10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

The American sci-fi horror thriller, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), marks the directorial debut of Dan Trachtenberg and is produced by J. J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber. Michelle packs her suitcase and leaves behind her diamond ring after a heated argument with her fiancé Ben in March of that year. While driving through rural Louisiana at night, Ben calls and pleads for her to come back. Meanwhile, news reports reveal multiple blackouts in major cities. Suddenly, Michelle’s car collides with something, causing it to flip off the road and knock her out. She wakes up chained to a wall in a concrete room with an injured leg. A man named Howard enters and frees her from the chains. After a failed attempt at ambushing him, Howard explains that there has been a massive attack, potentially by Russians or Martians, and he discovered her wreck and brought her to his underground bunker to save her life.

He informs her that they cannot leave for at least one or two years due to the dangerous outside air and the apparent death of everyone else outside. Howard takes Michelle on a tour of his well-provisioned bunker, where Emmett, his construction assistant, also resides. Through a viewport, he points out the remnants of two pigs outside as proof of the fallout. Seeing Howard’s truck triggers Michelle’s recollection of it colliding with her car. She discreetly shares this with Emmett, but he brushes it off, claiming he came to the bunker voluntarily after witnessing the attack. During their meal together, Howard displays hints of envy and anger and reveals little patience for Emmett. He eventually admits to accidentally hitting Michelle’s car in a rush to reach the safety of the bunker. After realizing the truth, she tends to a wound she caused on Howard’s hand and he opens up about his late daughter.