This is so Much Better than the First One

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2016)

Is it just me or did this movie come completely out of nowhere? I remember hearing about a Cloverfield sequel and I was immediately surprised but at the same time intrigued. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't a fan of the first Cloverfield movie. It just didn't work for me for a variety of reasons but I was still curious to see what the sequel/spin-off/completely unrelated film had to offer. I'm glad I gave this one a chance because I think this movie is fantastic. Maybe it was the low expectations but this film is so good that I now want to see more Cloverfield sequels (to this one, not the other one) but they probably won't be as good without John Goodman. Anyway, Dan Trachtenberg did a great job with this one and let's talk about it a little bit.
Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is leaving home after having a fight with her husband but we don't really learn the particulars behind this squabble. Michelle is very upset about it though and keeps looking at her cellphone and is soon caught in a terrible accident that totals her car and leaves her trapped inside of a bunker with a strange man named Howard (John Goodman) and another occupant named Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Howard takes her here because of a plague of some kind that has left humanity devastated. Howard seems to have good intentions but Michelle soon finds out that he's more than a little unhinged and she and Emmett are in more danger down there than they are outside.
There's a pretty small cast in this film but that just means these characters shine all the more. Winstead is fantastic as the resilient and resourceful Michelle. She's obviously terrified of all the craziness going on around her but she always finds a way out of her increasingly crappy situations. John Gallagher Jr. also does a great job as the nice guy Emmett. This is the kind of guy that wouldn't hurt anyone and acts as a nice counter to the unhinged Howard. Speaking of Howard, John Goodman absolutely nails this role and easily steals every scene he's in. This guy is terrifying in every way. Everything from his seemingly childish tantrums to his imposing physical presence is just unsettling. I don't want to spoil too much but he's easily more terrifying than what's going on outside, and that's saying a lot.
The atmosphere to this film is very claustrophobic which makes sense seeing as how it takes place in an underground bunker but it also helps to make the movie that much more unsettling and creepy. We're led to believe early on that whatever is going on outside is fatal but it's hard not to wish the characters would just get out of there. It's unreal just how scary Goodman is in this role. There's also an awesome Shyamalan level twist at the end of the film that just brings the craziness to a whole other level.
I have absolutely no complaints to make about this movie. The performances are great, the atmosphere is creepy and unsettling, and the story is pretty weird but it's also a ton of fun. I don't know if this is supposed to be a sequel or what but I know that this is easily the better of the two films and I hope that they use this format for any future movies in the franchise. I can't recommend this one enough. Go watch it!