By Thomas Ferguson

New York City has seen its share of disasters both in reality and in film. Luckily, this time around, it’s all staged by the creator of the hit television show Lost. Cloverfield is an Internet sensation that has finally stomped its way onto the big screen. But the question is, does it measure up to all the hype?

This project has been shrouded in secrecy since the beginning of pre-production over a year ago. Even the actors were clueless to its plot before shooting. For their auditions, they were given pre-existing scripts from creator J.J. Abram’s other works.

Now, I had a hunch what the story would be about going in, but I got so much more than I bargained for. As a reviewer, it’s my job to tell you everything I can to convince you to see or not to see a particular film. In this case, it’s best if I tell you very little.

A creature attacks New York City and sends people running for their lives. A small group of friends document the entire disaster as they try to make their way out of the city. They want to make sure people know exactly what went down if they don’t make it out.

That is the jest of the story; of course there is more to it. There is a back story about the friends that is also compelling, but not as interesting as the mysterious beast destroying New York. 

This is the movie The Blair Witch Project wanted to be and the one Snakes on a Plane tried to be. It’s an Internet buzzed movie that actually delivers. I have not been so on edge during a movie in awhile. It’s like you are there with them the entire time. At first, we see only glimpses of the creature, but we get the full Monty by the end. It was a terrifying roller coaster ride that truly gave me the shakes. I actually heard people screaming…and I haven’t heard that during a movie in quite some time.

This movie is intense and will definitely have you talking. It may also have you sick to your stomach. The shaky camera work takes a minute to get used to, but it’s so worth it if you make to the end. Luckily, there is only an hour and fifteen minutes of actual movie. That being said, bring the Dramamine if you have a weak stomach. You just might need it.

Initially, I wondered if this movie would go belly up like Snakes on a Plane , but now I’m sure it will be a huge hit. With its modest twenty five million dollar budget and the near sold out show I attended at 10am, look for Cloverfield to devour its competition — bringing some much needed life to the normally drab January movie blues.