The third Cloverfield film was dropped onto Netflix after the Superbowl in keeping with the previous films secretive nature. The plot is set in 2028 and follows a crew aboard the Cloverfield Space Station trying to create an energy source to save an Earth amidst an energy crisis.

As with 10 Cloverfield Lane the script originally had nothing to do with Cloverfield and J.J. Abrams Bad Robot production company acquired the script and reconfigured it to serve their purposes. Neither films major plot-line requires the Cloverfield connection but it does allow for an interesting way to create an anthology series of low-budget and intriguing films that might not ordinarily be made. In 10 Cloverfield Lane’s case it was a huge success, for The Cloverfield Paradox it is much less so.

With a plot that features parallel universes and (aptly enough) time paradoxes it has an erratic tone and features too many cliché moments. Tonally it switches between dark body horror akin to Event Horizon and screwball comedy. The actors all seem to have been given a different film to act in, Chris O’Dowd is clearly acting in a comedy film whereas Daniel Bruhl and Elizabeth Debicki appear to be in a thriller. As for the major plot revelations they are mostly telegraphed in advance and have little impact.

The anthology nature of the series does mean that any poor entry in the series does not tarnish the others though, so anticipation for the fourth Cloverfield film scheduled for cinemas this year and any enjoyment had with the previous two should remain unaffected.