Ever since Cannibal Holocaust first brought the concept of found footage to the horror genre in 1980 and The Blair Witch Project popularized the style in 1999, first-person POV horror movies have proven to be some of the most consistently terrifying. Titles like Paranormal Activity, As Above, So Below, and The Devil Inside have followed over the years, but a found footage monster movie that hit theaters to plenty of buzz in 2008 remains one of the best in the genre. Paramount+ just added that hit movie, which holds a 78% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, to its streaming library, but viewers will have to do a bit of digging to find its superior sequel.
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Matt Reeves’ 2008 creature feature Cloverfield joined the Paramount+ streaming library on September 1st. The blockbuster movie, produced by J. J. Abrams, is set in New York City in the middle of a rampaging monster attack and follows a group of friends as they attempt to flee, their terrifying ordeal captured on a handheld video camera. Cloverfield was a massive success upon its release and was followed by an even better sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane, in 2016. Unfortunately, that movie is not streaming on Paramount+, though it can be streamed on Prime Video, MGM+, and AMC+.
Why You Should Watch Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a masterclass in found footage filmmaking. Although the jarring first-person POV resulted in some moviegoers becoming nauseated and caused some theaters to post warnings about the potential motion sickness, a phenomenon dubbed the “Cloverfield Illness,” the film’s shaky, found-footage cinematography helps place viewers directly in the center of the action, creating a sense of authentic, chaotic terror, fear, and confusion. The found-footage perspective is one of the many things that contributes to Cloverfield being an excellent example of a great creature feature, in addition to the fact that the film takes a “less is more” approach by showing only glimpses of the creature, something that builds suspense and forces the audience to fill in the blanks.
The immersive story combined with an innovative and mysterious viral marketing campaign helped make Cloverfield an instant success and one of the best in Reeves’ filmography. The movie grossed $172 million worldwide at the box office against a $25 million budget and ultimately spawned a franchise that includes 10 Cloverfield Lane and 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox (available to stream on Netflix). A fourth film is currently in development.
Other Horror Movies Now On Paramount+
Cloverfield is just one of several horror movies newly streaming on Paramount+ as the streamer preps its library for the Halloween season. Those hoping to add a few more titles to their scary movie marathon lists can press play on iconic slashers like the Friday the 13th franchise, Scream 4, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as other favorites such as Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, World War Z, and The Addams Family.
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