Talk about a sneak attack: 10 Cloverfield Lane seems to have come out of nowhere. You might notice that the production company Bad Robot has been keeping the movie under wraps (they shot it under the title Valencia). The reason? The better to shock you senseless with, my dears.
And here I am about to tell you about a movie that you shouldnt let anyone tell you about. So Ill skip to a few, spoiler-free essentials. First, 10 Cloverfield Lane comes loaded with everything a psychological thriller needs to shatter your nerves and then kicks it up a notch. And, oh, about that title. If the Cloverfield shout-out makes you think this movie is a direct sequel to that low-budget, found-footage 2008 horror show about monsters invading a Manhattan filled with hard-partying millennials, youre on the wrong track. But not completely wrong. Theres a vibe, a definite vibe.
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Certainly Howard feels it. As played by the great John Goodman, Howard is a Louisiana survivalist whos spent years preparing for the worst terrorists, Russians, aliens, suspicious neighbors, doomsday, Howard doesnt give a damn. Hes ready and tucked away in an underground bunker that looks as comfy and chintzy as the family room in a 1950s sitcom. Feeling impervious to nuclear radiation or extra-terrestrial juju, Howard can ride out the storm alone. But, see, hes not alone. Theres Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead is dynamite and then some), a determined woman driving hard to get away from a boyfriend (voiced on the phone by Bradley Cooper). Her car crashed or did it? outside Howards bunker and now hes taken her in and tied her up. Why? Ill never tell.
The third occupant of the bunker is Emmett (the most excellent John Gallagher, Jr.), a neighbor who knew Howards grown daughter who is living in, well, parts unknown. Is Howard lying about whats outside or telling the truth? Goodman, grabbing his juiciest screen role in years, plays it for every tingling note of mirth and menace. You cant take your eyes off him. And cheers to first-time director Dan Trachtenberg, who knows how to let the claustrophobia of the bunker seep into your blood stream until youre jumping at everything that goes bump in the night.
Carried along by the beats ofBear McCrearys pulsating score, 10 Cloverfield Lane seems eager to play itself like a B-movie throwaway. Its anything but. Cloverfield producer J.J. Abrams, who just did some Star Wars thing, is back on the team, and Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) wrote the script withJosh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken. Translation: Youre in good hands. As for the movies impact to paraphrase Donald Trump,its going to be huge.