Wanna see “10 Cloverfield Lane” this weekend? Here’s what you need to know
Just when you thought you could stop worrying about the Cloverfield monster attacking the world and wreaking all sorts of havoc, he (she?) is back. Possibly.
10 Cloverfield Lane arrives in theaters today, and it’s getting great reviews so far. It’s a movie you should add to your to-see list for the weekend, but what exactly is it? Is it a Cloverfield sequel? Is it going to make you sick with all sorts of shaky camera footage? Are you going to be terrified of everything and unable to sleep for the next few days after seeing it? Here’s exactly what you need to know before you head out to the theater, and promise, no spoilers!
You don’t need to see Cloverfield to see 10 Cloverfield Lane
The movie was originally made under the title “Valencia,” and it wasn’t until J.J. Abrams came on as producer with his Bad Robot company, that it became tied into the Cloverfield world. That means, the story stands alone. No need to cram in any Cloverfield viewing this afternoon.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a “blood relative” of the OG Cloverfield
The movie is not a direct sequel, per say. Abrams referred to it as a “blood relative” of the original movie, so while it won’t follow the same story and characters from the first, it will be set in the same world. But when, pre-Cloverfield monster, or after, or during? You’re going to have to see the movie to find that out.
There are three people in the movie
Only three! (That we know of!) The cast only includes: Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle; John Gallagher Jr. as Emmett; and John Goodman as Howard. After a ~mysterious~ car accident, Michelle wakes to find herself in an underground doomsday bunker with these two guys. Howard won’t let Michelle leave for ~mysterious~ reasons. He tells her that the world outside is gone… but is it?
If you have 15 hours to kill, you can fall into the 10 Cloverfield Lane marketing campaign
It’s actually an Alternate Reality Game, which will lead you on a chase all across the Internet, trying to piece together some of the backstory leading up to 10 Cloverfield Lane. It is mildly obsessive, not that I’ve spent hours of my life trying to follow it. Collider has a really great round-up of what you need to know if you don’t have 15 hours to spare.
This could be the beginning of the Cloverfield franchise
As if Abrams doesn’t have enough series under his belt (Star Wars, Star Trek) why not start a Cloverfield cinematic universe? That could be the ultimate goal, even if all of the movies stand-alone. Their mythology would at least be tied together, and that’d be pretty awesome. Except for all the monsters and destruction, of course.
The camera will not shake whatsoever
Remember how watching Cloverfield made lots of people sick? That won’t happen. No running-through-NYC-with-a-camera action, so no need to BYO sickness bag.
