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In 2008, after a clever and deep viral marketing campaign that involved fake character social media profiles, movie-related mystery websites, and hidden videos, J.J. Abrams (producer) and Matt Reeves (director) unleashed Cloverfield on an audience of internet sleuths and sci-fi monster movie fans. Cloverfield is the story of a group of young people, told from their shaky cam perspective, as they tried to survive a monster attack in the heart of New York City. The monster itself was only seen in brief glimpses until late in the film, and its origins, while hinted at in the last moments, went unexplored. The ending left many unanswered questions, among them—would there ever be a sequel to find out what happened next?

Abrams is at it again, this time with director Dan Trachtenberg, to tease the audience with possible answers to those questions. 10 Cloverfield Lane visits three characters who are sheltered in an underground prepper’s bunker from the devastating effects of an attack on the surface. At least, that appears to be their situation. Like Cloverfield before it, 10 Cloverfield Lane doesn’t answer as many questions as it poses. It builds in tension and thrills in a claustrophobic environment meant to symbolize safety, and wonders what dangers lurk there. It also asks viewers to consider what different kinds of monsters exist, and which are the most dangerous.

The basic plot is this: Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young woman we see frantically leave behind her current life, is run off the road and awakens in an underground bunker built by her savior, Howard, played by a quirky and menacing John Goodman. Upon awakening, she discovers she is hooked up to an I.V., and she is chained by a leg brace to the wall. When she attempts to escape, she is told by Howard there is nowhere to escape to, as some sort of attack has occurred above ground, leaving the air poisonous to breathe. She also learns of another resident of the bunker, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Faced with the prospect of having to stay underground with two strangers, Michelle must decide whether or not to accept what she’s been told, or brave an attempt to make it to the outside world.

To say anything more would destroy the mystery of what is really happening. Trachtenberg and his screenwriters, Drew Goddard and Daniel Casey, have crafted a taut little thriller that may also be a science fiction film, a post-apocalyptic vision, a social commentary on conspiracy theories and prepper mentality, or a combination of all three and more. Throughout, each character’s motivations are suspect. Why is Michelle running from her life? Is Howard being honest about what lies above? Is Emmett really a good-natured, small town failure? All three of the primary actors carry the tension of the film, as well as the poignancy found in quieter moments. Goodman is phenomenal in his portrayal of a potentially unhinged hero/jailer, while Winstead displays the complexities of a survivor whose past behaviors haven’t prepared her for what may be required for survival. The film plays out like a stage drama for much of its runtime, and the few quiet scenes are betrayed by the threat of menace that is ever-present.

Audience members who enjoyed Cloverfield’s vision of the incredible through the eyes of people on the ground will find many things to like here. Whether 10 Cloverfield Lane pays off in its connection in title to Cloverfield is up to the viewers to determine; this film stands just fine on its own as an effective character study of everyday people in mysterious and deadly circumstances.

And it works well as a monster movie too—just not necessarily the kind of monster you expect.

Reviewed by: Matt Baltzell on March 10, 2016