This past week, we dove into the Cloverfield trilogy. Rewatching the original Cloverfield reminded me why it’s so effective: the shaky, found-footage style combined with only brief flashes of the creature makes for a uniquely tense experience. It’s a case where what you don’t see is far more unsettling than what’s shown up close.

In 10 Cloverfield Lane, the tension pivots to a claustrophobic thriller, with John Goodman delivering a captivatingly ambiguous performance as someone who might be a savior… or something else entirely. The mystery of who to trust keeps the film suspenseful, and the monster reveal comes only at the very end, making the human drama the real focus.

The Cloverfield Paradox switches gears again, taking us into space for an origin story of sorts. While the sci-fi twist is intriguing, this entry also highlights its characters, using the monster element as a backdrop to explore survival and sacrifice. Here’s my quick take on each film!

Cloverfield (2008)

*The original Cloverfield is a thrilling found-footage monster movie that throws viewers right into the chaos of a giant creature attack on New York City. Directed by Matt Reeves and produced by J.J. Abrams, it brilliantly balances mystery, suspense, and terror. The shaky, handheld camera style immerses the audience in a terrifying, claustrophobic experience as a group of friends tries to survive the city’s destruction. The minimal exposition keeps the mystery of the monster alive, making it both engaging and unsettling—a high-energy film that redefined monster horror for the digital age.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

10 Cloverfield Lane takes a wildly different approach, shifting from monster horror to psychological thriller. This tense, claustrophobic film follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as she’s held captive by a man (John Goodman) who claims the outside world has been attacked. Set almost entirely in an underground bunker, the film builds suspense through excellent performances and sharp writing. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, it’s smart and unsettling, hinting at connections to the original Cloverfield without relying on them, making it a strong standalone thriller that explores fear in more subtle, intense ways.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

The third installment, The Cloverfield Paradox, attempts to link the previous films by exploring the origin of the Cloverfield monster through a sci-fi horror lens. Set in space, the story follows a group of scientists conducting an experiment that goes terribly wrong, potentially unleashing monsters across dimensions. While ambitious in scope and intriguing in premise, it feels convoluted at times, losing some of the series’ unique appeal. Despite its flaws, The Cloverfield Paradox is an entertaining, otherworldly addition to the franchise, with a few memorable moments that appeal to sci-fi and horror fans alike.

I give this trilogy 5 (stars) bats as we continue to view Halloween-esque movies in the month of October.