★★★★
The answer to the obvious question is: no, this is not a sequel to Cloverfield.
If you left that movie thinking, ‘What the hell just happened, I need explanations’, 10 Cloverfield Lane will not provide them. If you’re looking for answers, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re looking for a neat little thriller that keeps you in a chokehold for the full hour and a bit – you won’t be.
The filmmakers have said the events conspire in the same ‘spiritual universe’. It’s possible they retrofitted the ‘Cloverfield’ to the title as a marketing ploy (J.J. Abrams is executive producer), concocting the connection to get bums on seats. They needn’t have. 10 Cloverfield Lane stands up in isolation. Nevertheless, there are enough geeky tidbits to have fans of Cloverfield connecting the dots ad infinitum.
Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is leaving her life behind. She places her engagement ring and keys on the sideboard as she closes her apartment door behind her for the last time. She’s on the run from herself, hitting the highway headed for… a crash.
She wakes up with a broken leg, connected to a drip and chained to the wall, on a mattress on the floor of a windowless room. Her captor (possibly) and saviour (perhaps) is the half-scar, half-pathetic Howard (John Goodman), who has built an underground bunker. Also down below is Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr.), who entered of his own accord.
Doomsday has come, or so Michelle is told. Which is where the audience’s constant guessing game begins. Is it safe out there? What’s really going on? Who’s in on it? In on what? It’s one of those films it’s best not to know too much about before going in, so I’ll leave it there.
Unlike the dumb move after dumb move gang of Cloverfield, Michelle is sly and resourceful. She’s watched enough horror movies to know you should close doors behind you and cover your tracks. You root hard for her; she’s an everywoman heroine.
Taking place almost completely underground, it’s a fun suspense movie full of OMG, ‘no way’ and WTF moments. You’ll leave the cinema gasping for air.
10 Cloverfield Laneis in cinemas now.
