If It Wasn't For the Ending... Masterpiece.

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2016)

10 Cloverfield Lane was an outstanding piece of work, great directorial debut, it is actually hard to believe that is his first film. It was so methodical, and structured with key elements and plot points that were necessary for the film's advancement without clichÃ©s. I can see now why critics were saying this movie was a bit reminiscent of Hitchcock films. Side note, you would only know what they (critics) meant, if you actually watched more than just Psycho, Vertigo, or Birds.
I truly did not expect to like the film as much as did... I do say like, however, as opposed to love because of the film's ending. 10 Cloverfield Lane's buildup is absolutely phenomenal, but after the lead actress escapes the clutches of the crazed kidnapper, the conclusion feels outrageously out of place, out of tune, and really just didn't flow well with the rest of the film. Even Winstead's character has a moment of negative disbelief "Come On." Now, this being the supposed sequel to CLOVERFIELD (2009) I expected it to be absolutely awful because the first film was found footage. Cloverfield (2009), if it had utilized great cinematography the way this film did, that movie could have possibly been a spectacle for the monster movie genre, or just much better than it was, in my opinion, but I absolutely detest shaky cam and even more-so found footage films. Also, the first film contained mostly improvisation from the main characters, whereas this one had a very solid script, that gave a depth to each character, rather than just "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" and the annoying incessant shrieking of the woman in the first film "JASON! JASON! JASON!" UGH! This sequel is a huge step up in quality overall.
Even though the film had a bad moment, the negative aspect of this film cannot compare to everything it did right. The acting was a marvel to behold, I can see why Mary Elizabeth Winstead was the first and only choice for this film, I could not see anyone else playing her character better than she did. Same goes for Jon Goodman. Emmett's character could've been written a bit better but otherwise, solid casting. Also, the small cast worked so well because of the first one's need to give the viewers a scope of the destruction through the first person point of view whereas this one focuses more on the aftermath of the first film while also adding to it, in an unconventional way. I can easily say that this is going to be another film I can add to my favorites, and I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for something good to watch.