Directed by: Matt Reeves
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Jessica Lucas, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Chaplan, T.J. Miller
Released: January 18, 2008

It’s been nearly 2 hours since the credits rolled on the sneak peek screening of ‘Cloverfield’ and I find myself continuing to think about it. So much, in fact, that I decided to get my thoughts down now instead of waiting for the morning. Note that I tried my best to not add too many spoilers, but I’m sure a few slipped in.

I want to start off by saying wow. Just…. wow. This was the kind of monster movie I’ve been waiting for. Much like ‘The Mist’, which I loved, this film seemed to convey a much deeper understanding of what audiences these days want to see: suspenseful, engaging versions of the monster movies we grew up loving. Movies that make you feel like you are actually there with the characters. And this movie does it wonderfully. It’s not like watching a movie at all… it’s as if you’re experiencing it.

Anyone who has seen the advertising campaign that started with ‘Transformers’ should have a general idea of how things start. It’s a going away party for one of our main characters, Rob. We see as his friends party it up and get treated to some very funny moments, especially once the camera gets handed off to Hud, Rob’s main dude. We meet Rob’s brother Jason and his girlfriend Lily. We meet Marlena, who Hud is obviously obsessed over… and jeez, is he smooth. Overall romantic drama and some time to get to know our characters continue until, inevitably, things start to go oh so wrong.

Tremors lead to explosions… explosions lead to running… running leads to panic and chaos, which in turn leads me with my ass on the edge of the seat and my eyes wide and mouth slack. Like a car wreck on the side of the expressway, I couldn’t look away. And this was so much more than just a fender bender I was witnessing. Something is kicking New York City’s ass… and doing a good job of it too.

What makes this film work is the fact that you feel like the characters are normal people behaving as normal people should. This isn’t ’98′s ‘Godzilla’ here. These aren’t scientists and military trying to figure out what the monster is and how to destroy it. These people like you and me… people who get the fuck out of the way when rockets go flying over our heads and giant alien-looking monsters go tear-assing through the city. We freak out. We zone out. We run our asses off, screaming the entire time and luckily, we get it all on tape for others to enjoy it seems.

And speaking of the monster, I have to say the design is amazing. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I can assure you it was not what I saw on screen. My concerns that this would be a Godzilla remake flew out the window with the first few glimpses of… whatever the hell it is. It looked alien, yet strangely familiar… an unsettling combination.

What made this movie work in my opinion is, like ‘Alien’, we aren’t shown the beast right off. The fear is in not knowing what is causing the destruction. Hell, even when we see glimpses of it, we still don’t know what the hell we’re seeing. Much of the suspense is caused from what we hear, and let me tell you, the sound production is nothing short of amazing.

But of course as the tape ends and the credits roll, many questions remain: Where did it come from? What dis it want? Why do people explode when they’re bitten by it’s mini Starship Troopers bug offspring? Do we even end up killing it for fuck’s sake?!

In true JJ fashion, we’re not told these things, and I thank him for it. I’m not along for the ride to find out why these things are happening… I’m along for the ride itself, and trust me, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

Fuckin’ Brutal Rating: 96%