10 Filmmakers Obsessed With ONE Thing
6. J.J. Abrams - The "Mystery Box"
Most blockbuster filmmakers love crafting a compelling mystery, but surely none have proven more fundamentally obsessed with the notion of a well-preserved enigma than J.J. Abrams.
The guy even did a damn TED talk about it, where he explained his storytelling conceit of the "mystery box," where he presents a tantalising mystery and, rather than overtly resolve said mystery, piles additional mysteries on top while only revealing crucial information as necessary.
Abrams employed this tactic to tremendous success in the early years of his hit TV show Lost, and as such translated it to his subsequent cinematic output, such as Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as well as the Abrams-produced Cloverfield.
The problem, invariably, is that audiences are left deflated when Abrams has to dispense with the thick fog of ambiguity and finally give some answers, which in almost all of these projects left a major portion of viewers underwhelmed if not annoyed.
This was particularly prevalent with the whole Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) debacle in Star Trek Into Darkness, where Abrams led fans on a year-long merry chase regarding the true identity of Cumberbatch's character despite it being howlingly obvious.
Though the mystery box certainly results in a tantalising first two acts, it can often lead to frustratingly anti-climactic third reels.