Cloverfield (2008) is a wildly inventive and often terrifying science-fiction horror story that depicts a large otherworldly creature wreaking havoc on the City of New York. Amidst the destruction, a group of friends attempts a dangerous mission through the devastated streets of the city to save the life of one of their own.
Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is broken-hearted over the disintegration of his relationship with Beth (Odette Annable) and accepts a new job in Japan—only for Beth to appear at his going away party with a new flame. After a tense argument, Beth departs just before the city is suddenly engulfed in a series of explosions and darkness. With their friend Hud (T.J. Miller) capturing the action first-hand, the group sets out to rescue Beth after she becomes trapped in her home—little aware of the unimaginable horrors they are about to experience.
Produced by J.J. Abrams and directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Batman), Cloverfield is a surprisingly well-crafted escapade, replete with tension, intelligence and spectacular production design. Abrams and Reeves manage to make the found footage format feel entirely fresh, with cinematographer Michael Bonvillain's magnificent camerawork one of the true stars of the show. The first entry in an ongoing series of tangential "Cloverfield" films, it's an often dazzling experiment in immersive filmmaking bound to raise your pulse and captivate your attention.
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