By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I have never seen CLOVERFIELD (2008). Even now, eight years later, I don’t have any type of inclination to see it. I’ve heard that some people really enjoyed it and others hated it. The hand-held, shaky camera isn’t something that appeals to me often, so that was a rare occasion where I skipped a modern horror release.
That said, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE seemed to be adopting an entirely different style and plot. From what I understand, CLOVERFIELD is going to be a series of movies that are done in an anthology style. That’s absolutely refreshing! Horror fans should remember the HALLOWEEN franchise attempted this very thing with HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982). Though it was a great movie, the absence of Michael Myers irritated fans and he was brought back for the fourth installment.
CLOVERFIELD, thankfully, did not suffer the same fate. Fans were happy to see something fresh and new. Not to mention, since it’s only the second of the CLOVERFIELD films, there wasn’t a villain to be attached to.
The film opens when Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is in a car accident when a pick-up truck runs her off the road. When she wakes up, she is in a bunker style shelter in a small room with only a mattress on the ground. Howard (John Goodman) soon comes in. He owns the shelter and tells her that there was an attack and that the only survivors are infected and dying, but that as long as they stay where they are, they’re safe.
She then meets Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) who had helped Howard make the shelter. He is the only other person there and is very passive and meek when it comes to Howard’s eruptions of anger. When the attack occurred, Emmett asked Howard to take him in, and Howard agreed.
Michelle immediately begins to question Howard’s sanity. He falls into an unexplicable rage when Michelle touches Emmett’s hand during dinner. She is forced to apologize, but without Howard noticing steals his keys. She breaks a bottle over his head and tries to escape only to be confronted by a woman desperate to get in. The woman appeared badly burned and Howard warns her that the woman is infected.
Michelle reluctantly realizes the risk and relents going back to Howard. Surprisingly, he isn’t that angry. He lets her put the stitches on the cut she caused. He also tells her about his daughter, Meghan, who he was very fond of. He claims that his ex turned Meghan against him, but Michelle isn’t that sure. It becomes apparent that Howard is attempting to make Michelle take the place of Meghan. He gives her the same clothing to wear and talks to her like she’s a child. He doesn’t even see her as a woman. In fact, in a game of PASSWORD when Emmett points to Michelle, to indicate “women,” Howard guesses ‘child’ and ‘girl.’ The word woman never even occurs to him.
When it becomes clear that neither Michelle or Emmett is safe with Howard they decide to take action and plan an escape using survival magazines to make a suitable outfit for outside.
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE is a superb thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It’s tense, suspenseful, and chilling. There are moments that are funny, but those moments are ‘scary’ funny. They are the moments where Howard will say something so absurd or insane that you can’t help but laugh, yet are still fearful of the outcome for Michelle and Emmett.
The acting is fantastic and actually makes the film. The movie focuses on the three main stars. John Gallagher Jr., had the tough task of making Emett both a little off, a bit passive yet very likable and one to root for. He did so amazingly well. When explaining Howard’s old job as someone who worked with satellites, Gallagher reveals how little Emmett knows about the man that he decided to live with. Though his options were limited, it’s still a quirky moment between Emmett and Michelle. Another instance is when Emmett is making a joke about how long MONOPOLY takes to play. His sense of humor about board games at the table isn’t funny, yet Emmett is so likable and Gallagher delivers the bit so well, that it’s easy to laugh with the bad jokes and Emmett’s anecdotal tales about games like OPERATION.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead was brilliant as Michelle. It’s a fine line to play a strong, but very scared woman, especially when that woman enlists the help of a man. It can come across either as the damsel-in-distress trope or the unrealistic Super Hero that rescues everyone in need with little trouble. Winstead rose above those stereotypes and caricatures to show a realistic portrayal of a strong smart woman in a bad situation. Michelle used the tools that she had to fight and the articles that she read to learn ways to survive. Emmett was helpful to her but not necessary in her plan. She could have taken the full risk and done everything herself. That said, there was a bond between Michelle and Emmett, not necessarily romantic, but more-so a deep friendship so it’s understandable that she would want him to come with her and help her. Winstead conveyed the fear felt by Michelle and the apprehension perfectly. When she sees the woman begging to come in for help, the shock and realization is portrayed so amazingly by Winstead that as a viewer, you can actually feel Michelle’s pain and the conflict she is faced with.
It goes without saying that John Goodman was perfect as Howard. He is one of those fantastic actors that can be hilarious, sweet, charming and then switch it to sinister, angry and dark all the while keeping his character believable. Many sitcom actors fall into being typecast in a particular role. Despite his long-running performance as Dan on ROSEANNE and a few films that followed that style of comedy like KING RALPH, Goodman was able to find new audiences and devout fans with his iconic role in THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998), his hilarious recurring role on the sitcom COMMUNITY and even Disney fans love him as the voice of Pacha in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE (2000) and subsequent sequels.
Goodman is just an awesome guy. He’s so awesome that despite my disdain for Howard Stern, I listened to an interview Stern did with Goodman. I still hate Stern. I love Goodman even more.
There is a solid reason Goodman is cast in so many vastly different roles. He can do anything. His characters always steal the scenes. His dialogue is always delivered with the right tone and perfect manner that it will always get the reaction it’s meant to, whether it’s a chill down the spine or a laugh that doesn’t stop for hours.
Regarding 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, as you may have guessed, I highly recommend it. I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. At one major point in the film, I thought to myself “I can’t believe they’re doing this so early in the movie…” then I looked at the time and realized, there was less than 15 minutes left.
It is far better than most horror movies made today. It’s unique in both its storytelling and casting choice. Both aspects work amazingly well and come together to create a heart-pounding thriller that doesn’t stop until the end-credits roll.
SCARED STIFF RATING: 8.5/10
