10 Cloverfield Lane Movie Review

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on Mar 11, 2016

Rating:

How scary and mysterious is 10 Cloverfield Lane? Check out Kidzworld’s movie review!

By: Lynn Barker

Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has a habit of running when things get tough. She’s just bailed on her fiancée after a quarrel but ends up in a car wreck that places her at the mercy of Howard (John Goodman), a seemingly wacko survivalist who imprisons her in his underground bunker saying it’s the end of the world outside. Humm, the fiancée is starting to look way less troublesome!

A new famiy?Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Fight and Flight

An upset Michelle leaves her engagement ring at the apartment she shares with her fiancée and drives to the boonies only to be forced off the road and wake up chained to a wall in a bunker with zero cellphone signal. Bummer!

Don't hurt me!Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Happy Howard

Howard, the survivalist who owns the bunker, is weird but kindly enough and tells Michelle that everyone she knows outside is dead. There has been either a nuclear or chemical attack…or maybe it was Martians wiping out the population. He headed for his bunker the minute the first big red blast occurred. He says the air outside is either fallout or poisoned and they might have to be in the shelter for a year or two!

You are here for your safetyCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Enter Emmet

Another survivor about Michelle’s age, Emmet, a local, is also in the shelter and tells her he knew about Howard’s bunker, even helped him build it and wasn’t abducted but pleaded to be let in. He also saw some big glowing blasts in the distance… so maybe Howard isn’t so crazy? When Emmet and Michelle start to become friends, Howard doesn’t like it a bit but the trio starts getting along despite Howard’s strict rules.

Can we ever really relax?Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Let Me In!

Still thinking Howard is a wacko-job, Michelle makes a few escape attempts. She finally reaches the outer door on the surface only to encounter a crazed and weirdly-injured woman desperately demanding to be let in. It’s enough for Michelle to stay put.

Should I open the last door?Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Missing Megan

Howard talks about his daughter named Megan who left for Chicago with his estranged wife. Emmet sees the picture of her that Howard showed Michelle and says that isn’t Megan but a missing high school girl he knew. Michelle swears she just heard a car outside. There is life out there besides the messed-up woman. Emmet and Michelle decide to escape together even though neither one has ever been brave. When life got challenging, both just bailed out.

Dare we try to escape?Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

What or who is out here?Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Suit

Michelle is good at sewing so she and Emmet work on a hazard suit made of a shower curtain that will keep out any poisoned air or fallout. One of them will get Howard’s gun and tie him up and the other will go outside for help. Will it work? Will Howard catch them? What the heck is really going on outside?

Let's play some musicCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Wrapping Up

Wow! 10 Cloverfield Lane is a drama, a psychological thriller and more with a little Sci-fi thrown in. It is tense, suspenseful, gripping, frightening, mysterious and really, really well-acted. John Goodman is amazing as a conspiracy theorist/survivalist living on the thin edge of sanity. Is he eccentric but nice? Is he actually telling the truth? Is he evil? How dangerous is he? You’re going to find out..bigtime. Both Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Gallagher Jr. are wonderful as two less-than-courageous bunker-mates who slice through their fear to try an escape.

Never try to leaveCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Coverage of the film has said that the whole Cloverfield connection was tacked on as an afterthought but once you reach the end of this edge-of-your-seat ride, you’ll be okay with that. Some audience members will really get into the ending, others, not so much but if you are going to spend your allowance going to the movies, you could do a whole lot worse than running to the multi-plex to see 10 Cloverfield Lane. We go 5 stars!