Because of that title, when you go watch 10 Cloverfield Lane you're going in for one specific reason - you want to crack the mystery. How is this connected to the 2008 found footage monster flick? Why has J.J. Abrams kept it so secret? Why is Mary Elizabeth Winstead not in more things? I'm not going to answer these questions for you, because that's what the movie's there for. What I am going to instead, however, is take a look at the other cool things hidden in the film; the things it's easy to miss as you get side-tracked by the mystery (which has been expertly pushed by the marketing). There's winks to other films, subtle cameos from major actors and, yes, some little links between Cloverfield.
9. My Neighbour Totoro Toy
We learn very little about Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) before she winds up in the bunker - the movie opens proactively, wasting no time getting the main plot moving, and in doing so puts you on a similar page to her, not really knowing what's going on at all. However, one thing we do see of her earlier life is that she's a big Studio Ghibli fan; she has a small Totoro toy on her desk. The backstory of the easter egg is unclear, although given how universally beloved Ghibli is (especially Totoro) it's likely something a lot of the cast and crew endorsed.
