Psychologically thrilling; wildly feminist; not a sequel

Rating: 8/10 (13 March 2016)

Firstly, this movie has almost nothing to do with the original Cloverfield. From my understanding, it was a marketing ploy to gain hype and media attention. Apparently, 10 Cloverfield Lane had originally been called The Cellar but was not amassing enough hype. I would not bother watching the original Cloverfield if you have not already seen it. 10 Cloverfield Lane should be regarded as independent from Cloverfield.
It can be argued that the two movies take place in the same "universe"; however, the line is too thin to call this one a sequel.
Secondly, it was a great movie overall. It was unpredictable, psychologically thrilling, and uniquely disturbing. John Goodman's character dances along the lines of sanity and insanity throughout the movie which keeps the audience guessing. I understand why Mary Elizabeth Winstead was the first and only choice... the movie couldn't have been done without her.
I definitely recommend this to anyone 16+. Although the movie has a "hard" PG-13 rating, I would say it could easily have been given the R rating due to intense violence.