A lot of secrecy made it worth the wait

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2016)

The best thing that can be said about the 2016 J.J. Abrams-produced, Dan Trachtenberg-directed "10 Cloverfield Lane," is that it keeps you guessing. Abrams has described the film as a "blood relative" to the 2008 Abrams-produced, Matt Reeves-directed found-footage monster movie "Cloverfield"; I thought that "Cloverfield" was one of the best, and most innovative, monster movies ever made, and I think its found-footage approach helped to give the film a perspective unique to giant monster movies.
Of course, the only things that "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "Cloverfield" really have in common is the shared name "Cloverfield," and the fact that J.J. Abrams served as a producer on both of the films. But unlike its predecessor, "10 Cloverfield Lane" was not the subject of a huge viral marketing campaign, and in fact very little was done for this film in the way of mass promotion beyond simple film trailers and advertisements and some random Internet chatter. This served to actually benefit the film, in that while "Cloverfield's" intentions became quite clear (both before the film was released, and during the course of the movie itself), "10 Cloverfield Lane" was shrouded in almost complete mystery from the get-go.
That's good, not bad.
The best thing that can be said about "10 Cloverfield Lane," a so-called follow-up to "Cloverfield" and the second in what appears to be a loosely connected anthology, is that the film keeps you guessing about what it's really about for three-fourths of the entire picture. This film is 104 minutes in length, and yet you don't know what's really going on until around 80 minutes in.
That's also very good, not bad.
"10 Cloverfield Lane" is an interesting mix of thriller and post-apocalyptic science fiction and horror. Like in "Cloverfield," the film begins in earnest fashion, opening without a single word of dialogue for about the first four or five minutes. We're introduced to Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who has just left her fiancé following an argument. While driving through the rural back-roads of New Orleans, she gets into a serious car accident when she's distracted by a phone call from her distraught fiancé Ben (voiced by Bradley Cooper, who never actually appears in the film).
She wakes up a time later, handcuffed to a bed in the underground bunker of a paranoid conspiracy theorist and survivalist named Howard (John Goodman). Also there is Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr.), the young man who helped Howard to build the bunker on & off over the years. Howard explains he rescued Michelle from the accident and allowed Emmett to stay after he forced his way into the bunker. Howard also explains their situation: the country, if not the rest of the world (he isn't sure, as he makes clear), has fallen under chemical or nuclear attack from forces unknown - it could be the Russians, the North Koreans, or it could be Martians. He just doesn't know, and neither do we. The three are forced to live together in his underground bunker if they are to survive - even as it becomes clear that Howard is not who he appears to be and that there is a lot more going on than he seems to be letting known to them.
"10 Cloverfield Lane" is certainly one of the more original sci-fi/thrillers in recent memory. Unlike "Cloverfield," this is a movie that is shot in a third-person narrative, rather than the first film's found-footage hand-held camera style. (At least when watching this film, you won't have to hear people's incessant complaints about the movie inducing vertigo in viewers.) This film is stunningly acted and executed, with John Goodman delivering the most effective performance (and one of his best acting performances ever) of the three leads. John Gallagher, Jr. is also quite sympathetic as Emmett, who is not as dim-witted as he seems and even once had a promising college athletic career ahead of him - but gave it up due to his myopic view of his life and environment. And Mary Elizabeth Winstead - who's no stranger to this genre ("Final Destination 3," "Black Christmas," "The Thing") - as the film's most significant female presence, is very resourceful and quick to think on her feet, which isn't bad since she explains that she often runs away when things get too tough (like after her argument with Ben). But still, she's no helpless screamer; she'll fight like hell and do anything to survive, which becomes clear as time goes along.
All three form an interesting dynamic that makes up the film's emotional core.
It would be unfair to really talk about this film's last 20 minutes, since that is the biggest surprise of all and what people will probably go to "10 Cloverfield Lane" wanting to see the most. The question of whether or not this film has a definitive connection to "Cloverfield" - without giving away any spoilers - also cannot be answered in this review. Trust me, I know. I tried asking the same question to friends who had seen the film already, and they told me what I'm telling anyone who reads anything written here. It's that simple. Sorry.
"10 Cloverfield Lane" was an excellent exercise in tension, atmosphere, and performances.
I wonder what J.J. Abrams has in store for us next in a few years in the "Cloverfield" franchise...
8/10