Suspenseful Storytelling at its Finest

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2016)

10 Cloverfield Lane came out of nowhere. The film was shot under a different title and did not receive a trailer until less than two months from its theatrical release. Because of the secrecy surrounding its production and the lack of details surrounding the film's plot, I will be very careful about what I say and do not say about 10 Cloverfield Lane. Basically, the film is about a woman who wakes up in a bomb shelter after being in a car accident and finds herself under the care of a suspicious man named Howard. 10 Cloverfield Lane uses precise storytelling to tell an astonishingly intense and mysterious story that left me gasping for air and brimming with excitement over how excellent this film turned out to be.
To avoid spoilers, I'll keep my comments on 10 Cloverfield Lane's story fairly vague. After Michelle wakes up and is with the stranger Howard, she has no idea whether anything this man is saying about the circumstances of her being there are true or not. So the audience, much like Michelle, is using every detail, in every frame, to put together what is actually going on in this bomb shelter. This makes for a very engaging experience because the viewer is constantly using updated information to decide whether or not to trust Howard.
The film also does not explain everything through dense exposition; the film gives the viewer most (but not all) the pieces to the puzzle and allows the viewer do some of the mental work. The screenwriters Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle (Whiplash writer/director) did a fantastic job of creating a really interesting mystery for the viewers to actively participate in.
This mystery would not be nearly as interesting if it was not heightened by suspense. John Goodman plays Howard, and he brings an intensity to the role that makes him incredibly imposing on screen with Michelle and Emmett (the other person in the bomb shelter). Howard's short temper combined with his unknown backstory, make every one of Michelle and Emmett's encounters with Howard even more intense than the last. The best way I can describe the intensity of this movie is imagine being locked in a room that is slowly filling with smoke. At first it's breathable, but as time goes on, your lungs begin filling with smoke, and eventually you are gasping for dear life.
10 Cloverfield Lane never lets you get too comfortable, but at the same time, does not skimp out on character development. Michelle is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and while at first she plays a cliché, helpless heroine, she develops into much more than that. Her character arc feels natural, and her arc gives the film an emotional thread I was not expecting. John Gallagher Jr. is likable as Emmett, but Winstead and Goodman really standout with their outstanding performances.
While J.J. Abrams' name is all over the trailers and promotions, do not let that fool you; he only produced the film. I'm actually glad he not direct 10 Cloverfield Lane, not because he would not have done a great job, but because it gave Dan Trachtenberg a chance to direct his first feature film. Every director strives for it, but only great directors have it: and that's style. It's one of those things you know it when you see it, and Trachtenberg certainly has it. This guy is going to be getting a lot of work after his excellent job on 10 Cloverfield Lane. Keep your eyes on what Trachtenberg does next.
This thriller does take a big turn in a different direction at a point in the film, but I loved the turn overall and truly felt like the film earned this payoff. I have one complaint with this switch the film takes, but even being vague about this detail would give too much away. I will say the last shot is one my favorite final shots to a film ever.
I went into 10 Cloverfield Lane knowing nothing (not even seeing one trailer), and I was wonderfully surprised. The film's many twists and turns are meant to be experienced in the theater, so go out and see it before anyone else can dampen your individual movie-going experience. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the first great film of 2016; it slowly ramps up the tension, scene by scene, until it's nearly unbearable, before eventually revealing that monsters indeed come in many forms.
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