Nice one, 10 Cloverfied Lane. Well done.

The start was startling; a violent collision and a tumbling car followed by shocked silence. For me, this accident was the only certainty of the film. Afterwards, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) finds herself chained to a wall and speculation infuses. Guilt trips, deceit, humor and delusional familial construct with a solid undercurrent of distrust coat the film until the climax. The thought of trauma-induced hallucinations was even plausible. I didn’t even trust the seminal midpoint of the film refusing to commit to dream, hoax or apocalypse.

John Goodman is fantastic, as always, portraying the unnervingly prepared emancipator, Howard. John Gallagher Jr. adds a soothing dynamic to the tension abound the triumvirate with his aloof and whimsical Emmett. And we wanted Michelle to succeed, whatever that meant.

This film kept me buoyed by suspense and second guesses right up until the end. It was designed to see-saw us back and fourth between perceived certainties at just the right moments. The toilet in the shower might deter potential buyers from 10 Cloverfield Lane but a 4.1 out of 5 napkin rating shows theatrical value.