‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ review: Trapped 20-something escapes adulthood

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, a 20-something escaping from adulthood in “10 Cloverfield Lane.”

Packing a suitcase but leaving behind her engagement ring, she bolts from her apartment and drives into the night.

If Michelle was feeling trapped, that’s nothing compared to what happens after her car crash: She awakes chained to a pipe in a windowless room. Her host, Howard, offers a mind-boggling explanation: He saved her from a space-alien attack that has left Earth’s air unbreathable.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “but no one is looking for you.”

“10 Cloverfield Lane” shares a producer, J.J. Abrams, and part of its title with “Cloverfield,” a sci-fi hit from 2008. This movie has been called a “blood relative” to that one, but it has far more in common with tense, claustrophobic thrillers like “Misery,” “Wait Until Dark” or even “Psycho.”

With an empathetic Winstead (“The Spectacular Now”) as a woman clinging to her wits, an excellent John Goodman as the questionable Howard, and newcomer John Gallagher Jr. as a dim but decent guy named Emmett, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is as economical as a stage play but packs in plenty of visceral violence and visual surprises. Whether you’ve seen the first film or not, this one is a thoroughly entertaining treat.

Tightly directed by first-timer Dan Trachtenberg, “10 Cloverfield Lane” packs a lot of action into its small space, a bunker that disconcertingly resembles a cozy vacation cabin with wood-veneer paneling and a supply of board games.

The film’s simple premise (one of the co-writers is Damien Chazelle, of the Oscar-winning two-hander “Whiplash”) offers multiple twists and turns as Michelle (and we) try to decide whether Howard is a savior or a sociopath. Goodman, wavering from gruff kindness to chilling brutality, is the wild card that keeps things consistently interesting.

Like its predecessor, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is cleverly crafted; much praise should go to Ramsey Avery’s inventive set design, Bear McCreary’s Hitchcock-worthy score and the entire jolt-producing sound department.

The less spoiled the better, but suffice it to say that “10 Cloverfield Lane” is effective, unpredictable and loads of fun.