Paradox………it sure is…
Few answers are given in the Cloverfield universe’s third entry, The Cloverfield Paradox. Its story takes on some great horror elements, but lets go of them around its half-way mark. The thrilling experience of finally discovering some more about this secretive narrative riddled with conspiracies and real-world ARG hints lingers on, however.
Set on a massive space station tasked with setting out various major technological tests, The Cloverfield Paradox takes a look into the Tarugato corporation’s space company, and deepens the narrative of how the company has been responsible for the appearance of alien Kaiju through their various companies and corrupt ways.
Tasked with performing a test with the Shephard particle accelerator that will solve Earth’s growing energy crisis, although after two years since the last failed attempt, they have a stable beam and can test it again; the result is an overload that leads to the Earth disappearing. The crew soon discover a strange series of events that make absolutely no sense until they find out that they have essentially travelled through time and space, and across dimensions.
The first half feels similar to Alien, as strange events occur and the characters are left in horror as they unfold in front of them, as they remain helpless during such events. Such horror elements work extremely well, and are far from expected. I found myself captivated by such elements, but it certainly seemed too strong to maintain throughout.
The film’s second half is more narrative focused, and its horror does drop off, and there’s a few moments focused around comedic relief, although they don’t particularly stick and work more as exposition that genuine light-hearted moments to break up the suspense. Performances are all around great with the little character development we’re given; and it’s clear that the narrative at large is much bigger than those characters as it progresses.
In total, the film itself isn’t amazing, but it’s certainly a great experience, and those already well established with the Cloverfield ARG and story will find it an enjoyable addition to the series.
