“This is a blood relative to Cloverfield,” said producer J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

A woman packs her things and drives wildly into the night while ignoring pleading telephone calls from her boyfriend. Clearly their relationship has turned south and Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has had enough. On the radio, news reports of a severe blackout across large parts of the country don't leave an impression although a passing car does. She's sideswiped and lands upside down in a gorge, car horn blaring.

So starts this entertaining thriller from first time director Dan Tractenberg who does a lot on a limited budget. Though to be fair, there's not a lot to spend his money on. This tight, claustrophobic story mostly takes place in an underground bunker where Michelle wakes up, bound to a bed. It's a one set story as she meets Howard (John Goodman – Trumbo), her captor / saviour (it's never quite clear which), and fellow bunk mate Emmett (The Newsroom's John Gallagher). According to hostile Howard, the world has been poisoned by forces unknown and he built his very well appointed bunker for just such an inevitable doomsday. She should be grateful. He saved her, and demands respect. Michelle is not so sure, and with help from wildcard Emmet stages an escape.

Although 10 Cloverfield Lane only has enough material for a one hour Twilight Zone story, Tractenberg holds our attention for most of the running time. He's abetted by sturdy performances by Winstead and Gallagher who are in turn anchored by the reliable presence of Goodman. Together they're good company. Films like this turn on the twist, and the twist turns neatly as the story powers along. Throughout, the question mark around Howard's reliability is enough to keep you engaged – has the world been compromised, is he simply a psychopath, did he run Michelle off the road, is she held captive, who was that crazy woman outside the window?

More calling card than fully fleshed feature, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a compelling distraction that establishes Tractenberg as a director to watch.

// COLIN FRASER

Previewed at Sony Theatre, Sydney, on 17 February 2016