Put 10 Cloverfield Lane in the “almost, not quite” file, what with it being a film that straddles two genres yet only succeeds in achieving half of what it sets out to do. Covering some of the same ground as Room, 10 Cloverfield Lane also toys with the audience in suggesting that something far more sinister is going on above the bunker where the three principals are sequestered for most of the movie. How much you buy into the premise and its final revelation depends on how willing you are to be strung along, as well as accept a plot turn that’s given away right from the start.
Director Dan Trachtenberg gets things off to an intriguing start with a prolonged sequence done with no dialogue, simply a selection from Bear McCreary’s strong but subtle score. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is seen pacing her apartment, quickly packing her bags, making a phone call and leaving an engagement ring and note behind before driving into the country in effort to put her life in order. It’s a desperate act that she will live to regret, as her car is pushed off the road in a remote area, leaving her injured and unconscious.
After an indeterminate amount of time, she finds herself lying on a dirty mattress in a dank basement, chained to a pipe with a brace on her leg. Her captor (savior?) is Howard (John Goodman), a man obviously on edge who says he stumbled upon Michelle, rescued her, and brought her back to the bunker to care for her. He claims that he was unable to take her to a hospital because an attack of some sort occurred that forced them underground, a situation that raises the young woman’s suspicions. Her worries are assuaged a bit by the presence of Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), an acquaintance of Howard’s who says that he came to the bunker begging to be let in once the attack occurred, which the old man allowed with some reluctance.
What develops is an intriguing game of cat and mouse between the three as evidence is found that suggests Howard may not be telling the whole truth regarding the purpose of his bunker. The script by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken and Damien Chazelle is masterfully constructed as it dispenses with clues that raise Michelle and Emmett’s concerns and those that undercut them in equal measure. This, as well as Trachtenberg’s skill at steadily increasing the tension and letting it dissipate only to generate it again and again, makes for an intriguing and entertaining first hour.
The chemistry between the three principals brings a degree of authenticity to the premise as well. As Emmett, Gallagher Jr. provides much needed levity to the situation, his genuine light-hearted approach proving an effective counterpoint to the many tense situations that develop. Goodman gives one of his best performances, fleshing out this mentally unstable man who’s at the mercy of the demons that plague him. His is a tightly wound turn, as he brings a sense of tension and the possibility of violence to each scene he’s in. Meanwhile, Winstead proves once more to be one of the finest actresses of our times who has yet to get the big break she deserves. Taking Michelle from an insecure woman to a self-assured survivor, she has us in her corner from the start, rooting for her escape as well as her emotional salvation.
What with Lane being as suspenseful as it is during its first hour, it’s a shame that its final act is anti-climactic and static, a rote exercise constrained by the film’s modest budget. The answer as to what sort of attack occurred that kept this trio in hiding is hardly surprising and plays out in a way that’s frustrating rather than tense. It’s as if the imagination that propelled the film simply scampered away once the bunker is opened, all of its innovation sacrificed to satisfy audience expectations.
Contact Chuck Koplinski at [email protected].
