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| Courtesy of Paramount |
I’m
conflicted about some of the last-minute creative decisions surrounding last
weekend’s intriguing thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane. Everything about the
reasoning to make it a pseudo-sequel to 2008’s sci-fi sleeper Cloverfield bugs the heck out of me. But, on the other hand, I’m not sure if the movie
would’ve gotten a decent theatrical release without it.
It’s
great that a larger audience gets to experience the story’s mostly terrific
elements, as the movie is absolutely worth seeing on the big screen. I just
wish producer J.J. Abrams and the other folks at Bad Robot hadn’t felt the need
to tack on an unfortunate ending to connect the flick to some of their other properties.
First-time
director Dan Trachtenberg’s movie works just fine as a dark, standalone story.
It’s honestly reminiscent of some of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone. It
doesn’t need to help launch a vague, Marvel-style shared universe.
10
Cloverfield Lane kicks off with Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, in a
revelatory performance) packing her bags and leaving her fiancé. Before we can
ask why, she’s involved in an accident that totals her car and renders her
unconscious.
When
she wakes up, Michelle finds herself chained to a creepy basement wall with an
IV in her arm. An ominous stranger who calls himself Howard (John Goodman,
doing some of his best work in years) tells her that he witnessed the crash and
decided to bring her to his underground bunker right as some unknown foe launched
a chemical attack.
Even
though it sounds ridiculous, Michelle discovers another “guest” in the shelter,
the much more affable Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), who corroborates the story. With
no way of knowing who to trust, Michelle must figure out the truth and decide
if making a break for the surface is even worth it. Sure, the most likely
scenario is that Howard is a nutcase. But what if it turns out he’s right?
10
Cloverfield Lane began life as a screenplay called The Cellar, and a big
part of me wishes it had continued along that course. Until those last 15
minutes, it’s essentially an indie thriller, using a handful of sets and three
actors to focus on performances, characterization and cranking up the tension
to almost unbearable levels.
Since
the story mostly unfolds in a few small rooms, it would be easy to assume that
Trachtenberg’s film eventually grows repetitive and claustrophobic. However,
thanks to some creative camera work and insightful set design, Howard’s bunker
manages to evoke different personalities as the truth begins to reveal itself.
When
Michelle initially realizes her predicament, the shelter feels like a makeshift
dungeon you’ve seen in dozens of horror movies. However, as she begins to
suspect that Howard might not be so bad, it begins to seem downright cozy –
complete with an awesome jukebox, snacks, jigsaw puzzles and cute lamps.
What’s
great about Trachtenberg’s direction, combined with some top-notch sound design
and a couple of killer song choices, is how he can make those feelings change in
a split second, often during the same scene. It all depends on how a
character’s mood shifts or when a vital piece of information is revealed.
Of
course, none of that – as impressive as it is – would work without the trio of
performances at the narrative’s core. Above all, 10 Cloverfield Lane deserves
to make Winstead a megastar. She has been a consistently terrific actress for
the last decade or so (particularly in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The
Spectacular Now), but she’s on a completely different level here.
Even
though Winstead doesn’t have a lot of dialogue and viewers never learn much
about Michelle’s past, there’s never any doubt about her character’s thought
process or her intentions. Her goal is survival at all costs, at every moment.
Goodman,
portraying an unsettling combination of protector and nemesis, is incredible too.
It would’ve been easy to make Howard a cartoonish monster; instead, the actor
makes him a fascinating, complex character by instilling him with menace,
paranoia and just the right amount of pathos. Goodman has been so consistently
great for so long that it’s easy for audiences to take him for granted. His performance
here should remedy that for a while.
Gallagher
also does interesting work in a tricky narrative situation. It’s clear that
we’re not supposed to trust Emmett right away – as anyone who’s ever seen a
thriller will understand – but Gallagher has such an intensely amiable presence
(if you haven’t seen him in Short Term 12, do so immediately) that you can’t
help but like his character from the start.
But,
man – that ending. It’s so wrongheaded that it almost negates everything that
made the previous 90 minutes work. You can practically pinpoint where the
original script (by Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken) was supposed to end and
the hastily written addendum begins. That section is credited to Damien
Chazelle, writer/director of the stellar Whiplash, who admirably performs the
task he was assigned. It’s just that the task itself – tacking on an unnecessarily
action-packed finale – is so disappointing.
On
the whole, I recommend seeing 10 Cloverfield Lane for the movie it should’ve
been. Just be prepared for the deflated feeling that will hit as you leave the
theater. The sad thing is that Bad Robot could’ve avoided that sensation
entirely by leaving well enough alone.
10
Cloverfield Lane is rated PG-13 for thematic material including frightening
sequences of threat with some violence, and brief language.
Grade:
B
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