10 Cloverfield Lane Movie Review – Better Than the First, but That's Not Saying Much

Runtime: 104 minutes

Release Date: March 11, 2016

Rating: PG-13

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

I am not a fan of Cloverfield. At all. In fact, I'm still angry at so many people for recommending that flick to me and that I actually spent money to buy a copy before seeing it. Watching the trailers for 10 Cloverfield Lane made me think that it would be a lot better. While it was better than the original, that's not saying much.

Michelle is driving through Louisiana after a fight with her fiance when she hears radio reports of blockades going up in major areas. Before she can give it much thought, someone forces her car off the road. She's knocked unconscious in the crash. When she wakes up, she finds herself chained inside a concrete room that looks more like a cell than a room. She eventually gains enough freedom to find that she's in an underground bunker with two other men.

Howard is the man who created the bunker and the man who saved her from the wreck. Emmett saw what was happening outside and ran to Howard for help because he always heard that he was prepared for the apocalypse. Howard refuses to tell her exactly what happened but explains that it was bad and that she couldn't survive outside. He also warns her not to escape. Though she agrees, she later finds his keys and manages to get all the way to the last door. She then sees a woman begging for help, but she then goes crazy and reveals the lesions all over her skin, which makes Michelle realize that Howard was right all along.

Though the three live together for a number of days, Michelle eventually begins thinking that Howard abducted and killed a young girl. Emmett agrees with her, and the two work together to create a suit that will help them survive outside. Once Howard uncovers their deception though and makes steps to stop them, the film amps up the action and leads to us discovering what actually happened outside.

The best thing about 10 Cloverfield Lane was John Goodman. As someone who still watches Roseanne on a regular basis, I can see why people thought he might get a Golden Globe or even Oscar nod for this film. He's the perfect amount of creepy and loving at the same time, which will leave you wondering if he's a good guy or a bad guy. As the movie progresses, he does a good job of transitioning from one side to the other.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who I usually love, wasn't her best in this one. Michelle is a pretty terribly written character, and I had a hard time rooting for her or even wanting her to escape. She comes across as this really petty girl who isn't happy with anything, which made it hard to believe her transition in the end.

Many of the reviews I read kept the ending a secret, which I appreciated, but I actually felt like the ending wasn't needed. It felt like two completely different scripts. There was one script about three people trapped in a cellar and a second flick that takes place during the last 10 minutes or so. I much prefer the first script to the second. That ending was just bad. So bad that I actually laughed out loud during the very last scene. 10 Cloverfield Lane would have been better as a film about the cellar itself.