10 Cloverfield Lane
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
Written by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stucken, Damien Chazelle
Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher, Jr.
The less you know going into 10 Cloverfield Lane the better. It’s not a romance, but beyond that it defies categorization. In the broadest outlines, a woman, fleeing a bad relationship, ends up on a Louisiana road where she has a car accident. She wakes up in the bunker of prepper, Howard (John Goodman). Howard has an explanation about their situation and Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) will spend the rest of the film vacillating between belief and doubt. She is abetted in her increasing resourcefulness by Emmett (John Gallaher, Jr.)
This movie is beautifully written, directed, and acted. One of its attractions is its pastiche of genres. Like our hero, Michelle, the ground beneath your feet will shift several times. Highly recommended.
Patti Abbott
In addition to being the Crimespree Senior Film Critic, Patti has penned numerous short stories and her debut novel, CONCRETE ANGEL, is in stores now. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at pattinase.blogspot.com. She hopes you’ll join in.
