Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sci-fi thriller mixes violence, locked-room tension.
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10 Cloverfield Lane
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 18 parent reviews
Based on 40 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is an intense thriller that can be quite frightening for younger audiences, featuring significant violence and some disturbing scenes. While many appreciate the suspense and strong performances by the cast, especially John Goodman, the ending leaves mixed feelings, with some feeling it detracts from the overall experience.
- intense thriller
- strong performances
- significant violence
- mixed ending
- frightening for kids
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
After a fight with her boyfriend, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) decides to leave town -- but while she's on the highway, she's involved in a traffic accident. When she wakes up, she's locked in a small room, and her leg has been injured and chained to the wall. A man named Howard (John Goodman) enters and informs her that there's been an attack; the air outside is toxic, and everyone is probably dead, but she's safe with him in his bunker. Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), a contractor who helped build the bunker, is also there. But Howard is just a bit too strange, and Michelle starts concocting an escape plan. Could what's outside be more dangerous than what's in the bunker?
Is It Any Good?
Designed to recall but not imitate Cloverfield (2008), this semi-sequel uses three fine actors and a clever script to craft a creepy sci-fi mystery that tingles the brain until the final moments. It feels like a compact movie that's dependent more on ideas than on effects; the strong performances help sell that. The climax, while exciting, also relies on a low-budget sensibility, finishing the job quickly and cleanly.
If the movie has a fault, it's that it seems to rely on pumped-up music and sound effects to create scares; every sudden noise can make you jump, and it's nerve-jangling. This kind of energy could have been put into expanding the building tension in the locked room, which might have made a better movie. But 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE is still spirited, prickly fun. It's quite a bit different from its predecessor but still worth seeing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in 10 Cloverfield Lane. How does it compare to what you've seen in other sci-fi/action movies? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Does Michelle seem like a positive female role model? Why or why not?
How is this movie different to or similar from Cloverfield? Are the changes better or worse? How?
How does the movie build a sense of danger inside the bunker? Does Howard seem trustworthy or untrustworthy? Why? How does keeping the threat a mystery add to the tension?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 11, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : June 14, 2016
- Cast : Mary Elizabeth Winstead , John Goodman , John Gallagher Jr.
- Director : Dan Trachtenberg
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 103 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material including frightening sequences of threat with some violence, and brief language
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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