10 CLOVERFIELD LANE

US, 2016, 103 minutes, Colour.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg.

Cloverfield was one of those hand-held camera thrillers with handheld camerawork and found footage, pseudo-documentary, about violent threats to communities and fightback.

The only connection with this film is the reference to that title and its director, Matt Reeves, who is one of the producers of this film (as is Drew Goddard, writer of The Martian and Damien Chazelle, director of Whiplash).

In terms of photography and style, this is a more straightforward piece – although, there is some hand-held camera work in the final, very busy and active, part of the film.

It also should be said that this is more a terror film rather than a horror film (though there are touches of horror in that final part).

Most of the film is a claustrophobic drama with only three characters. We see Michelle, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, packing up, driving away, ignoring her boyfriends pleas on her car phone. At this stage during the credits, we are rather lulled until there is a sudden, quite a sudden shock and the film story changes. (There are a couple more of those sudden shocks.)

Michelle finds herself in a subterranean cell, well stocked by Howard who has built it as protection against the alien invasion. He is a big, jovial man, played by John Goodman. Michelle is a bit wary about him, needless to say, wanting to get out, and we, the audience, do have suspicions as to whether there really is an alien invasion – although, some evidence is gradually revealed.

Also in the underground bunker is a local young man, Emmett, played by John Gallagher Jr. He and Michelle share their stories, wondering about Howard, but gradually forming a little community, perhaps the only survivors of the invasion.

But, all is not always well, Michelle making some discoveries, Emmett concerned, and Howard, big and bombastic, genial, but…

And all this works up to a climax and confrontation between the three, probably not quite as expected, but making the film more engrossing after life in the bunker. And, then, there is that finale with the spacecraft and alien monsters. Which, by this stage, has become credible enough.

Will the aliens take over? Will Michelle, whom Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley from the Alien series would be very proud of, elude pursuit and survive? Are there any other survivors? The success of this film may well indicate that the story could continue.

1. The title, application of Cloverfield? The terror/horror/aliens film?

2. Louisiana, the roads, the crash? The bunker, the cell, the interiors as normal, furnished, mod cons? The vent in the crawlspace? Claustrophobic? The experience of the abduction?

3. Outside the bunker, the rumblings, the shakes, and eerie atmosphere, dusk, the fields, the buildings, the crops, the roads, the spacecraft and aliens? The musical score?

4. The decision to use conventional photography – later hand-held material? Editing, shocks? The use of songs?

5. Michelle, in herself, seen packing, leaving, driving, Ben on the phone, his pleas, cutting him off? The sudden crash? Waking, her leg encased, the chains? Howard, bringing breakfast, her breaking free, the effect? Fright, survival, begging Howard to be free? Her back story, the discussions with Emmett, sharing the storage with him? Listening to the stories of the Howard and Megan, Paris? Wary, discovering the truth? Preparing the gas mask and suit, Emmett’s death, the confrontation with Howard? The aliens, and seeing the bloodied woman, fixing the air-conditioning? Settling down, like a family?

6. The outside, the woman with blood, at the door, Michelle with the keys?

7. John Goodman as Howard, his age, imposing, chaining Michelle, his explanations, saving her? Wanting her to heal? Her hitting him, the stitches? The growing trust? His story about Megan, his daughter? The photo? Stories of Paris? Emmet saying that this was not Megan but a local girl who disappeared? His treatment of Emmett, knowing him, the neighbour? The songs and the music, jukebox, watching television, Pretty in Pink? The games, playing, the puzzles?

8. The air filtration, the crawlspace, Michelle going in, fixing it, finding the earrings, the scrawl for help? Her suspicions, designing clothes, ready for the gas mask and suit? Howard and his catching Emmett with the scissors, the corrosive vat, Emmett and his story about the gun, the explanation, his suddenly being shot and into the vat?

9. Michelle and Howard together, continuing to make the suit, hiding it, the vent and the screw, Howard discovering the truth, Michelle’s attack on him, spilling the vat, the creation of the fire, Howard and his destruction, the knives in the vent, Michelle pushing him down?

10. Outside, the birds and the chirping, the abandoned cars, the crops, the farm buildings? The explosions, fires? The spacecraft? Explosions? The alien monsters? Pursuing Michelle, her using her wits, survival, in the car, evading, creating the fire, the exploding the monster?

11. In the car, hearing the radio, the survivors, the decision to go to Houston?

12. The transition from an abduction to a claustrophobic film, with suggestions about aliens, but culminating in the invasion and the fightback?