10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane
As the second movie in the Cloverfield franchise, I was expecting it to be good, if not better than the first movie. And let me tell you, I was blown away by this one. I wasn’t prepared at all for the events of this movie, which always leads to a good experience. Now, it’s not directly related to the first one, but it’s still a sequel that kind of falls in line with it. Most everything about this was really great, and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story was really good, and though there aren't a whole lot of actual scary images or anything, the whole vibe of the movie was terrifying. It deals with fallout and annihilation, so it’s pretty freaky. I also like how the majority of the movie was filmed in the bunker, so you only see the same few rooms the whole time. It’s not necessarily claustrophobic, but you definitely start to get itchy to see more than you do. I also extremely liked how you see the characters' relations with each other. They have to learn to live with each other and survive, so it gets testy and tedious. Watching them try to trust each other is really fun, and the movie does an amazing job of keeping you guessing what they’ll do next. There was one minor thing in the story that involved one of the characters that left me confused, however. I understand why it was done the way it was, but unless you really pay attention, it might not make sense to some. But besides that, the storyline works smoothly. I also like the minimalistic cast. You only physically see four (technically five if you count the photograph) characters in the whole thing, which was great. It really helped authenticate the mood and tone of the movie. The entire cast did a fantastic job, especially John Goodman. He brings an awesome paranoid and almost nutty vibe, which only intensifies each scene. All the characters were written well, and you get to learn about them throughout the movie before the climax. The music was absolutely phenomenal as well. I was really impressed with the score, as it’s intense and suspenseful. The opening scene was fantastically done, as it sets the mood for the whole movie, and the score immediately hits you in the face with blood pumping music. The opening credits were also really well shot. The last five minutes of the movie were also amazing, and probably the best part of the whole thing. They bring out the core of the story, and you get to find out what everything was leading up to. And the final shot of the movie left my mouth open. It was super ominous, and I really want to know what happened. Overall, I would highly recommend this movie to all sci-fi/thriller lovers, and you don’t need to see Cloverfield to watch this one, which is nice. This movie reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode, as well as Jordan Peele’s Nope. So, if you like those, then you’ll like this. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!