After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.
When JJ Abrams told us that “10 Cloverfield Lane” was a blood-relative of the original “Cloverfield”, my guess was that it would be an alien invasion.. or perhaps the aftermath of the bombing of Central Park (at the end of Cloverfield).. what I wasn’t expecting was what I saw tonight.
A girl wakes in a survival shelter, after being in a car accident, and is told that the outside world no longer exists. Russians? Aliens? North Korea? we don’t know.. all we know, is that everyone outside is dead or dying. No spoilers there, that’s in the trailer. But, one thing is for certain. There’s something wrong, and Michelle (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wants out.
I liked it. Everything about this movie, from within the bunker, was believable. Scary, but believable.
Spoilers ahead
Last chance.
OK, you asked for it.
The scenes within the bunker take up 95% of the movie, which focuses on the struggle of being locked up, yet rescued by, someone who’s a few pieces short of a puzzle. Howard, played by John Goodman, is a sick man.. a conspiracy theorist who happens to be RIGHT this time. But, his paranoia overshadows everything he builds and eventually leads to his downfall. When Michelle finally makes it outside, we find that it is indeed an Alien attack. By now, it’s the last 10 minutes of the movie and there’s no a lot of time left.. and the alien bits seemed a bit rushed as she jumps in a car and gets the hell out of dodge.
Personally, I would have preferred an ending that showed a normal world waiting outside, and that all this was for nothing, rather than a hurried alien scene with no real build up or pay off. And why name it in with the “Cloverfield” title? It had nothing to do with the other movie. Even the attacking aliens weren’t the same. /shrug I dont know.
All and all, I did enjoy myself and 10 Cloverfield Lane will find its way into my collection.
