Cloverfield

A group of friends gathers in New York City for a farewell party, only to find their celebration interrupted by a creature the size of a skyscraper. Director Matt Reeves crafted this tense survival story as a found-footage thriller that feels startlingly immediate. The film stars Michael Stahl-David and Mike Vogel alongside Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, Odette Annable, and T.J. Miller, who navigate a city plunged into chaos while filming their own escape on a handheld camera. Produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk with a budget of $25 million, the movie became a surprise hit, earning over $170 million at the global box office despite its low rating of 6.7 out of 10 from roughly 8,000 voters. This entry launched the Cloververse franchise and established a new standard for disaster movies told through the lens of ordinary people.[edit]