10 Film Secrets That Were Hiding In Plain Sight

4. Howard Is Wearing Earplugs Before He Shoots Emmett - 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane
Paramount Pictures

Perhaps the most viscerally jarring sequence in 10 Cloverfield Lane sees psychopathic creeper Howard (John Goodman) holding Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) at gunpoint after discovering that he and Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) have stolen some of his tools.

Howard ends up callously shooting Emmett in the face totally out of nowhere, and if you're really paying attention to the scene, you might notice one demented added wrinkle: Howard is wearing ear plugs.

On one hand, this explains why Howard isn't deafened by discharging the gun in such a confined space, compared to Michelle, whose hearing is temporarily affected.

And on the other, some fans have speculated it also implies that Howard knew he was going to murder Emmett before the confrontation even started.

For his part, director Dan Trachtenberg says the visible earplugs are actually a goof, but in the very least, they explain how Howard's hearing is clearly unaffected by the gunshot, which without the ear plugs would otherwise make no sense. A happy accident, then?

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.