Cloverfield

Cloverfield is a 2008 found footage monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams, and written by Drew Goddard. The film stars Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman, T.J. Miller, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, and Mike Vogel. The film served as the first installment of the Cloverfield franchise, followed by 10 Cloverfield Lane in 2016 and The Cloverfield Paradox in 2018. A direct sequel is currently in development.

Plot
As a group of New Yorkers enjoy a going-away party, little do they know that they will soon face the most terrifying night of their lives. A creature the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Using a handheld video camera, the friends record their struggle to survive as New York crumbles around them.

Why It's Great

 * 1) Amazing acting, as it really feels like a genuine recording of what people would do in a modern-day monster attack.
 * 2) Great special effects that make the monster and demolition actually look real, especially for the explosions.
 * 3) The film uses a very unique found footage format that you'wouldn't normally see in monster movies. The whole movie is presented as if it's a real event caught on film, making it feel all the more authenthic. The fact that on DVD you can pause or rewind at will greatly enhances the idea that you're viewing a tape found in the wreckage that's been kept in some government archive.
 * 4) Adding to its unique style is the clever way it acts as a metaphor for the September 11 twin tower attacks by using the monster as a stand-in for the fears and tensions regarding that tragic day in a very similar way that the original 1954 Godzilla acted as a metaphor for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There's plenty of imagery in this film that feels like it was pulled straight out of the 9/11 attacks and the aftermath, and the found-footage style only adds to its authenthicity.
 * 5) Using the found-footage style also allows the movie to give its audience the perseptive from oridinary people instead of the monster's rampage, which makes you realize just how horrific the bog-standard giant-monster movie plot would be if it really happened.
 * 6) It also deconstructs the very idea of a giant monster in general; instead of being a supernatural beast, an allegorical character, or an out-of-this-world being, the monster in Cloverfield is at its core a normal animal reacting to things the way any other animal would.
 * 7) While there is no music at all in the film due to its format, there is an excellent music cue composed by Michael Giacchiono called "Roar!" that plays during the credits which is very reminscient of the work Akira Ifukube did on the Godzilla films.
 * 8) Great moments of horror, suspense and mayhem all throughout.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The main monster gets little screen-time, despite being the main antagonist.
 * 2) Some product placement.
 * 3) While it allows the movie to stand out amongst other giant monster movies, its found-footage style may not bode with everyone, especially those who are easily queasy.
 * 4) Despite being a clever metaphor for 9/11, one thing it doesn't do that the original Godzilla did was acknowledge humanity's connection to causing the monster's rampage. Godzilla 's connection to the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings is what gives it its staying power all these years later, but Cloverfield wasn't quite as profound as Godzilla regarding its themes and metaphors.
 * 5) Neither of its two sequels continued the series as a monster movie franchise like Godzilla, which would've undoubtedly yielded a greater success for the franchise. At least a pr oper sequel to this film is reportedly in development, albeit not following the found-footage style of this film.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 212 reviews, with an average rating of 6.80/10.

Box Office
Cloverfield earned $172 million worldwide at the box office against a $25 million budget.