The Fabled, Dialed-Down Sequel

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2017)

In the months before its release, there was a resurgence of rentals and purchases of 2008's Cloverfield. As with any anticipated sequel, the mentality follows that you will be lost if you aren't fresh on the original. After seeing 10 Cloverfield Lane, I truly wished I had not seen the original first. Note, I say "first", not that I regret ever having seen Cloverfield. This is a special sequel, where the less you know, the more effective it is. This is a high praise. We know from the original that there is an alien invasion. There are suggestions of global impact, but the found footage element kept things intimate, perhaps the film's greatest strength. Seeing a bridge demolished by a monstrous claw with 500 helpless civilians screaming can't carry the weight of seeing 5 people we care about in danger. Subject matter like this begs for sequels to raise the stakes; more destruction, wider carnage, higher casualties. Therefore it is unprecedented that 10 Cloverfield Lane shoots for more intimate, with 3 people we can't look away from.
I may have painted myself into a corner here. The less you know the better so I will follow the lead of the well edited trailer. At the 15 minute mark of the film, I noted that I had seen everything the preview had unveiled. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a 20- something driving down a dark country road. She is alternating her attention from scratchy but ominous radio broadcasts, to a voicemail from a pleading boyfriend. A car approaches from the opposite direct and following a few screeches and flashes of light, Michelle awakens in a concrete cell. Her leg is bound and she has two lines leading to her; an I.V., and an ankle chain. She sees a small mattress, her belongings, and a large steel door. After a moment, a gruff John Goodman opens the chamber and enters. He is cryptic, brash, and solemn. From this moment on, we are making up our mind about his intentions. She leaves her cell, freely, and finds she is part of a bigger prison, a bunker. Another captive, John Gallagher Jr, lounges without any sense of skepticism to their situation. It is explained that the air outside is deadly, for reasons unknown.
If the first Cloverfield adds to this film in any way, it is to add weight to the possibility that the bunker is a sanctuary, not a prison. We know what could be waiting outside, and we allow the setting to make its case. There is no diegetic music to suggest anything beyond what we are seeing. The setting holds all the implications we need, ping-ponging between surprisingly homey and claustrophobic. The tension and relief of this mood is hinged on the performance by Goodman, who is equally capable of playing a lovable oaf and a menacing antagonist. You'll have fun making up your mind every step of the way