’10 Cloverfield Lane’ Made the Smartest Franchise Decision in 2016
Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield first struck obsessive curiosity in moviegoing audiences in 2008 with its found footage-style horror filmmaking, as it left more questions than answers. Its fans begged for a sequel as news cycles jumped at the chance to claim every secret project could be the sequel we’ve all been waiting for. However, Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane snuck into the franchise in 2016, making some of the smartest franchise decisions in recent memory.
’10 Cloverfield Lane’ introduced a new genre-bending mashup from its predecessor
The first Cloverfield found the sweet spot between horror, science fiction, action, and adventure. The shaky cam was a bit too frantic for some audiences, but its sheer intensity proved invigorating for others. It was lightning in a bottle, further elevated by Paramount Pictures’ mysterious marketing tactics that never gave anything away until viewers were sitting in theaters upon its release.
Meanwhile, Trachtenberg’s sequel acts more as an anthology of sorts. The screenplay was adapted to become a part of the same universe, but it doesn’t follow any of the same characters from its predecessor. This time around, it’s a psychological horror film that capitalizes on claustrophobia and paranoia before unleashing destructive creatures onto the silver screen.
The plot follows a young woman named Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who gets in a car accident before waking up in an ominous underground bunker. Howard (John Goodman) forces her to remain down there for their own safety, claiming that a hostile event took place that makes the Earth’s surface uninhabitable.
The events to follow cause Michelle and the audience to question whether Howard is a good guy or not. Goodman’s haunting performance offers moments of apparent sincerity to draw Michelle and the viewer in, but his fits of rage strike definite fear.
10 Cloverfield Lane was smart to take on a traditional filming format with entirely different goals. It utilizes another approach to terror from the 2008 installment that allows this world to feel fresh.
’10 Cloverfield Lane’ expanded its universe while remaining self-contained
10 Cloverfield Lane appealed to Cloverfield fans thanks to the title. It doesn’t address anything from the previous installment, but the third act indulges in extraterrestrial dangers in the best way possible. Even though it doesn’t necessarily answer the questions that the world had after the 2008 film, it scratches the itch for this type of horror content.
The sequel doesn’t necessarily require its audience to be aware of the original installment. It’s a self-contained psychological horror/thriller that exposes the monstrosities that reside within humanity. Trachtenberg maintains a staggering level of tension that looms in every frame throughout the entire film.
When Michelle finally manages to escape the bunker, there’s a moment of relief. Then, she realizes that there are actual creatures roaming around. However, there’s a big difference between the Statue of Liberty-smashing monster we saw before and these creatures.
10 Cloverfield Lane feels like a peek into another corner of the Cloverfield universe, further expanding its reach. Yet, it simultaneously operates on its own wavelength as a self-contained episode of horror.
Michelle is a hero worth following
10 Cloverfield Lane frames Michelle as a real fighter. She’s the final girl of this sequel, who first awakens in the bunker as a victim. She feels hopeless and terrified, only to initially find comfort in Howard’s lies. Her conversations with fellow bunker-mate Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) only give her more motivation to escape.
Michelle is a protagonist worth following, giving a potential face to the franchise that the 2008 Cloverfield didn’t. The found footage format makes the audience itself a character, but 10 Cloverfield Lane is more traditionally-shot. Winstead once again proves herself a formidable horror lead that the audience wants to root for.
We’re going to forget that the following 2018 sequel, The Cloverfield Paradox, exists. Regardless of that blunder, it doesn’t hinder the genius move that 10 Cloverfield Lane made. Now, if only the franchise ran with that.
