An Effective Psychological Thriller That Falls Apart in it's Climax

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2016)

First off, despite what the title may lead you to believe, this film has absolutely nothing to do with the original Cloverfield. Even calling it a "blood relative" as J.J. Abrahms has called it is stretching it.
Despite this, 10 Cloverfield Lane is able to stand on it's own for the most part. I won't go into too much detail as it's a film that's best to go into knowing as little as possible, but this is one of the closest examples of a modern-like Hitchcock film that I can think of. First time director Dan Trachtenberg demonstrates that he has a promising career ahead of him being able to create an extremely claustrophobic, creepy, and tense atmosphere that will keep viewers on the edge of their seat. It's less than 5 minutes into the film before the films grabs you and doesn't let you go until close before the credits roll. The plot is simple, yet intriguing and becomes more and more unsettling with each reveal. The performances are also a big reason this movie works as well as it does, in particular John Goodman who steals the show.
Unfortunately, the films takes a nosedive in it's last 15-20 minutes. Without spoiling anything, it takes a strange direction and suddenly becomes something incredibly campy and silly in the worst way possible. I felt like I was watching a completely different movie. It doesn't ruin the complete experience, but it certainly leaves a sour taste in your mouth as the credits roll.
If it hadn't been for the ending, I would have easily given this an 8, possibly even a 9. But because of it's overall impact on the film, I have no choice but to give it a 7. Still, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a rare film that manages to be simple, yet riveting. It's a shame that it has to drop the ball in the third act or else this could have possibly been one of the best films of the year. Despite this, the pro's still outweigh the con's heavily and it's a film that I highly recommend checking out. Just make sure to have your expectations in the right place beforehand.