If this is what first time director Dan Trachtenberg is capable of, then I can’t wait to see more. In 10 Cloverfield Lane, he has crafted a film that surprises on multiple levels.

For one, although the film is a sequel to the hugely successful horror sci-fi Cloverfield, it doesn’t employ the ‘found footage’ style that its predecessor utilised so wonderfully. This is surprising because sequels to such films are usually concerned with rehashing a successful formula rather than experimenting with something new. For the other, it stars comedic actor John Goodman (Howard Stambler), in a role highly unusual for the performer, as a possible psychopath.

Yes, it would be fair to say that 10 Cloverfield Lane is a highly unconventional film. It is a thrilling and suspenseful piece of claustrophobic work by Trachtenberg that largely takes place inside the basement of a house. The film begins like a kidnapping, and without giving too much away, slowly evolves into something far more substantial. For this reason, the film’s biggest disappointment is that it makes a break for the conventional during its finale.

10 Cloverfield Lane may begin like a kidnapping but gradually it evolves into something far more sinister

When 10 Cloverfield Lane beings, we are introduced to Michelle, who is played in an excellent turn by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Michelle drives on a dark and empty Louisiana road after getting into an argument with her significant other, while ignoring all attempts by him to reach her cell phone. Without warning, she finds her car struck by a pickup, in a crash that leaves her unconscious.

When she comes to, to her alarm, Michelle finds herself chained on a cold concrete floor. Here, she meets Howard, who looks far from a typical perverted abducter. Howard carefully explains to her that he recovered her from the accident, and brought her down to his bunker. He also tells her that a chemical weapons attack of some sort took place during her accident, leaving the outside world completely inhospitable for human beings.

Caught in disbelief, Michelle reacts with skepticism. Soon, she meets another captive, Emmett DeWitt (John Gallagher, Jr.), who she befriends. Michelle has her opportunity, and steals Howard’s keys in order to escape. However, when she reaches the door, she finds a woman named Leslie (Suzanne Cryer) on the other side begging to be let in. All of Michelle’s skepticism vanishes, when in a creepy sequence, Lesley dies a horrible death from a fast-acting infection. In spite of this, Michelle finds another reason to be mistrustful of Howard when she recalls something from her accident.

While Howard told our heroes the truth about the chemical weapons attack, he hid from them something far more sinister. Without giving too much away, Michelle and Emmett spend 10 Cloverfield Lane slowly uncovering the truth in scenes that both surprise and delight.

The performances here are excellent. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is very good as the strongly written female character who continues to fight in spite of the odds. Similarly, John Goodman is excellent in his turn as a paranoid man who could either be very good, or very bad. Just like Michelle, we have our hearts in our mouths as we try to decipher the truth.

Rated PG13 for thematic material including frightening sequences of threat with some violence, and brief language

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 10th, 2016