Back in 2008, a movie called “Cloverfield“ took the world by storm. Utilizing found footage and digital cinema to immerse the viewer in a disaster heavily inspired by our post-9/11 fears, “Cloverfield” was a monster movie but the deeper message of relationships, willpower and moments between friends made it essential viewing for any movie-lover.

So, does “10 Cloverfield Lane” stack up to that powerhouse of a movie? Big time.

“10 Cloverfield Lane” was made for just over half of what the original film cost to make with an ever smaller cast of characters. You never see more than the trio of faces of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr.

While the original film focusesd on universal themes that speak to a general public, this installment tightens its focus on a specific individual.

Thankfully, up-and-coming director Dan Trachtenberg knows exactly how to plant our feet firmly in the central character’s perspective.

After winning over critics with his “Portal” fan film, which I’m told is superb, Trachtenberg clearly has a deep love for video games and their mechanics. It shows in the act one groundwork, where Winstead’s character, Michelle must think fast to outmaneuver her captor and potential savior, Howard, played by John Goodman.

Goodman will most likely receive heaps of praise for his performance here, and rightly so, but Winstead deserves equal credit, if not more so. What Winstead does in the role is nothing short of extraordinary.

The opening 10 to 15 minutes of the film involve the actress conveying entire trains of thought with eyes and body movements. Without speaking a single word, we understand her fear, her acceptance, and her will to survive.

Sadly it’s too common for horror movies, and this is absolutely a horror movie, to trap the audience with characters so thick–headed we expect to shout, “Don’t go in there!” when they make stupid mistakes.

This is not the case in “10 Cloverfield Lane.” It’s a tightly wound narrative with no time for meandering. Every small moment, every dialogue exchange between characters leads to addressing the larger picture.

Although the majority of the feature takes place in a tiny underground bunker with repeating imagery, Trachtenberg’s constantly varying approach to shooting scenes feels different each time.

His camera placement is consistently evolving as it depicts the variety of emotional tones spread throughout the movie. As tension racks up, the camera will react with a tighter focus of condensed space. When the characters are at their leisure, the camera settles at a distance to allow the audience a false sense of security.

The tagline of the film reads, “Monsters come in many forms.” Having seen the movie, let me tell you this is, indeed, a monster movie. There are two levels at play here. The first level reveals a surface thesis for audiences to latch onto when it comes to the “Cloverfield” brand: this series is about scary creatures terrorizing innocent people.

The second more satisfying reveal? These movies are ultimately about how we as people react to these harrowing trials. Things never look the same once each movie is completed, but maybe, just maybe, there’s a way to overcome these films.