Cloverfield
Cloverfield Image
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Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 750 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, Mike Vogel
  • 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. (Paramount Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 37
  3. Negative: 4 out of 37
  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: Olly Richards
    100
    A dazzling experiment that paid off immensely, this is cinematic pleasure at its purest. One caveat: If they ever make a sequel, we’re taking two stars back.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    Mercifully, at 84 minutes the movie is even shorter than its originally alleged 90-minute running time; how much visual shakiness can we take? And yet, all in all, it is an effective film, deploying its special effects well and never breaking the illusion that it is all happening as we see it.
  3. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    60
    Despite a first reel entirely devoted to establishing characters, Cloverfield is basically a line-'em-up, pick-'em-off horror movie that's effective without being either viscerally frightening or emotionally moving. Watching it is like going through a car wash: You come out of it thoroughly Cloverfield-ized, but essentially unchanged.
  4. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    38
    No movie this year will better embody Macbeth's description of life itself: "a tale ... full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

See all 37 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 259 out of 451
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 451
  3. Negative: 159 out of 451
  1. MetalMan95
    10
    This is one roller coaster ride. Although this does require a suspension of disbelief because this was on-camera monster attack on NYC, It made me believe it actually happened. This movie was scary, thrilling, emotional, and just plain freakin awesome! I didnt mind the ending whatsoever. Awesome movie.… Expand
  2. mds03
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was scary, funny, depressing, and extremely unpredictable. It was a great movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I especially liked how good the execution of the story was and how good the character development was. The ending was good because you really don't know the fate of the last 3 characters. Which makes you way more excited for a Cloverfield 2. If there is one.… Expand
  3. gm101
    7
    The movie certainly has a good premise, but unanswered questions in the end and a camera that is way too shaky disrupt the experience.
  4. TimT.
    3
    I thought the special effeects were excellent, but i didn' like how the storyline was or the ending. I also did not like that the movie was a video cam and even the people behind me said it made them dizzy.… Expand

See all 451 User Reviews

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