Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2016 thriller, 10 Cloverfield Lane, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman.

I had been curious about this film after hearing some good buzz about it earlier this year. It is something unique, engaging, and fresh that presents a bold new front for franchise film-making.

We meet Michelle (Winstead) at the beginning of the movie, who gets in a car accident and is "rescued" by Howard (Goodman) and is being held in an underground bunker. Howard tells Michelle that the world outside is unsafe and he did her a favor by getting her down into the safety of the bunker. Michelle is suspicious and schemes to find a way out into a possibly unsafe world outside.

The movie is claustrophobic, intimate, and intense. Goodman delivers a great performance as a quiet, powerful, and quirky character. The thrills land each and every time, and there is this sneaking question in the back of your head the whole time of Howard's true intentions and if the world outside truly is unsafe (no spoilers!). The movie reminded me a lot of the recent movie, Room, which shared the sense of tight, up close anxiety (You can stream Room right now on Amazon Prime).

You really shouldn't go into this movie knowing too much. The reveals are half the fun but even without them, the acting and intensity of the movie are worth it. I knew that the movie exists in the same universe as it's spiritual predecessor Cloverfield (2008). Other than that, I didn't know anything about this movie. That connection can get the gears moving for you, but I honestly only knew the premise of the prior film, but now after seeing (and enjoying) 10 Cloverfield Lane, I'm going to seek out the original to get more background.

You can rent 10 Cloverfield Lane now from your favorite On Demand service or from Redbox.

Thanks for stopping by!