 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: 10 Cloverfield Lane • Year: 2016 • Country: USA • Director: Dan Trachtenberg • Main cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr. • Runtime: 104 minutes • Production company: Paramount Pictures, Bad Robot, Spectrum Effects • TRAILER |
For many people, 10 Cloverfield Lane was one of the good surprises of the past year 2016. At least, I heard a good bunch of voices saying nice things about this film over the past months. Then finally yesterday I gave it a try and these are my impressions.
First of all, I think it’s a pretty good movie. It’s very simple, with a very limited amount of locations and mainly only 3 characters. And this simplicity is perhaps one of the reasons why at the end this film is so attractive. Also is very important to mention how the story is narrated. Personally, this fact, the narration, the way the script is structured and conceived, is my favorite asset of the film. No spoilers here, of course, but both the characters and the story itself play nice good tricks with the audience’s mind following a trail of confusion. But here it’s done in a very accurated and well treated way. It doesn’t get you lost, it doesn’t feel annoying, it just helps you to create this ambient of mystery along the whole film.
Together with the fine script comes a deliciously well done direction. It’s shocking how this is the directorial debut of Dan Trachtenberg, a man who we might think doesn’t have the skills for a project of this kind, but he solves the situation with great taste and delicacy. Perfect dominion of the pace and rythm of the story, wonderfully edited and with a great actors direction. Honestly, if this is the work of a newby, what is he going to reach when he has the experience?
I also want to mention the output of the main acting duo. There’s not much more left to say about John Goodman, a man who has given us a huge collection of amazing performances. But perhaps this time is kind of surprising because we are used to spot him in comedy or drama roles, but somehow we are not used yet to see all the power he displays in fantasy science fiction thrillers. His character is a great presence in the film, and not only for the volume of space he takes in those small scenarios, but by the intensity he imprints. And then we have Mary Elizabeth Winstead, that despite her short age she already has gained the warranty of good performances in interesting films. Around 10 years of career and any movie where she appears is already a must-see.
10 Cloverfield Lane is produced by Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams’ company. That can already give a hint of what we might get here; well done and delicately treated mystery science fiction thrillers closer to the arts of Lost (2004-2010) TV series or Super 8 (2011) than huge blockbusters like Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) or the new Star Trek reboot franchise.
Honestly, I had a great time watching 10 Cloverfield Lane. One of the surprises of 2016, a well deserved thing to say. Now I don’t know if they will attempt to start a new franchise out of it, but I would rather they leave it as it is. A very well done science fiction thriller with the right dose of mystery.
RATE: 7/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179933
