Netflicks Film Review - Cloverfield Paradox

Ava Hamilton (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is sitting in a car in traffic with her husband Michael ( Roger Davies) Earth is in an energy crisis with blackouts occurring on an increasingly regular basis. The plan: to fix the energy crisis using the Shepard Particle accelerator if successful would provide infinite energy for the earth. Hamilton is one of the scientists on the team that would test the device from space. As countries see their energy reserves lower the threat of armed conflict rises.

The scene shifts ahead to a space station orbiting earth with the future which Hamilton on the mission in space with the 6 other members of the crew. The initial time of the mission filled with particle accelerator failures runs through the opening credits with the linear narrative starting after the two-year mark. Team member Schmidt (Daniel Bruhl) in charge of firing the particle accelerator dominates the early action in the first moments in space. As the story begins the crew is at a raw nerve with Commander Kiel (David Oyelowo) trying to keep the troops in one piece.

The Oren Uziel Doug Jung story is complexed yet hits the familiar beats of a crew in space. There are games, the light infused dining table, the talk of the risky nature of the mission from skeptics. The skeptic serves to deliver plot exposition too complicated for the crew to discuss in regular banter. The new elements are an effective role for a 3D printer and a wide knowledge of Mandarin that the crew flip freely between.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw leads the cast as Hamilton. She is the only character with a somewhat developed backstory with identified loved ones back on earth. The overly intense Daniel Bruhl's Schmidt explains the paradox as particles interacting with each other across two dimensions. Two distinct realities fighting to occupy the same space, creating chaos. Chris O'Dowd's Mundy plays wisecracking grunt Irishman the counter to Askel Hennie doom and gloom Russian crew member Volkov. Look for Elizabeth Debicki to turn up at a key interval in the proceedings to provide a timely boost to the storyline.

The traditional Cloverfield horror elements begin to appear at the end of the first act. The plot moves fast as the crew reacts to an unexpected result of a test. Netflicks decision to release the film directly after the Super Bowl instead of the rumored April date was a surprise that we hope will continue. However, this effort despite some intriguing elements does not quite do enough to be a film that I can recommend.

** 1/2  Out of 4.

Cloverfield Paradox | Julius Onah | U.S.A. | 102 Minutes | 2018

Tags; Energy Crisis, Space Station, Scientist, Particles, War, Dimensions, Gyroscope, Worms, Monsters, Demons.