Well…this is personally a big letdown. I had such high hopes for this film. It had an intriguing cast and the premise seemed great for a Cloverfield film. I’ll start with my negatives. Nothing in this film was inspired, the script was like a Sci-Fi thriller mad lib, a soup of the most overused tropes in the genre. It was stuffed with so many expository monologues that it made my eyes glaze over. In the rare instances it did allow the audience to connect something visually, it undercut it by explaining it to you in the next line of dialogue. Quick Spoiler at the end of review
The direction was as vanilla as it gets, I didn’t find any of Julius Onah’s choices bold or noteworthy. It was passably photographed, the camera movement seemed to have no intention behind it, and it utilized JJ’s library of a billion lens flares. The first two Cloverfield films were groundbreaking and risky, both in its method of storytelling and development, as well as its distribution and marketing. This third film was unfortunately one of the most risk-averse I have seen in quite some time.
Some positives, I really liked Bear Mcreary’s score, it helped inject some forward momentum into sequences that were really dragging. I also enjoyed some of the performances and empathized with actors considering the material they were trying to elevate. I also loved the idea of dropping the trailer the way they did and releasing it the night of, though I think Paramount are the real winners for selling this early and not paying to screen it.
Some may enjoy the campy quality of it, which is great. I just personally felt the film had nothing to say and was way too safe. I still love the franchise for being an engine to produce original ideas, giving young directors with unique voices a chance to make something substantial, and pioneering new methods of film marketing and distribution. I just want Cloverfield to become a film laboratory that isn’t scared to make big, bold choices. I hope to see many more attempts.
-Spoiler below-
Character emotionally watches video of her family still alive in this world
Next line 10 seconds later:
You’re family is still alive in this world
Thanks Julius.
