Writers: Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, Damien Chazelle
Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallaghar Jr.
After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.
It is a very enjoyable genre-bender of a film which doesn't take itself too seriously. There is an element of misdirection running throughout it as the director wants the audience to expect it to be one thing and pulling the rug out from underneath them quite often. It is not done in a disingenuous fashion as the clues given from the beginning itself are quite consistent. So the less watchful ones among the audience might think of what happens towards the end as a big twist when it was quite obviously not. If it didn't head in that direction then the film would have quite easily fallen off a cliff reminding one of a certain Manoj Night Shyamalan film. The reaction from the protagonist during those sequences are done in a way to mirror the audience's who didn't see it all coming.
Overall, it is a very good watch and John Goodman is always ace. One criticism that one could make is that the character of John Gallaghar Jr. is quite poorly and lazily constructed and the interactions between the three characters in the claustrophobic environment doesn't develop any sort of complexity. Good thing about the film is that it doesn't stop itself to explain everything for the audience, especially towards the end. It ends in a manner which sets up possible sequels to it (hopefully won't end up happening). I haven't seen the original Cloverfield film to make any comparisons but from what I have heard this one is supposedly superior. Damien Chazelle was supposed to direct it but he got himself the funding for 'Whiplash' and dropped out. Those who liked this film should also check-out 'Daybreakers', from the makers of 'Predestination'.
Rating: 3.5/5
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