Movie Review – Cloverfield (2008)

I definitely recommend “Cloverfield” (previously known as “Untitled J.J. Abrams Project”), but I also have to qualify that. If you can take this film for the thrill ride it is, you’ll love it. Welcome to The Blair Witch Project meets War of the Worlds meets Godzilla meets World Trade Center. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

As the film opens, protagonist Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is preparing to leave for a job in Japan, and his friends are throwing him a going-away party. Events take a turn for the awful in the midst of the party. That much you probably already know from the trailer, which basically just condenses the first 15 minutes of the film. The rest of the movie follows a small group, led by Rob, in their attempts to (1) rescue a friend, (2) survive, and (3) escape.

Welcome to a thrilling experience! The filmmakers did a fantastic job of maintaining suspense and excitement. Kudos to director Matt Reeves and editor Kevin Stitt for deftly managing a balance of high intensity action, drawn out moments of tension, and periods of relative calm. The pacing is spot on.

Nevertheless, before you go see the movie, you may want to bear some comments in mind.

First, take some Dramamine with you! They filmed the entire movie from the perspective of a handheld camera carried by one of the characters. Every frame is jerky. In fact, about 10% of the footage is just garbage, like the camera pointing at the ground while they run. On the one hand, the camera work contributes substantially to the versimilitude of the film, helping to deepen the immersive experience. But I had to look away from the screen several times because it was making me dizzy, and I’m not normally prone to motion sickness.

Second, all the questions you have at the beginning of the movie, you’ll still have at the end. The filmmakers shot the whole story from the perspective of the participants, so the viewer knows only what they know. And that’s very little. Yeah, we get to see what causes all the destruction. We get a pretty good view several times. But how did it begin? What the hell is it? What happens to it??? The film offers no answers. If you want backstory or a conclusive ending, steel yourself for disappointment.

And finally – speaking of the ending – it’s, well, sudden.  I wasn’t even positive that it had ended until the credits started rolling.  From the beginning to the final frame, this movie is intense and dark.

Overall, I recommend “Cloverfield” as an exciting, thrilling, captivating 90 minutes. At the same time, some of the choices made by the filmmakers will not resonate with all audiences.