Cloverfield (2008)

Cloverfield (2008) is a found footage monster film directed by Matt Reeves and produced by J. J. Abrams. The movie follows the events captured on a personal camcorder recovered by the U.S. Department of Defense in the ‘formerly known as Central Park’ area, with a disclaimer explaining multiple reports of an incident known as ‘Cloverfield’. The camera contains two sets of recordings, one from April 27, 2008 and the other from May 22, 2008. The earlier footage shows Robert ‘Rob’ Hawkins and Elizabeth ‘Beth’ McIntyre waking up together before going on a date through New York City and Coney Island, which are also seen in fragments throughout the film. In the main footage, Rob’s brother Jason and his girlfriend Lily Ford host a goodbye party for Rob as he prepares to leave for his new job in Japan as vice-president for a company. During the party, Jason convinces Rob’s best friend Hudson ‘Hud’ Platt to film testimonials for him, while Beth attends with another man after feeling hurt that Rob never called her back after their one night together.

During an argument between Beth and Rob, she departs just before a strong earthquake hits the city, causing a brief power outage. Local news reveals that an oil tanker has capsized near Liberty Island. From the rooftop, attendees of a party witness an explosion in the distance and quickly flee as burning debris heads their way. While making their way out of the building, they are shocked to see the Statue of Liberty’s head being hurled onto the street in front of them. As chaos ensues, Hud captures footage of a colossal creature collapsing the Woolworth Building several blocks away before seeking shelter in a nearby convenience store. News reports show that the Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division is trying to fight off the monster. Smaller parasitic creatures can be seen falling off its body and attacking people on the streets and soldiers.