10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (2016)

How did such a neat little thriller seem to be forgotten about a handful of years later? 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE is the type of psychological thriller/horror we all need more of in our lives. When our main player, Michelle, has a driving accident she finds herself waking up in an underground bunker…chained to a bed but not quite held hostage. As our favorite Coach of the Alpha Beta’s of the 80s comes into play, we get to see her unchained but explained from him that an outside threat has forced them all to take refuge in this new residence for the foreseeable future. A third person is there with them that seems to go along with the plan. We are told that Russians, aliens, or even something worse has attacked and the trio are safest until further notice. What’s interesting is the cat-and-mouse narrative of the truth of what’s really going on. There are times, such as when Michelle almost escapes but retreats back into the bunker due to a woman on the outside screaming to be let in with a diseased looking face, that we believe there is a threat. Other times, we are made to believe that grand master Goodman might be insane or on a powertrip and all is for naught. He nails the job of playing someone ambiguously both good and evil…that we don’t know quite what to expect. As the mystery unfolds and we finally get to see all the secrets, it almost forces you to go back and rewatch from a different perspective to get these characters true motivations. Even after the final reveal and layers…you still might not be sure how to judge them. And that’s the sign of the ‘psychological’ part of the psychological horror doing it’s job. Half point off for sneakily trying to convey this is a sequel to Cloverfield. Spiritual sequel maybe, but not sequel. Shame on them.

SLASH SCENE: The vat of acid suspense

SLAHS SCORE: 4.5/5