3. Cloverfield
Now, on the completely opposite end of the spectrum, we have the perfect example of how found footage works on a massive scale. The beauty of it is, it actually didnt cost that much to make - $25m, in fact, and grossed over $170m Worldwide. Wowthat first trailerstill one of the best trailers I have ever seen - the
marketing for this film was the best campaign I have seen to date. And best of all? It lived up to hype, nay, exceeded it. As well as being critically lauded, it reinvented the monster movie and made it genuinely scary. I still remember watching it at the cinema, with barely a clue as to what was going to happen, and it will remain one of the best viewing experiences of my life. Simply a masterpiece of horror and popular entertainment. Cloverfield is sort of The Dark Knight of monster movies - something intimate and character-driven done on an epic and exciting scale without sacrificing quality. If theyre wise, Gareth Edwards and the team behind the upcoming Godzilla reboot should take a few notes from this. With a tiny budget, you can create something huge in scale, terrifying, thrilling and well-made with characters you care about and a damn good script. Take note, any future filmmakers who get a cash injection based on the success of your own Marble Hornets.