10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) #435

"10 Cloverfield Lane" is a taunt thriller that may or may not take place in the same realm as "Cloverfield". It's a detail that's not too important because this film could have had been given any title, but if the two films are related, then the mysteries about the two films continue to grow and adding great potential for future stories in the franchise. The main difference between the two films in how they were filmed; "Cloverfield" was shot in the first perspective, POV, style while "10 Cloverfield Lane" is filmed in the traditional style, making this fim easier to watch for those who don't like the shakey-cam technique.

The movie, at the surface, is about three individuals who are locked in an underground bomb shelter after some questionable events happen in the nearby area. The story is carried by the talents of the minimal cast, showcasing John Goodman ("C.H.U.D") in a wonderfully creepy role as Howard, Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("Final Destination 3") as Michelle, and John Gallagher Jr ("Hush") as Emmett. The chemistry between these three actors is intense and perfect, striking a chord when Howard's paranoia gets worked up or when Michelle tries to escape.

The movie pacing could be considered a slow burn, at times moving along at a pace that makes you want to scream at the screen to hurry up and get to the point. When the point is made, the tension leading up to it makes perfect sense. There are enough twists and suspenseful moments in the film to make up for the lack of direct action that takes place in its predesessor. 

Like many others, "10 Cloverfield Lane" wasn't what I expecting but I really enjoyed it and I'm excited to see what comes next in this creative franchise.

Final Destination 3 (2006) #433

When the first "Final Destination" came out in 1999, it was obviously apparent that a new horror franchise had been created. The series was able to stay fresh and intriguing, from the mass death scene in the beginning of the film that's avoided due to a premonition to the grisly and creative death scenes that took out the survivors one by one. In "Final Destination 3", the conceptual twist that is introduced is that each character's death is captured on film, with each picture showing vaguely how the victim will be killed off. It's an interesting plot device that works pretty well in a movie like this. Once this clue is discovered, the remaining survivors are warned to no avail. If someone knew who you were going to die, would you want to know how?

As with most horror movies with a high death toll, the large cast of characters are underdeveloped and paper thin stereotypes of various teen cliches, more so this time around than the two previous films...but not nearly as bad as "Final Destination 4". The exception to this are the characters played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kris Lemeche ("Ginger Snaps" and "The Frankenstein Theory" ), and Ryan Merriman ("The Ring 2"); being the main characters, these three do receive more screen time to flesh out their personalities and motives. 

Accidents at amusement parks are known to happen, so this having the grand catastrophe in "Final Destination 3" take place on an old wooden roller coaster is brilliant. The death's in this scene are not as simple and realistic as those found in the original "Final Destination" or as gruesome as in "Final Destination-2" but they are still terrifying in the fact that any of them could happen in real life. It's also a great way to kill off a group of people who know each all at once. Of course, the survivors escape this tragedy for equally painful and horrific ways to die later on in the film.

One of my favorite moments in this film is when Kris Lemeche's character, Ian, raises the question of what would happen if one of the survivors who cheated death decided to commit suicide? His question is left unanswered but it raises an interesting point; would it break the cycle? It's a dark question and I'm thankful that the writers did not explore what could have happened, but it's a great plot point in showing how dark Ian's character is. This conversation takes place while the most improbable mousetrap style death in the film slowly builds to it's eventual climax.