but notice some similarities to the story of the more indie Hidden (2015), this was still unique and interesting in it's entirety and a stand out film within the genre. With some genuine jaw dropping moments (one in particular where I literally had my jaw drop), it's an intense and intriguing ride.
Part horror, part thriller, all great.
Newcomer director, Dan Tachtenberg, makes sure the film is so beautifully paced that we never loose interest, we never get distracted nor do we ever fully catch our breath. But the thing that really makes 10 Cloverfield Lane stand out is it's cast. With a core cast of three actors, all providing such grounded, believable and strong performances that we hang off every word they say and never doubt for a moment the reality of the world they have created. From a strong, smart, brave female lead (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to the exceptional John Goodman in a role where he is simply flawless in pitch and delivery of his character, to relative newcomer John Gallagher Jr in the supporting seat - this cast know how to perform and oh boy do they ever. A beautifully well cast ensemble.
10 Cloverfield Lane never gets bogged down in cheap jump scares but rather crafts an environment of suspense that doesn't just have you uncomfortable on a few occasions, but rather leaves you feeling claustrophobic, unnerved and reasonably uneasy for it's entirety. Whilst it honours some classic horror tropes, it doesn't rely on them and I would highly recommend getting along to the cinema to see this beauty of a thriller. You don't need to have seen Cloverfield in the slightest to get full enjoyment out of this cinematic journey - but you should anyway.
Highly recommend.
4 out of 5.
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