Even if they freak you out, scary movies can often be predictable. Why do characters always think it's a good idea to split up in the middle of the night? Why in the world would you open a creepy-looking basement door? We can go on and on about scary movie clichés, but the thing that makes a horror film so great is its ability to keep you guessing.

Now, what if we told you that the actors of 10 Cloverfield Lane felt the same way throughout the movie's production process?Mary Elizabeth Winstead didn't know what the movie was about prior to auditioning for the role of Michelle, and was only given a link to the script once she agreed to audition. "It was super secret and I could only read it once before it would delete itself, but I read it and loved it," she says. "It was so unpredictable, refreshing, and different. I didn't know where the story was going to take me from moment to moment."

The cast couldn't reveal any details about the movie — no filming, no spoilers, no set photos — until the first trailer dropped at the Superbowl. Go big or go home, right? The trailer's debut may have cut it close with just about a month before the movie's premiere, but the riveting 30-second preview reached millions of instantly-spooked viewers.

Naturally the cast was out of the loop. "In my mind, I was like, no one's going to know that this movie is about to come out, so it was a wonderful surprise," Mary says. "Things started coming out so quickly and now it all makes sense. They had this bigger plan for it all along."

On top of that, the cast barely knew that the movie was even remotely connected to the original Cloverfield, especially since the title wasn't revealed until the end of filming. But that allowed them to see where the movie could go on its own. Mary is quick to point out, however, that 10 Cloverfield Lane is not a sequel. "It's something much bigger than a monster movie," she adds. "I love how it blended everything together. It's not really a standard horror film. It's a thriller, it's a suspense movie, it's a psychological drama."

Plus, working with the legendary J.J. Abrams gave the movie that extra special boost. "My motto has become, 'Always trust in J.J' because he can do no wrong, Mary tells us. "And I've learned pretty quickly, if J.J. has an idea, then it's probably best to run with it."

Next up for Mary? The buzzed-about Swiss Army Man with Daniel Radcliffe. But she also makes sure to balance her on-screen projects with other endeavors, too. "I'm the kind of person who likes to turn it off as much as I can. I like to let it all click in on set and, as soon as the camera stops rolling, just get back to my normal life," she says. She and her band, Got A Girl, released their debut album I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now in 2014. The project was influenced by French '60s pop along with movies from that time period. "There's a certain darkness mixed with a sweetness to the music that we make and I think I'm drawn to the same kind of thing in film."

Related: You Need to Rewatch These Iconic '90s Horror Flicks

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