A psychological exercise in thrill

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2016)

A follow up to 2008's "Cloverfield", this film was originally not a sequel and in my opinion works just as well on its own.
The story follows Michelle, who seems to be running from her problems. After being involved in a violent accident (or, was it?) on a dark road, she wakes up in an underground cellar, chained to the wall. Enter a masterfully creepy John Goodman who claims that the apocalypse is upon us, and he is doing her a service by allowing her to stay in his doomsday bunker. Things aren't as clear as all that.
The technical elements are well-done, but to be expected in a J.J. Abrams film. It is not, however, Michael Bay on one extreme, and it's not Steven Spielberg. The scenes flow together in a way that keeps us hooked and guessing the entire time. The cinematography can feel claustrophobic, and purposefully so. Ultimately, it all comes together effectively.
I have not seen the first Cloverfield film yet, so I will wait out of fairness to compare the two. I can say based off of what I know of the 2008 film, that this is more of an anthology than a sequel. It works beautifully as a stand alone, but for fans expecting a monster masher, this will disappoint. It's a psychological guessing game and a character study of 3 different people more than anything else.
The ending, which I will not spoil, is unpredictable and kept at arms length until the the last 10-15 minutes of the film at which point it hits you head on. While unpredictable, some may look back and see that it's obvious what was coming, but that should not diminish the experience during the film.
This film is a masterpiece of suspense, I was literally on the edge of my seat from the first 5 minutes. Although lighthearted moments are employed, these only serve to add to the feeling of fear and the knowledge of the coming dread, whatever form that takes. During such scenes, I was not able to sit back and relax; I was preparing myself for what I knew was lying in wait.