Review of Cloverfield (2008) by Jennifer M — 04 Sep 2012

Despite the raw horror of literally living within this film as it unfolds, I think what makes it resonate for me is not the monster or the violence or the unbelievable destruction of NYC but the relationship between Rob and Beth. There is a reason why the movie opens with their relationship, and a reason why it ends with it -- two people who find each other, lose each other through sheer human silliness, immaturity, and fear, and then find each other again, there, at the end. It might focus on the monster and the destruction it causes, but that's not really what the movie is about... to its credit.

Reeves learns from Scott and others -- the idea of the monster and what it could be is far scarier than what it actually is (alas, that JJ Abrams didn't keep with that in regards to Lost's Smoke Monster) -- and really heightens the tension by never quite showing us who, or what, is tearing apart NYC brick by brick.

In the end, though, while what happens to the city and to some of the characters is agonizing, it's the earnest and fearful hope of Rob and Beth that really bring tears to my eyes and lingers with me after the film's end.