10. 10 Cloverfield Lane
Release Date: March 11th
Who’s in it? Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher, Jr.
“Garth, that was a haiku!”
Monsters from above
But also monsters below
John Goodman is slow
You gotta see this… J.J. Abrams and Dan Trachtenberg’s surprise-film of the year happened to deliver, eschewing the doldrums of another found footage monster movie for a slow burn — literally and metaphorically — that twists and turns with assurance. 10 Cloverfield Lane capitalizes on two larger-than-life performances in Winstead and Goodman, but never uses either as a crutch, blending style and suspense into an enviable sci-fi thriller that says a lot without doing too much. Since its spring release, audiences and cinephiles have debated its polarizing final act, and rightfully so, but what detractors keep forgetting is how hard such a twist can be to pull off. Rest assured, Trachtenberg handled the left turn without resorting to the air bag, and there’s reason to believe in the filmmaker for future projects ahead.
Extra! Extra! Read Allison Shoemaker’s full review here.
–Michael Roffman
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