Cloverfield is the latest film from acclaimed director Matt Reeves and much-admired producers J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. Initially, film was so shrouded in mystery that only the release date was known. With flashes of footage and the title kept a secret, Cloverfield managed to exceeded expectations at the box office with just the vague promise of a movie.
Perhaps the lack of actual film content in the trailer was yet another wise advertising technique. Certainly if I had understood more of what the 90 minutes spent watching this film would be like, I would have opted for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, David Yates and all.
Cloverfield opens with the planning and execution of a surprise party for protagonist Rob and we are introduced to the film’s main players whom we are evidently supposed to relate to as they indulge in their normality. Instead, the characters are not even likable and resemble a collection of GAP models as they saunter around the room and look objectionable. Despite this the film is visually impressive and has effects uncommon for a film where the budget is not high.

All in all Cloverfield is an example of how a film with all the right ingredients can end up lacking in substance and plot. It’s the sort of movie that, if you were to leave the cinema at any point of the duration (a potentially alluring prospect), there would be few lagging ‘ What happened? How’s Beth?’ type questions. However, Cloverfield is a brave stab at a revolutionary monster movie, but preceded itself with an aura of mystery, enigma and hype that just wasn’t achieved during the actual screen time.