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The Cloverfield Paradox. Horror. 102 minutes ‧ NR ‧ 2018. Matt Zoller Seitz. February 5, 2018. 5 min read. Let’s go out on a limb and predict that February 4, 2018 will be seen as a watershed moment in the history of moving pictures. That was the Super Bowl Sunday when Netflix released the third entry in the popular “ Cloverfield ...
Originally titled God Particle and slated for an April release by Paramount, the latest entry in the canon of Cloverfield films was unexpectedly unveiled by Netflix instead in what many deemed...
- Jacob Stolworthy
- A surprising release delivers an unsurprising narrative.
- The Cloverfield Paradox Images
- Verdict
By Jonathon Dornbush
Updated: Feb 8, 2018 4:36 pm
Posted: Feb 5, 2018 9:12 am
The Cloverfield franchise, since the original film’s announcement trailer, has been built on mystery. The first film and, as producer J.J. Abrams called it, its “blood-relative” sequel 10 Cloverfield Lane, covered distinctly different genre territory while touching on similar themes of survival and the relationships that bind us. The Cloverfield Paradox, surprisingly dropped on Netflix months ahead of its originally anticipated theatrical release, aims to jump into yet another new genre — space-set sci-fi with a dash of horror — but never quite reaches the highs of its predecessors. In an effort to provide some insight into the blood tying these films together, the film paradoxically both stumbles in offering clear answers or thrill as a standalone feature.
The world is in need of energy, badly, and a group of international scientists are sent into space aboard the Cloverfield station to harness the Shepard particle accelerator and provide unlimited energy to Earth. For close to 700 days, the crew fails miserably. On one fateful day, however, they perfect the accelerator, but an overload sends the space station…somewhere, And wherever they are, the Earth has disappeared.
The crew endeavors to return home, but misfortune follows them in Final Destination-style horror as multiple universes seemingly collide. Unfortunately, there’s little surprising about what transpires aboard the ship, or how the assembled crew acts in the face of imminent doom.
Even if Cloverfield Paradox’s plot is expected, there’s hope in its ensemble cast of great actors — Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daniel Bruhl, David Oyelowo, and more — to at least bring heart to the predictability. They are…a mixed bag. As written, the international crew serve as Clichéd Ensemble 101. You’ve got the comic relief in Chris O’Dowd’s Mundy, the leader who hides his emotions for the good of his crew in Oyelowo’s Kiel, the German scientist Schmidt (Bruhl) some are mistrustful of, and so on. Some, like O’Dowd, lean into what little they’re given and make it work, but others, like Oyelowo, are completely underutilized. With Kiel, his choices that should be hefty with meaning often come off as superfluous because we’re given so little time to learn about him.
The only character truly spared this fate is Mbatha-Raw’s Ava Hamilton. We see her decision to join this unique mission, her relationship with her husband Michael on Earth, and learn about her tragic past. Her motivations and subsequent decisions feel earned and understandable, even if I didn’t always agree with them. The emotional through line of the film, Ava’s development is starkly in contrast to a crew of characters who often act more in service to the plot than to themselves.
The Cloverfield Paradox is a paradox in itself. Split between trying to be a standalone sci-fi space horror and a key linking point in the Cloverfield mythos, the film never truly succeeds at either. The original strains of its space-set plot can’t avoid contrived beats, even despite fun performances and an emotionally powerful arc from Gugu Mbatha...
Feb 5, 2018 · When The Cloverfield Paradox puts aside surrealism in favour of a survival story, it quickly runs out of energy. The Cloverfield Paradox is available to stream on Netflix now.
Jan 16, 2024 · The Cloverfield Paradox wasn’t just another sci-fi thriller on Netflix; it was a bold statement. Released unexpectedly right after the Super Bowl in 2018, the film took viewers and the industry by surprise.
Feb 5, 2018 · The Cloverfield Paradox Review. The mysterious new Cloverfield movie, which premiered by surprise on Netflix, isn’t worth the fuss.
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Feb 5, 2018 · By the end of the second quarter of Super Bowl LII, “The Cloverfield Paradox” was revealed on national television. By the end of the fourth quarter, it was already streaming on Netflix.
