RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Cloverfield
Cloverfield

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Cloverfield (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
77 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:192

Fresh:147

Rotten:45

Average Rating:6.8/10

Consensus: A sort of Blair Witch Project crossed with Godzilla, Cloverfield is economically paced, stylistically clever, and filled with scares.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for violence, terror and disturbing images.

Runtime: 85 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:01-02-2008

Synopsis: Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob... Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who has accepted a promotion that will send him to Japan. Hud (T. J. Miller) is entrusted with the responsibility of videotaping the party--and as the trouble grows, he holds on to the camera, recording everything that happens. In fact, the entire movie is seen through the lens of his camera, reminiscent of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. As terrified people in a post-9/11 New York City take to the streets, Rob decides to head uptown to try to save Beth (Odette Yustman), the woman he loves, though he's afraid to tell her so. Rob is joined by his brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas), Lily's friend Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), and Hud, who has a thing for Marlena. Rob is determined not to give up, even after almost being crushed by the Statue of Liberty's head and as the military shows up to force evacuation of the city. Reeves and first-time screenwriter Drew Goddard, who previously has written television episodes of such series as BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, ALIAS, and LOST, focus in on the central aspect of the story: people trying to survive the monster attack. Very little else is explained, since the story is told completely through the video camera. And there is no additional score to heighten the drama; the only music is that which is picked up by Hud and the camera's microphone, including snippets of songs by Kings of Leon, Parliament Funkadelic, Of Montreal, and others. The anticipation of CLOVERFIELD's release was enhanced by a viral marketing campaign that included Web sites built around the main characters and even the fictional drink Slusho. [More]

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller

Director: Matt Reeves

Director: Matt Reeves
Screenwriter: Drew Goddard
Producer: J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    30 Second Spot
    >
    Video Interview
    >
1 - 3 of 3

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Cloverfield

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A surprisingly gripping thriller. Employing a pseudo-documentary handheld camera style, it offers a fresh spin on the monster movie genre.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
01/18/08
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

Cloverfield is the most intense and original creature feature I've seen in my adult moviegoing life, and that's coming from a guy who knows his Gojira from his Gamera and his Harryhausen from his Honda.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/18/08
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Cloverfield puts you on the ground level of a disaster: face-to-face with the dangers of this night. It's a fun, fast ride, but also poignant and strangely affecting.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
01/18/08
Todd Hertz
Todd Hertz
Christianity Today

If the monsters weren't in the scene, I kept wondering when they would show up so they could eat more people.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
01/18/08
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

Abrams' intimate POV renders everything that much more harrowing (or "nauseating," depending on your shaky-cam tolerance and the general condition of your inner ear).

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
01/18/08
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat

Cloverfield is one of the most riveting experiences you'll have in a movie theater and one of those incredibly rare films where the final product actually lives up to the hype.

Full Review Source: The Deadbolt | comment Comment
01/18/08
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
The Deadbolt

I'll always remember Cloverfield as the first thing that made me vomit since that teriyaki in San Diego.

Full Review Source: Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine) | comment Comment
01/18/08
Gina Carbone
Gina Carbone
Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine)

The mysteriously titled project might just as well have been called "9/11: The Thrill Ride," so thoroughly does it trade on our emotions of that disaster. [Blu-Ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
01/18/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

The POV [camera] IS the movie...and we get to see lots of angles of the monster. On that point, it totally delivers.

Full Review Source: Scene-Stealers.com | comment Comment
01/18/08
Eric Melin
Eric Melin
Scene-Stealers.com

Blair Witch meets Godzilla in this hugely enjoyable shake-fest.

Full Review Source: EDGE Boston | comment Comment
01/18/08
David Foucher
David Foucher
EDGE Boston

Basically, it is a gimmick movie in which the premise is pretty much the entire show. That said, it is perhaps the most sensationally effective gimmick movie to come around since "The Blair Witch Project"

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/18/08
Peter Sobczynski
Peter Sobczynski
eFilmCritic.com

It's a hell of a visceral experience -- but it's a purely visceral experience, apparently to the point of causing some viewers to vomit. Unless you're one of those unfortunate few, you'll soon forget the details.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
01/18/08
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

What sets the film apart, really, is that the monster is just a backdrop. The main focus centers on how a small group of people cope and react under such an extreme crisis.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment 1 Comment
01/17/08
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

...rescues the Godzilla genre from the realm of kitsch.

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
01/17/08
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

A time capsule of our current fears displaced onto our nightmares.

Full Review Source: Mark Reviews Movies | comment Comment
01/17/08
Mark Dujsik
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies

Better than any American monster movie in years.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
01/17/08
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Raises the bar for monster movies to Statue of Liberty heights.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/17/08
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

...a sporadically effective yet undeniably uneven piece of work that clearly would've benefited from a little less excitement surrounding its release...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
01/17/08
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

unlike almost any movie you have seen before to become a raw, realistic and gut wrenching experience

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
01/17/08
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

Cloverfield is the first great film of 2008.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
01/17/08
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters
 
 
121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for Cloverfield

April 27, 2009: Five Favourite Films with J. J. Abrams
The blockbuster season is upon us and amongst the line-up is the highly anticipated reboot of Star Trek. RT spoke to the man in the captain's chair, J. J. Abrams, about his... More...

March 02, 2009: Abrams Plots Cloverfield Sequel-Type Thing Opens in new window
Saying "the idea's pretty sweet," J.J. Abrams has confirmed that a sequel to "Cloverfield" -- or at least a new movie "related to" it -- is on the table. More...

September 25, 2008: Matt Reeves Will Let the Right One In Opens in new window
Overture is prepping a remake of Tomas Alfredson's Swedish vampire movie "Lat Den Ratte Komma In," to be helmed by "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves. More...

April 21, 2008: RT on DVD: Cloverfield, Charlie Wilson and 2008's Worst-Reviewed Film
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Slusho, whatever that is! Cloverfield stomps its way onto DVD as not only the most exciting new release of the week, but the one most... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
15% 15% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
0
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
9
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
106
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
162
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
53
  • Five Favorite Films with Werner Herzog
50
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
38
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
4
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
4
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
18
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Cloverfield at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Cloverfield at IGN
  • Cloverfield at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.