Like Icarus, They Flew Too Close To The Sun

Rating: 8/10 (25 June 2020)

Im simply going to start with, wow. 10 Cloverfield Lane was beautiful.
This is a movie which at base evokes raw emotion. The senses of betrayal, anxiety, helplessness, loss, grief and of-course the gnawing feeling of suffocation and claustrophobia forces the audience to sweat throughout the movie. Which i find amazing, being able to play the audience the way the movie did. The focus through was building atmosphere and creating ambiguity. The viewers take the first portion trying to make sense of what is happening and when they believe they have figured everything out, the rug is swept from under in one smooth motion, leaving the viewer again struggling to understand what is true and what is not. The entire runtime kept the audience on the edge of their seats, from one strange turn to another.
Director Dan Trachtenberg does a great job creating a tense environment where every moment is one to be wary of. Not without giving credit to the incredible screenplay writers and of course the brilliant cast, John Goodman (Howard) , Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Michelle) and John Gallagher Jr. (Emmett). All of who bring an irreplaceable role to the movie, which actually earned each of them awards. The characters each are built and developed beautifully, with the continued air of ambiguity. This makes a death scene truly impactful, which is rare. Imagery, intricately detailed sets and props aid the film greatly, from well placed blood smears to single screws being misplaced, which in turn make the characters seem all the more real. These characters become so well developed that the audience feels true emotion for them, invested in them.
I believe however, the true pulling point for 10 Cloverfield Lane, would be the complete circumstantial ambiguity, the sheer uncertainty of the truth, blatantly baring the power of informational clarity.
Unfortunately this movie which is built underground did not really have a place for the sci-fi, Cloverfield content. Which felt unnecessary at the end of the film, trying to achieve too much. Despite being unnecessary it was still well done, yet it was too much. The movie came off as too ambitious, soaring too close to the sun, seeming to try doing everything because the entire vibe and pace of what appeared to be an absolutely gorgeous experience.
It actually was brought into the Cloverfield franchise without reason, Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken scripted it as an "ultra low budget" movie with an orignial title, The Cellar. However the franchise did indeed grant a 15million USD budget which allowed it to be the masterpiece it is today.
However the last ten minutes were not enough to daunt 10 Cloverfield Lane, as it went ahead winning fifteen various awards, including various for best screenplay, and being nominated for forty six other awards.