What Does The Ending Of 10 Cloverfield Lane Really Mean?

The Bigger Themes

Dealing With Abuse

Strip away the Doomsday threat and 10 Cloverfield Lane becomes something approaching a drama charting abuse; the forced isolation, the fear mongering, the constantly changing sense of fear and safety are all potent parallels with domestic abuse. It also ties into her running away from her relationship with Ben, bringing in the sense of progression; the sudden arrival at a new, abusive relationship straight after leaving another. This would only be natural in a hostage thriller, but in the context of the character's history, with Howard trying to fill a hole left by his daughter and Michelle constantly haunted by her briefly stated past, make it more explicit, inviting this reading of the film. The culmination of this thread is one of hope, with the ending serving as a metaphor for emotional escape; we're seeing her fight to take control, not letting mounting threats get in the way (the escalation with the aliens is another relationship jump), and vowing to not let the past define her.

The Monsters Within

Tying into the abuse element, albeit a distinct thematic element its own right, is the prominent (to the point it's on the poster - "Monsters Come In Many Forms") theme of the true definition of "monster". Because, of course, while in the final ten minutes the film does a major switch-up, the real "monster" of the movie is Howard; he's an unstable hostage-taker with clear nefarious goals who poses a major threat to both Michelle and Emmett. What's interesting is that while he is indeed odd on the outside, the real monster side lurks underneath, only coming out at intermittent moments and barely distinguishable from his usual demeanour (an unpredictability that furthers the abuse angle). At the end, however, he fully embraces the insane side of himself, physicalised by his scarring. This really helps the movies pose the question of whether Michelle is safer with a disturbed kidnapper who could snap at any moment or outside taking an unknown, highly destructive threat. Given her continued success, it's probably actually the latter, but through the movie that balance shifts, and this contrast of ideals is what makes the alien ending not jar, instead presenting a defined, outward alternative to Howard's coiled insanity.