Surprisingly great, but don't expect a Cloverfield sequel.

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2016)

Personally I have never been a big fan of the original Cloverfield. I was too young to get the viral marketing, and upon re-viewing it, I thought the story was basic, the characters were annoying, and the found-footage style was irritating. So suffice it to say I was absolutely fine with a "blood-relative" of the first film as opposed to a direct sequel. And looking back, 10 Cloverfield Lane is better than the original in just about every way. The characters (and phenomenal actors) are much better, the cinematography is great, and the story is more original and interesting. Mary Elizabeth Winstead's character is an easy protagonist to latch onto, and John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. are also phenomenal. The only negative aspect of this movie is really the fact that it seems to have nothing to do with the original Cloverfield, but even then, I am much more interested in a Cloverfield series that is more parts Twilight Zone one-offs than it is Godzilla (we have Godzilla for that). Its no masterpiece, but 10 Coverfield Lane is thoroughly enjoyable in about every aspect. 9/10