WITH Hitchcockian suspense and a mystery that genuinely keeps you guessing, 10 Cloverfield Lane lives up to its tagline that monsters come in many forms.

Forget found footage monster movie, Cloverfield. This is no sequel, only sharing a thematic connection with its 2008 namesake.

Dan Trachtenberg's excellent debut film sees Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) involved in a car crash after an argument with her boyfriend.

She wakes up, injured and restrained, in a bomb shelter with two men who claim the outside world has been infected by a deadly chemical attack.

Winstead is fantastic as plucky survivor Michelle who can seemingly think her way out of any dire situation.

But she – and you as the audience – have to work out how much of what she has been told is the truth.

John Goodman is excellent too as conspiracy theorist and survivalist Howard who owns the shelter and will not let anyone out.

His demeanour snaps from saviour to threat that will keep you guessing as new, disturbing information comes to light.

10 Cloverfield could almost work as a piece of theatre with Trachtenberg building up the relationships and tensions between Michelle, Howard and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr) in a confined space.

The director also joyfully toys with – and defies – horror and thriller film conventions that will surprise even those annoying types who always guess plot twists a mile off.

It goes a bit mad towards the end. Think Cabin in the Woods. But you should just go with it because this has to be one of the most original thrillers this year.

DAVID MORGAN