The film opens with the protagonist, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a trainee fashion designer, escaping her life in New Orleans and hitting the open road to rural Louisiana after an argument with her boyfriend. During her travels however she is knocked from the road by an unknown vehicle and awakes in a locked room chained to the wall without a phone signal. She soon meets Howard (John Goodman), an ex-military conspiracy theorist who saved Michelle after she crashed her car but had to take her to his underground bunker during the fallout of a chemical attack from an unknown assailant, apparently saving her life but meaning she is not able to leave the cellar. Also in the bunker is Emmett (John Gallagher, jr.), another survivor who befriends Michelle and who had witnessed the attacks first hand and fought to enter Howard's bunker after knowing of its location from helping him build it. The three come to an uneasy truce as they struggle to survive with no contact with the outside world. The film takes many turn sand twists as to who to root for and who is telling the truth in a series of escalating moments of drama and suspense expertly handled by the films director and screenwriter, before the films surprising and stunning conclusion that opens a new chapter to the Cloverfield universe.
Luckily with the telling of such an interesting and unique story like this the film-makers have opted for a more traditional method of film making over the handheld, found footage style of the original Cloverfield. That style, whilst innovative and different in the early 21st century and appearing as a unique way to add another level of realism to a film, now appears cheap and lazy in comparison to more traditionally shot films. Chronicle, Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project are perhaps the most successful in this found footage sub-genre, and it could be argued that many films done in this style, particularly the first two, would have been even more accessible and interesting as a story if shot traditionally. In spite of this being director Dan Trachtenberg's first feature, he really does a fantastic job at presenting the images on screen in a beautiful way. Despite the often limited space that the action happens within, the interesting and different angles really make every scene visually interesting and original. Whether it is the sprawling, empty roads of Louisiana or the cramped and claustrophobic cellar, each frame in the film is dynamic and interesting and it really is a pleasure to view on screen. Another element that really stands out is the sound editing, with rapid editing and quick bursts of sound really heightening moments of horror, making it incredibly intense and thrilling to watch even in small moments like a door being unlocked or an item being passed over the table.
The performances in the film are superb and can't be lauded enough, with John Goodman giving his best performance since The Big Lebowski in a tough role that is in equal parts gentle, tormented and terrifying, and a million miles away from his roles in the Monsters, Inc. movies. Mary Elizabeth Winstead carries her role incredibly well, and adds lots of layers of depth to what could have been a very two dimensional character in another, more poorly written film, and like The Force Awakens it is nice to see a female lead in a science fiction movie without being written or played as a stereotype. John Gallagher, jr. too brings in a lot of heart and humour to what could otherwise be a very grim and solemn film. But what is better than all of these actors and characters individually is how they act and mesh together, and as a trio they make up one of the best and most solid casts of any film in recent memory. Some of the best moments in the entire film surprisingly are those with no stakes and no horror where the characters simply talk about something trivial or something from their past, and we really start to learn more and genuinely care and understand these characters, without the need for any heavy handed flashbacks or unnatural monologues or soliloquies, which is sadly hard to find in a lot of modern, mainstream films.
But what really sets this film apart from a lot of others is just how clever every moment and every scene is. Information is revealed slowly and at a steady pace to build to a genuinely satisfying conclusion, after a constant change in loyalties and small details revealing big secrets. Each piece of the film runs like clockwork. I love the fact that so many questions were left unanswered at the end of the film; what happened between Michelle and her boyfriend to make her run away? What really happened with Howard and the kidnapped girl? What happened to Howard's family? And what has happened to the rest of the world? In the end none of these things really matter over the simple story of survival against all odds and our hero finding a purpose in life. In another film not answering these key questions would diminish the films effects, but in giving the audience only a tiny window into this unique and massive world it really helps build anticipation for potential sequels, a lot like how the first Alien movie showed only one alien against the small crew of Nostromo and each further sequel brought new, exciting elements to the films universe. Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Michelle in my opinion is the 21st centuries Ellen Ripley, and I can't wait for more of the Cloverfield world to be shown in future films. It's good to be excited about original franchises again!
Summary: A clever, terrifying, funny and genuinely innovative film that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat in excitement and anticipation. Prepare to be unexpected.
10/10
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