10 Cloverfield Lane started life as a different movie entirely. The premise was essentially the same, but somewhere during produce J.J. Abrams had one of his "big" ideas - what if it was the next Cloverfield movie instead? And what if Bad Robot only revealed that the film existed a few months before its release? Wouldn't that lure more people into theatres? Based on the recent box office gross, the answer to that question is a resounding "yes." Thankfully, though, the film isn't just the sum of a marketing gimmick - it's a nerve-shredding semi-sequel that thrives as its own thing whilst expanding the Cloverfield mythology. Directed efficiently by Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane thrives on its claustrophobic story and excellent cast: a truly horrible tension is maintained across the picture, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead, surely one of the most underrated actresses of her generation, is excellent in the lead role as a "prisoner" in John Goodman's ominous fallout shelter. If its links to the original Cloverfield picture are only tenuous, does it matter? If this is what Cloverfield movies are all about - that being loosely linked stories in different genres driven by a central mystery - then bring on the third film.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
