Fish and Cherries Productions

Summary: After being run off the road and knocked unconscious in rural Louisiana, Beth (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) awakens to find herself in an underground bunker in the custody of Howard (John Goodman). Howard claims she can’t leave because the air is toxic and Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr.), another person stuck down there, backs him up on the story. Beth has a hard time believing this and thinks that it’s just a cover story for her kidnapping, which is reinforced by Howard’s awkward and often threatening demeanor. Eventually however, she learns that there may be more to Howard and his story behind his awkward blustering…

Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane is a real nail biter if ever there was one. In true suspense fashion, this film has an expert way of keeping you guessing, putting twists within twists that only allow you to unravel the whole thing at Beth’s pace. But even that doesn’t hold a candle to John Goodman’s genuinely terrifying performance. You can never be sure what he’s going to do next and, because of his tendency to be kind one minute and aggressive the next, it’s frightening and captivating.

Then there’s the ending. Suffice to say, it becomes a very different movie in the end and it will divide opinions. I personally had no problem with it, but I heard some theatergoers cursing its existence. Regardless of how you feel, it will surprise you. I highly recommended this movie; it’s smart suspense with strong characterization and a real talent for keeping the audience on their toes. All in all, it’s a real gem.

Fun Tidbit: Despite many similarities and possible connections, the production crew has stated that this story does not take place in the same universe as the 2008 found footage film Cloverfield (despite them both being part of the “Cloverfield franchise”). In fact, the screenplay was originally a self-contained movie called The Cellar before several crew members noticed the similarities to Cloverfield and changed it with some minor rewrites.