Creepy conspiracy theorist is right for once in this entertaining "Twilight Zone-like" thriller

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2018)

10 Cloverfield Lane is aptly named a "psychological horror film" in Wikipedia. It's akin to a good Twilight Zone episode and features some top notch performances.

Nonetheless, the film starts off on shaky footing. We're introduced to the protagonist Michelle, played by a gritty and convincing Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She's just broken up with her boyfriend and gets into a terrible car accident, only to find herself waking up in an underground bunker, where she's chained to a bed by a creepy conspiracy theorist Howard, played equally convincingly by John Goodman.

It's not exactly very compelling that Howard has chained Michelle to a bed but the restraints aren't tight enough to prevent her from getting to her belongings on the other side of the room and ultimately fashioning a weapon from a crutch, which she uses to attack him.

What's more, at one point she sets a fire to draw Howard into the room to attack him without thinking that she might be overcome first by the smoke.

And why doesn't Howard tell her right away what's going on? Obviously the film scenarists want you to believe that Howard intends to keep Michelle as a sex slave or perhaps end up torturing her.

When we finally do find out why Howard keeps Michelle prisoner, the sci-fi twist is introduced. Howard claims that he's protecting her as there has been an invasion (possibly by aliens) up above on the surface and they'll need to stay in the bunker indefinitely.

The idea that Michelle is being kept as some kind of sex slave loses credence when we discover that there's a third person in the bunker: one Emmett, a young man who claims he's worked for Howard doing odd jobs in the past. Emmett also believes earth has been invaded as he witnessed an unexplained explosion prior to gaining safe refuge with Howard.

Michelle finally becomes convinced that Howard is on the level after climbing through a narrow vent (she's the only one who can do that due to her size) in order to repair a malfunctioning air pump. While in this secluded area of the bunker, she is startled by a desperate woman on the outside who appears to have lesions on her face and is pounding on the window to get in. Michelle ultimately doesn't allow the woman in and now believes Howard's claims that something dreadful indeed has occurred on the earth's surface.

The tension is further exacerbated after Michelle discovers that a young woman whom Howard refers to as his daughter is actually another woman who disappeared two years prior. While Howard's conspiracy theories about space aliens might be true, it's also become apparent that indeed Howard is a dangerous sexual predator.

Michelle's determination to escape the bunker reaches its apotheosis after Howard shoots Emmett to death after realizing that he's been plotting to stop Howard and escape with Michelle.

You can probably guess that Michelle does indeed escape, killing Howard in the process. Nonetheless, there is still a third act here which turns this film into sci-fi and not only as part of a horror genre.

Yes indeed there are actual bad looking aliens attacking humans on the earth's surface and Michelle narrowly escapes being done in by one who's piloting a space ship. It's all a little bit hokey but following the entertaining saga with Howard, one feels satisfied that the ultimate question as to how truthful Howard has been with all his conspiracy theories, has been answered.

If you're not too busy, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an entertaining diversion. Goodman as the creepy Howard is right on the mark and Winstead as the intrepid Michelle will make feminists proud! If you like Twilight Zone, this story is certainly a decent enough approximation.