10 Cloverfield Lane

March 14, 2016 - Mary Elizabeth Winstead finds herself in an underground bunker built by John Goodman. But, is he a creepy pervert or is he saving humanity? This clever film also stars John Gallagher Jr. It's the first feature film for director Dan Trachtenberg. J.J. Abrams gets a producing credit.

Winstead plays an aspiring fashion designer named Michelle. When first we see her, she's fleeing her apartment in the city and her boyfriend, Ben (voiced by Bradley Cooper). She's somewhere in the middle of nowhere when, suddenly, another vehicle crashes into hers. When next we see her, she's in what looks like a prison cell, hooked up to an IV and handcuffed to a pipe.

Turns out, she's in an underground bunker built by Howard (Goodman), a doomsday prepper who lives in rural Louisiana. He built the bunker, he says, in case there was an invasion. And now, he tells Michelle, it's happened. He's not sure who is doing the invading, but he knows that it's bad and it won't be safe to leave for a year. Maybe two.

Also in the bunker is Emmett, a local who helped build the place. His arm is in a sling because he hurt it trying to get in when he saw an explosion like he'd never seen before.

Michelle isn't sure what to believe. She's trapped in a bunker with two men she doesn't know. And, the reason one of them is giving her seems too far-fetched to be true. Still, things happen that make Michelle believe that Howard may not be as crazy as he sounds. But, there are other things that make Michelle think he's dangerous. For Michelle, escaping from the bunker seems like the only way to know for sure.

Overall review: **** Really, really good. I didn't know a lot about this film going in, so I didn't know what to expect plot-wise or in any other way. Turns out, I loved it! It kept me guessing until the end and had a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments. Goodman is as good as ever, and Winstead, who's no stranger to action (she played John McClane's daughter in Live Free or Die Hard), does fine. I give 10 Cloverfield Lane a 10.