by Taylor Lunsford

When the surprise trailer for Cloverfield popped up in front of Transformers in the summer of 2007, audiences were immediately intrigued by this exciting new monster movie from Lost show runner, J.J. Abrams.  Abrams surrounded this new movie an aura of mystery that is rarely seen in the social media era of film.  Many audience members feel the need to know everything about a movie before it is ever released, and Abrams reminded them that the unknown can often be more thrilling.  With talks of a sequel being discussed occasionally since the original was released in early 2008, Abrams and director, Dan Trachtenberg, surprised all of us with a trailer for the sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane, just a few, short months ago.

While Cloverfield was received with mixed reviews upon its release, with many people disliking its shaky-cam style and seemingly amateur acting, 10 Cloverfield Lane, has been met with universal praise. While this is set in the same universe as the original, it would be difficult to call it a sequel.  The film does have some connections, but if it were not for the title, audiences would have little clue that the films are related. Filmgoers should not expect an action-packed, monster movie or any of the shaky-cam that was met with mixed results.

Instead, 10 Cloverfield Lane is driven by outstanding character acting and a thrilling sense of mystery use to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.  Continue reading →