by Haley Mitchell, online & photography editor

Don’t open that door! You’re going to get all of us killed!

With a deliciously nondescript trailer promising nothing but three strangers riding out an apocalyptic attack in an underground, 10 Cloverfield Lane has been extremely under-hyped and underappreciated in the weeks leading up to its release, making its opening weekend so much more underwhelming than it deserves.

Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) opens the movie in a flurry of packing bags, mysterious phone calls, and dreamy gazes out her window, before she leaves her home, partner, and the audience with no clue as to why. She’s driving through nondescript but nonetheless beautiful farmland when her car is suddenly and viciously run off the road and overturned. Michelle wakes up to find Howard (John Goodman) telling her that he’s saved her from a chemical attack on the US by stashing her in his apocalypse bunker, and she’s just as freaked out as the audience is. Goodman’s stoic resolve and seasoned acting career makes him perfect for his role. Is Howard a crazy survivalist with unreasonable paranoia? Is he a former navy man with Michelle’s well being in mind? Sprinkle in loveable hick Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) and the three make for an electrifying combo, coloring their bunker in different lights of suspense, comfort, and terror throughout the film.

10 Cloverfield Lane is insanely unpredictable—its twists and turns had me literally on the edge of my seat throughout the movie. Had its writing not been the brilliance it is the film would have felt too slow, or too crazy, or too unreal, but the underlying psychological trauma and logical thought processes the characters go through add an undeniable sense of depth to every action and every word.

The first few minutes of the film are completely silent, relying heavily on the suspenseful accompanying soundtrack that plays its part to heighten the emotions of both the main character and the audience. Throughout the film the music is, while not incredibly memorable, perfect for every minute of every scene.

The intensity of this movie is unmatched in every sense from camera work to storytelling techniques to characterization, making its resolution both satisfying and wanting. Trying to guess what happens next throughout the film is utterly useless, making it a thrill ride from start to finish. I will gladly see this one again.