Film Snail

6.7

Cloverfield

PG-13·2008·85m

Action

Thriller

Science Fiction

Action

Thriller

Science Fiction

Summary

Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

Cast

Lizzy Caplan

Marlena

Jessica Lucas

Lily

T.J. Miller

Hud

Michael Stahl-David

Rob Hawkins

Mike Vogel

Jason Hawkins

Odette Annable

Beth McIntyre

Anjul Nigam

Bodega Cashier

Margot Farley

Jenn

Theo Rossi

Antonio

Brian Klugman

Charlie

Kelvin Yu

Clark

Liza Lapira

Heather

Lili Mirojnick

Lei

Ben Feldman

Travis

Elena Nikitina Bick

Party Goer

Vakisha Coleman

Party Goer

Will Greenberg

Party Goer

Rob Kerkovich

Party Goer

Ryan Key

Party Goer

Hooman Khalili

Party Goer

Rasika Mathur

Party Goer

Baron Vaughn

Party Goer

Charlyne Yi

Party Goer

Roma Torre

Rick Overton

Frantic Man

Martin Cohen

Burly Guy

Jason Cerbone

Police Officer

Pasha D. Lychnikoff

Russian Man on Street

Billy Brown

Staff Sgt. Pryce

Scott Lawrence

Lead Soldier

Jeffrey De Serrano

Soldier

Tim Griffin

Command Center Officer

Chris Mulkey

Lt. Col. Graff

Susse Budde

Medic

Jason Lombard

Second Medic

Jamie Martz

Helicopter Pilot

Matt Reeves

Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)

Michael Ark

Party Goer (uncredited)

Caley Bisson

Party Bartender (uncredited)

Maylen Calienes

Frantic Girl on Bridge (uncredited)

Craig Dabbs

Army Sgt. First Class (uncredited)

Jason Giffin

National Guardsman / Tank Gunner (uncredited)

Hisonni Johnson

Party Goer (uncredited)

Adam Karst

New Yorker (uncredited)

Julio Leal

Rocketeer / Soldier (uncredited)

Gene Richards

First Man Coughing (uncredited)

Bertrand Roberson Jr.

Military Personnel (uncredited)

Chris Spinelli

Party Goer (uncredited)

Rick Shuster

Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)

Jake McLaughlin

Helicopter Pilot (voice) (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Matt Reeves

Screenplay

Drew Goddard

Reviews

Geronimo1967

May 20, 2024

I suppose the first thing to warn of is - it is shot entirely POV, and for many (including me) that can prove to be really quite annoying at times (and particularly difficult to light effectively). The premiss is that "Jason" (Mike Vogel) and girlfriend "Lily" (Jessica Lucas) are living the happy lives of a young couple. When one night they set off to attend a leaving do for their pal "Rob" (Michael Stahl-David) their party is shattered by what seems like an earthquake, followed by a desperate hunt for his girlfriend "Beth" (Odette Annable) as something ginormous is stalking the streets of New York. The camera passes from person to person, so that does give us a different perspective of the ensuing mania - but actually I didn't find them a particularly engaging bunch of panic-stricken folks so I can't say I was very concerned for their safety. Some of the decisions they make - admittedly under a fair degree of duress - seem staggeringly risky and/or stupid; the sound editing overdoes the screeching and wailing to such an extent that the dialogue can be barely audible at times, and though well paced eventually, it still takes just a bit too long to actually get going. It is certainly an interesting concept, and if the style of cinematography doesn't drive you mad after twenty minutes, then I reckon you will quite enjoy the intimacy of the thing - at times, it is actually quite scary.