A Very Decent Cloverfield Spin-Off

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2018)

10 Cloverfield Lane is a tense thriller carried by great performances from John Goodman & Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This isn't really a sequel to 2008's Cloverfield though; more like a spin-off, with a different story taking place in a different part of the world. While Cloverfield jumped onto a current trend at that time ("found footage"), this film feels more old-fashioned in style.
Dan Trachtenberg's film is less visually engaging than it could have been, but this is solid entertainment, a film meant to keep you guessing before it throws you back into the world to argue about its ending. The sense of uneasiness you get at times is certainly there in the script, but it's Goodman's performance that makes your skin crawl. He captures a man on the edge of sanity for whom control is key. He's not an obvious maniac, but someone who honestly thinks he's a savior. Goodman keeps us guessing, allowing glimpses of the possibly kind man that Howard used to be.
In terms of performance, Winstead matches Goodman in every way. She helps carry carry 10 Cloverfield Lane, conveying Michelle's conflicted feelings about her predicament and staying completely in the moment that the tension remains.
The final 30 minutes of the movie is pretty much going to dominate conversation. Without spoiling anything, it's a series of events in which Michelle finds new challenges around every corner, and while I'm not sure it's as solid as it could have been, Winstead and the filmmakers keep it working through sheer confidence.
The visuals this time around aren't as overwhelming as they are in Cloverfield, but that can just reiterate the point that a film doesn't need to be laden with special effects to be any good. Investing in decent performances & story can be more key to making a film enjoyable than relying on amazing visuals.
10 Cloverfield lane is definitely worth a watch and it's nice to take a break from the usual "found footage" Horror/Thrillers that seem to dominate at times.