From director Dan Trachtenberg, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is an anxious, edgy film that may or may not be sci-fi.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, a young woman who is driven off the road one night and crashes her car. When she wakes up from being unconscious, she is in an underground bunker. She meets Howard (John Goodman), the bunker’s owner, and though he says he saved her, she feels more imprisoned than saved. Howard insists that she can’t leave because of an attack above ground that has killed nearly everyone and made the air deadly (or so he says).
The plot of “10 Cloverfield Lane” poses two main questions. Whether or not Howard is trustworthy comprises much of the movie’s suspense. Just when we think he is an OK man that deserves a bit of sympathy, he gets angry and seems dangerous.
The other question “10 Cloverfield Lane” addresses is whether the world above the bunker is safe. Michelle is skeptical of Howard’s claim that the air is contaminated. Looking out the small window, the world doesn’t look different or deadly, but she can’t truly tell.
I wasn’t sure if I should be more worried about Howard or about whatever may be roaming the surface. Aliens are a possibility, but we don’t know if there even are aliens. For most of “10 Cloverfield Lane,” the movie flirts with sci-fi. There are hints of life out of the bunker, but aliens are no more than a possibility for most of the film.
Michelle knows how to fasten gadgets like oxygen masks and a suit for protection against the allegedly fatal air. Her ability to fend for herself and think independently makes her an admirable heroine. No matter what Howard tells her about how lucky she is that he saved her, Michelle doesn’t completely trust him. Survival is her goal, and her intelligence equals her bravery.
Emmett, played by John Gallagher Jr., is the third person in the bunker. Although he is arguably less important a character than Howard and Michelle, Emmett befriends Michelle and is a funny, comforting presence. Michelle confides in him and shares her doubts about Howard with him. If it weren’t for Emmett, “10 Cloverfield Lane” would feel too tense.
Goodman makes Howard a multifaceted character. He is smart yet paranoid, and his past is murky. At a point in the movie, he seems like a man who, despite his unpredictable anger, is mostly good. When he tells Michelle about his deceased daughter, she sympathizes with him.
In one scene, Michelle comes close to escaping. Howard acts more understanding than we would expect. Watching Goodman’s performance, I thought he wasn’t as threatening as I’d previously assumed. Then, Michelle finds evidence to suggest otherwise. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is exciting primarily because we don’t know Howard’s intentions, and just when Michelle and Emmett start to feel more secure around him, Michelle finds disturbing traces of his past.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is one weird movie. Between not knowing whether Howard is dangerous and not knowing what’s happening outside, nothing is sure. This uncertainty makes the movie thrilling and well worth seeing.
**MOVE gives “10 Cloverfield Lane” 3 out of 5 stars.**
_Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_
