When that first 10 Cloverfield Lane trailer landed, it came out of no-where. The “sequel” to J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield was a surprise that it even existed. Then, it hit theaters and became wildly acclaimed by critics (check out our theatrical 10 Cloverfield Lane review) and audiences alike, becoming an instant hit.
Now, for those of you that missed it or want to own it so you can watch it again and again… 10 Cloverfield Lane is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray. And believe you-me, this is the type of movie that you will want to own for repeated viewings. There is so much to soak in; it cannot be inhaled in one viewing. There is a lot going on in the background and behind the wall of what filmmakers are showing us, multiple viewings will help answer (and raise) questions!
Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as a woman who, as the movie commences, is driving in her car. She’s talking to her love on the phone and it’s clear that something has gone down and the world is a much more dangerous place than we once knew (i.e. the events of Cloverfield). Suddenly, she has a car wreck and blacks out. She awakes chained to a bed in a basement of some house, being taken care of by John Goodman. He claims that the world has been destroyed by aliens — or is it the Russians, no one seems to know — and that the air outside is un-breathable and that it also is unsafe because who or what ever invaded us is still out there.
She (and we the audience) is not sure what to believe, and that is what makes 10 Cloverfield Lane so scary.
The unknown is a powerful entity in the horror/thriller movie genre. It is something that director Dan Trachtenberg uses impeccably in this film as it seems that Goodman is telling the truth, yet there are hints around every corner that he is not being completely honest about how he came upon Winstead or why they have another soul in their underground bunker, John Gallagher Jr.’s Emmett, and how he got there.
The film pays off with a conclusion that will blow your mind and even ties into the first film while teasing what could be the landscape for a third Cloverfield film. The film, from beginning to end, left us with our jaw-dropped and also had us craving more, which is satisfied with the bevy of bonus features that take us behind-the-scenes and give you so much more.
There’s over 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage that left us fully informed and simultaneously craving more. The footage and insight is broken into a series of featurettes. One must start with Cloverfield Too. The cast and filmmakers reveal how the film’s script had them thinking about the first film throughout, yet how it also had them believing this could be a stand-alone film the way that Trachtenberg directed them. Bunker Mentality is a fascinating (but too short!) look at the set of Goodman’s bunker. With a character that so meticulously plotted for the end of the world, the production design team had their hands full trying to make sure every single thing that should be there for someone like him, was there and able to be seen and ingested by the audience.
Kelvin Optical is an especially interesting featurette for this writer, as a huge fan of Bad Robot. Abrams’ production company gets a spotlight in this short behind-the-scenes look, specifically the side of the company that handles visual and sound effects.
One of the things that adds to the tension and power of 10 Cloverfield Lane is the score and Fine Tuned is a terrific look at how that process came together.
End of Story is also well worth a gander, as it illustrates how one crafts a stand-alone movie that also serves as a sequel or some sort to a wildly popular film.
Finally, you have to watch the film a subsequent time with the commentary track turned on. Director Trachtenberg and producer Abrams give their take on the making of the film and so much more.
Film: A
Bonus Features: A-