15 Best Films Of 2016 (So Far)

15. 10 Cloverfield Lane

What is 10 Cloverfield Lane? For the two months from when "Cloverfield 2" was first unveiled through to its incredibly close release (it was shot under the working title Valencia), that was the biggest question in movie fandom.

It's a marketing campaign on a par with the genius of the original, once again letting fan obsession lead the hype rather than constant poster reveals, and personifying everything good about J.J. Abrams' mystery box. In the end, the talking point connection is entirely thematic - although some easter eggs muddy the water, the real purpose of the name is marketing - but that doesn't really hurt the film. Having the Cloverfield link gives the film an extra layer, altering how you first view it and opening massive franchise potential up - just you wait for God Particle to become Cloverfield Station.

Even if this had remained Valencia though, it would have still placed on this list. Dan Trachtenberg’s made a tense, claustrophobic thriller driven by its stars that delights in shifting expectations. Things get a bit perplexing in the final few minutes when the real nature of the threat is all revealed, but even then the tonal inconsistencies fit with the bigger picture.

For more on 10 Cloverfield Lane, check out What The Ending Really Means?.