"Oh my god....oh my god...oh my god!" These were my thoughts as the tension and paranoia slowly ate away at me as I watched this creepy tale come to fruition. Now, before we go any further, you’re probably thinking to yourself: "Does this movie really connect to Cloverfield?" The answer is… kind of. Without stepping on any toes with spoilers, let’s talk about this wonderful thriller.

10 Cloverfield Lane is about a young woman named Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who is on the run from...something. Anyhow, in doing so, she ends up running her car off the road. She wakes up in an underground shelter owned by Howard (John Goodman). He tells her that there has been some sort of attack and she cannot leave for fear of being exposed to the hostile air outside. She then meets Emmett (John Gallgher Jr.), a local neighbor of Howard's who is also staying in the bunker. Michelle must figure out what really is happening and who exactly these two men are. I know that the plot description was a little weak but that was completely intentional. Furthermore, if you haven’t watched the trailer yet, DON’T WATCH IT; this movie is best seen when going in blind.

The strongest element of the movie was definitely the acting. This film really has only three characters, and each one holds their weight. Goodman is the standout here, playing one of the best roles of his career. One minute he will be terrifying and then within the same sentence he becomes warm and cuddly. This is not only due to Goodman’s excellent performance, but also to the amazing script. Writers Josh Campbell, Damien Chazelle, and Matt Stuecken carefully wrote each line of Goodman's dialogue with such finesse and attention to detail, that the craft of the character is damn near beautiful.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead continues to prove she should be the next A-lister. She shows so much range in this movie; especially with her wide, expressive eyes that are always searching for the truth. Since there is not a scene in this movie without her, the audience is led to root for this character, who ultimately is kind of a bad ass. John Gallagher Jr. also does a fine job as the comic relief. However, he and Winstead share a scene that tugs at the heartstrings and adds depth to both their characters.

The tension in this movie is strangely inducing. By that, I mean the director, Dan Trachtenberg, slowly but surely ties the noose around your neck ever so slowly, then BAM! All at once shit goes down and you’re left gripping your seats, praying to god that everything is alright by the end of it. This is truly one of the best thrillers I've seen in a long time.

Considering this is Trachtenberg's first feature, he hits it out of the park. Between this and the short film "Portal: No Escape", which earned him a lot of attention several years back, he really shines in his ability to work with actors. Considering in his short there is zero dialogue, and there is almost no dialogue for the first almost 15 minutes of this movie, he is really able to grab the audience's attention. You can be sure this guy's name will be coming up more and more as his career goes on.

Honestly, the more I think about this movie, the more I love it. This review is shorter than usual because I don't want risk ruining any of the twists or turns for you guys. This movie is one that is best seen on a Friday night with a bunch of fans in the theater, grabbing your seat or the person's arm next to you (make sure you know them). It is nothing short of brilliant and as of now, while still early in the year, it is my favorite film of 2016.