Five theories inspired by the original Cloverfield

10 Cloverfield Lane comes out next month, so there’s never been a better time to revisit the first Cloverfield.

Released in 2008, the film blended found-footage, disaster and monster movies in some really exciting ways. Like almost everything JJ Abrams has touched, it has its fair share of detractors – but also a lot of fans.

Consequently, it has inspired a lot of fan theories. We’ve compiled some of the most fascinating below:

The Duo Theory

This theory proposes that the incident depicted in Cloverfield actually involves two monsters, not one – a parent and a child. The main evidence here has to do with the discrepancy between the official size of the Cloverfield monster, the size of the real-world Brooklyn Bridge and the apparent size of the creature encountered in the film’s final scenes.

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Given the chaotic presentation of the original film, it’s hard to confirm or deny this theory. It’s entirely possible it’s a case of fans applying a level of scrutiny that the filmmakers didn’t account for or a clever twist hidden in plain sight.

The Real Threat

This theory posits that the setup for 10 Cloverfield Lane has less to do with the larger monster of the original and more to do with the smaller parasites it brought with it.

While it’s easy to imagine the bombing that closed out the first film taking the larger monster out of the picture, an infestation of the smaller creatures could easily persist and remain a threat. What’s more it’s a perfect setup for the bunker-based setup of the sequel.

We don’t yet know how the original film ties to 10 Cloverfield Lane – but this seems like a natural way for it to tie in.

Coney Island

One of the most highly-contentious details in the original film was contained in the final moments – the unidentified object that falls out of the lands off the coast of Coney Island.

Arguably, the most popular Cloverfield fan theory of them all claims this is a satellite that sinks to the bottom of the ocean and awakens the monster slumbering below – triggering the events of the film.

Alternatively, Brian C. Gibson of Film School Rejects claims that this is actually the first appearance of the monster – and that it’s a detail confirmed by director Matt Reeves himself.

An Extraterrestrial Suckerpunch

The biggest mystery that the original Cloverfield leaves unanswered is where the monster came from – and some of the theories about this loose-end get pretty wild. Speculation ranges from the creature being sent by aliens to soften Earth up for invasion, to a science-experiment gone awry to it being a re-imagining of HP Lovecraft’s Cthulu.

Of all the mysteries that might get a nod in 10 Cloverfield Lane, this is potentially the one with the most weight behind it. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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What’s In A Name

Another big mystery is where the cryptic title comes from. The film was originally called ‘Greyshot’ – perhaps referring to the unreliable footage of the monster – but it’s been suggested that the final title has to do with Central Park.

Specifically, it refers to the clover-shaped footprints that the monster would have left through the park, leading to it being nicknamed ‘Cloverfield’ by the government.

10 Cloverfield Lane releases on the 10th of March.

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