6) 10 Cloverfield Lane – Escape
It’s testament to a director’s ability when he can create a sequel that’s superior to the original, on half the budget, despite having never made a feature – or any film lasting more than nine minutes, for that matter – before. 10 Cloverfield Lane is much smaller in scale than the original, but it beats Matt Reeves’ predecessor by being so excruciatingly tense from beginning to end.
The best part is when Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Michelle, effectively held in captivity by John Goodman’s creepy paranoiac Howard, finally manages to escape the bunker she’s found herself trapped in. It’s a messy breakout, with Howard part-melted by a vat of acid and Michelle forced to crawl away through the air vents, all masterfully executed by first-time filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg.