Cloverfield

It’s been 10 years since Godzilla rampaged through New York City – and the film bombed so badly that the monster movie genre promptly sunk back into the B-grade archives before it could truly be reborn. Now, a decade later, the genre is receiving a much needed face lift with Cloverfield, the new horror-thriller from Lost producer, J.J. Abrams.

Cloverfield centres on a group of romantically reticent twentysomethings in New York City. Characters’ long-suppressed feelings are finally revealed at a farewell party, but before anyone can act on their emotions, the celebration is disrupted by a mysterious creature tearing apart Manhattan.

In an unusual but intelligent move, Cloverfield adopts the same cinematic approach as The Blair Witch Project. A cast of unknowns and the use of jerky handheld camera footage work together to heighten the film’s sense of realism. In fact, Cloverfield feels a lot more “real” than Blair Witch, probably because the images of 9/11’s urban chaos are still fresh in the public consciousness.

Cloverfield’s sense of realism is further heightened by its focus on ordinary people. Although the characters do encounter military officials at one point, the film’s spotlight is squarely on survival; not monster-slaying solutions. Audiences will be disappointed if they’re expecting long unbroken shots of the creature or explanations for its existence.


Even though action and scares comes in short, intense bursts, Cloverfield is not a rip-roaring action adventure like Independence Day. Rather, it’s an intense horror film, with a serious tone to match. Amateur cameraman Hud does provide some wisecracking comic relief, but otherwise Cloverfield is populated by everyday characters struggling with grief and shell-shock. The audience at my screening was vocally disappointed with the film’s ending.

Although I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the fate of the main characters as the audience is clearly encouraged to be, Cloverfield is still definitely worth seeing. It’s very much a film meant to be viewed multiple times on the big screen, or slowed down during a home DVD screening, given some of the confusing, blink-and-you-miss-it footage.

People who suffer from motion sickness should probably stay clear of Cloverfield. Anyone else though will be rewarded with genuine cinematic experience that completely overhauls the otherwise stale and cheesy monster movie genre.