My reaction after the first 20 minutes of this film was that it had a lot in common with Room (see review MoviesMarketsandMore.com). The comparison fades soon enough, but this low-budget cousin of the original Cloverfield does well to keep to the suspense within the enclosure of a bunker and a very limited cast of three. Speaking of which, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle is superb and more or less carried the film for me; we can expect to see a lot more of her in the future.

[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The mystery is finally resolved, and every viewer will have to decide how satisfied they are. I was left with some questions, but you can rely on a sequel where it will be much clearer as to the kind of movie experience you are in for[/pullquote]

The tension for this suspense film relies mostly on the credibility of Howard (John Goodman), an unpredictable middle-aged former communications expert who built an underground shelter based on concerns about invasion or attack—domestic or otherwise. The viewer must accept either that a) there has been a real invasion and the bunker is the only safe place to be, or b) that he has other motives for having brought Michelle and a young man, Emmett, into the secure environment.

The mystery is finally resolved, and every viewer will have to decide how satisfied they are. I was left with some questions, but you can rely on a sequel where it will be much clearer as to the kind of movie experience you are in for.

WH