Once in development under the name “The Cellar,” the script by Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken (with a co-story credit by “Whiplash” writer Damien Chazelle) was retrofitted to place it in the world of “Cloverfield.” So, as Michelle (Winstead) drives away from her life and partner, leaving her house keys and ring on the table, we hear ominous reports of power outages on the coast over the radio. These opening scenes are clearly designed to be reminiscent of another story of a woman who left the city for a dangerous countryside, as Michelle packing her bags and Bear McCreary’s overheated, Hermann-esque score will make anyone who’s seen "Psycho" think of Marion Crane in the opening act of Hitchcock's classic. It’s not long before Michelle finds her Norman Bates.
After a terrifying car accident, Michelle wakes up in a barren room, chained to the wall. She soon meets her captor, an imposing figure named Howard (John Goodman), although he claims to be more of a savior than a kidnapper. He saw Michelle’s accident just as the sky exploded. There’s been an “event” outside, and he grabbed Michelle just in time to get her into the bunker he built for just such an occasion. It could be the Russians, the North Koreans or the Martians—but, whatever it is, the air probably won’t be breathable for one or two years. And isn’t Michelle lucky that they have enough food, filtered air, and other supplies in this doomsday prepper’s bunker to wait it out?
They’re not alone. Just before Howard closed the door, a neighbor named Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) barged his way in as well. Emmett, who has seen Howard building this bunker for just such an occasion, confirms enough of what Howard says that Michelle starts to believe. Well-played by the "Short Term 12" star, Emmett becomes a pivot point for the film, alternating between encouraging Michelle's fears and affirming that Howard is, at least in part, who he says he is. And when she sees something horrible after an aborted escape attempt, she resigns herself to the idea that these two men will be the last human beings she ever sees. But something’s not right with Howard. He’s controlling to an uncomfortable level, especially when it comes to the dynamic between Michelle and Emmett. There’s a fantastic scene of game-playing in which Howard’s misogyny is laid on the table, and the film keeps us guessing as to just what his intentions or end game will be.
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