Before I begin I will mention that this review will have *SPOILERS* because it's kind of hard to talk about this performance or the film in general without getting into some of the twists.
John Goodman plays the survivalist Howard, and right from his first appearance it's clear that there's something off about him. Howard introduces himself to Michelle, who is he has handcuffed to a bed in a barren room. He attempts to explain that there's been an attack and that he saved her life. Goodman is terrific in this scene in that although it seems his intentions are good, there's something about the way Goodman carries himself that suggests something deeply unsettling about Howard. This is further explored when goes to berate the other "survivor" in his bunker, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Goodman is offscreen for this moment, but it's clear in this instance that Howard is not one who suffers fools gladly.
There is a constant air of dread throughout the entire film, and a good deal of that comes from Goodman's performance. I have to admit I was rather amazed by Goodman's ability to be so unnerving just through his manner here, as every glance and every word seems to have some menace behind it. A great example of this comes in the fantastic scene where Howard, Michelle and Emmett are having dinner together, and Emmett, in an attempt to ease the tension, begins to make jokes about their current situation. This is an incredible scene for Goodman as he very quietly shows an anger building in Howard. When Emmett cracks one joke too many, Goodman is great as he very harshly tells him to shut up so they can eat in peace. Emmett and Michelle then start to make more small talk and Goodman is extremely unnerving as he eyes them so carefully. When Michelle does something Howard does not approve of, he explodes in a fit of anger. Goodman is absolutely terrifying here as he makes Howard's anger so palpable that you're unsure of what he will do. That's one of the keys to Goodman's performance here, is just how unpredictable he makes Howard's behaviour.
It's not all menace with Goodman, though. There are a few scenes where he shows Howard in a slightly more laid back light. The masterstroke of Goodman's performance here is that no matter how calm or friendly Howard may seem, you can see in his eyes that he's a ticking time bomb just waiting to be set off.
A very interesting aspect of this performance is Howard's relationship with Michelle. As it turns out, Howard is for all intents and purposes grooming her to be his daughter. Goodman is exceptional in this regard, showing that Howard is so desperate to have a daughter that he goes way beyond overboard. There is an absolutely amazing scene where the three characters are playing a guessing where the answer is "little women" and Howard is physically unable to refer to Michelle as anything other than "girl", "child" or "princess". This is extremely unsettling just in how much trouble Howard has in seeing Michelle as a grown woman. This leads to an astonishing moment where Howard, in trying to get Michelle and Emmett to guess who he is, where he tells them that he's always watching and knows what they're doing at all times. The intensity Goodman has in this scene is almost unbearable.
Now, the climax of the film kinda lets Goodman's performance down a bit, as it basically makes him a standard slasher movie villain, whereas he was far more complex beforehand. This doesn't hurt the rest of Goodman's performance at all, but it did feel wrong to have the character end on that note.
This is absolutely brilliant work by John Goodman, as he manages to be so purely unnerving from beginning to end, even through the smallest of gestures. It's a fascinating performance, and one that I loved pretty much every second of.
Rating: 5/5
