10 Cloverfield Lane stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher, Jr. It tells the story of a girl named Michelle who gets into a car accident and then wakes up trapped in an unknown location. It turns out that she and another man are being held in an underground bunker by Howard Stambler, who is convinced that Earth has been attacked and it is unsafe to go outside.
There are so many elements to this film that make it wonderful. The acting, cinematography, and general direction all deserve praise. The story was smart and interesting and I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie.
There's been a lot of acclaim for John Goodman's performance in this role, but frankly, the three leads all were fantastic. I loved Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and this movie also proves that she needs more recognition. Her character Michelle was such a badass and that's always really refreshing to see in a horror movie. She was resourceful and brave; she was confused and frightened. Winstead gave us a horror movie heroine that was both relatable and inspiring. John Goodman's Howard, I think, will go down as one of the best horror movie villains of all time. You didn't know whether he was crazy or not the whole movie and it was exciting and frustrating. John Gallagher, Jr. played Emmett, Howard's old employee who is also living in the bunker. You loved Emmett; he tried to keep a good sense of humor throughout the ordeal and be friendly with everyone. All three characters were really different and played so well.
I think my favorite technical element of 10 Cloverfield Lane was the cinematography. Holy wow, every shot was absolutely beautiful. At times, it felt like Wes Anderson had made a horror movie. Every scene was perfectly set in a very specific way. The lighting was great. The cinematography gave the bunker a homey feel while also making it seem eerie at the same time. Horror movies are difficult to make on a lot of levels. The story has to be right and the characters have to be real. Sometimes the focus of making a good villain and having a lot of jump scares leaves a horror movie looking bland. 10 Cloverfield Lane achieved great story, great characters, and a great look. Jeff Cutter, the cinematographer, deserves a gold medal.
I really appreciate the storytelling of 10 Cloverfield Lane. And what I mean by that is how this film didn't dumb anything down or pander to the audience. Not everything was right out said or explained. This is due to many things: the script, the directing, etc. But overall, what made this movie great was the ability for the audience to come to their own conclusions about certain characters and certain events. It's great when you watch a movie with people and immediately want to discuss it afterwards. Films today often treat audience members like they're idiots, and because we give these kinds of movies lots of money, they turn out to be right. It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But when a movie like this makes us put the pieces together ourselves, and does really well, it makes us set a higher standard for movies later on. And that's a good thing. I also like that you didn't have to see Cloverfield or know anything about Cloverfield to enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane. In fact, now I'm curious to watch Cloverfield to see if there were any little connections.
If you're more of a fan of psychological thrillers than gory, jump-scare-filled horror films, then you should give 10 Cloverfield Lane a try. This film plays on your anxieties and keeps you excited throughout. If they continue to make Cloverfield movies, I hope they are as good as this one.
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