10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Rating: 8/10 (12 March 2016)

First, this isn't a sequel to Cloverfield nor does it take place in the same universe as Cloverfield, so if you go see this, don't get mad that the Clover monster isn't ripping through the city again. Now that that's out of the way, this is going to be a completely spoiler-free review, unless you don't want to know about, um, character names. But seriously, the less you know about this movie, the better, so I'm not going to give anything away that wasn't in any of the trailers. In 10 Cloverfield Lane, a woman, Michelle, gets in a car accident and wakes up in an underground bunker. Her captor, Howard claims to have saved her life and that everyone outside the bunker is dead. Another man is also in the bunker, named Emmet, and tensions arise between the three as Howard becomes increasingly suspicious, and Emmet and Michelle mount an escape plan. While Cloverfield, was an intense, in-your-face monster flick, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a completely different beast altogether. Instead of the vast area of New York City, this movie takes place in the confines of a doomsday bunker, so the scares come from paranoia and suspense than a giant monster attacking the city. All three cast members are excellent in their roles, especially John Goodman as Howard. His awesomely creepy performance makes this one of his most memorable roles. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Galleger Jr. are incredible as well. You may recognize her as Wendy from Final Destination 3. Winstead's character definitely isn't a damsel in distress here; Michelle is crafty and smart like Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street. John Galleger Jr. also provides some witty comic relief while also seeming a bit suspicious himself. 10 Cloverfield Lane is a restrained, suspenseful and well-crafted psychological thriller that calls to mind both Misery and The Twilight Zone, and if this anthology series continues, it'll be hard to match the standards set by this and its predecessor.