Cloverfield is a thrilling, nonstop, and tragically relatable found-footage sci-fi horror about finding love before everything’s lost and no matter the cost. While not every emotionally intentional sequence lands well, most do, especially when combined with the traumatic rush of hours-long end of the world catastrophe. Starting at a typical going away party for a Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) in Manhattan, New York City, as he’s taken a job in Japan and will be gone for quite a while. His knucklehead brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and Jason’s considerate fiancée Lily Ford (Jessica Lucas), having planned the surprise party, assign Rob’s air headed but well-meaning best friend Hud Platt (T.J. Miller) with recording the entire occasion. Things initially look fruitful as a past Rob opens the film noting his current whereabouts: “6:42 a.m. Dad’s place. He’s out of town. And it’s already a good day.” He quickly awakens a sleeping brunette, later revealed to be Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman), whom he flirts with before the film cuts to present day party planning as recorded by Jason. Complaints, “Do I have to do it?” variations, and compromises to get the party going ensue before the party goes off without a hitch—or so it seems. Beth comes to the party, leading to Rob’s sinking into a drink before fighting with her. In the middle of consolidation from Jason and Hud, earthquakes! Something attacking the city! Something big, alive and indestructible sweeps through all of Manhattan, forcing Rob and the gang to flee. With nothing but his struggling love for Beth to hold onto, Rob must do whatever it takes to survive or, more importantly, properly live alongside his true love for his last moments.

It’s easy to let problems linger when the world spins despite them. It’s easy for feelings to remain complicated when life goes on elsewhere. But when everything turns upside down, can any of us say we know what we’d do? If we survive, can we predict how our priorities could shift, instincts would shape us, and whether or not we could keep ourselves and each other going? In a terrifying found-footage format where audiences shake, stumble, sprint, and swear with the lovingly dumb Platt, Cloverfield uses aliens to find the answer to that very question, with Rob and the gang being the answer. After the gang goes outside to a tar-struck set of roads and glass-shattered buildings and everyone makes a plan, Rob thinks separately from the rest. While Jason, Hud, Lily, and Lily’s friend whom Hud has a small crush on, Marlena Diamond (Lizzy Caplan) all think about survival and evacuation from Manhattan, Rob fixates on his last spat with Beth; as Hud screams, “Rob, what’re we gonna do? What’re we gonna do Rob?” he freezes in adrenaline-rushed thought before trying to call Beth and announcing his plans to rescue her. While the rest of the group’s willingness to help Rob isn’t entirely realistic, seeing the group continually fight for Rob’s goal is as earnest as it is fun and terrifying; Hud, the ever brilliant camera man, captures all, from the just-made rubble of falling buildings to up-close shots of the main monster and its feral, dog-sized, cricket-shaped crawling buddies it drops for assistance. Cloverfield shapes itself into a noble piece of fighting as hard as you can for those you love, no matter the cost. While 10 Cloverfield Lane abandons the found-footage format in favor of a meatier narrative and The Cloverfield Paradox… is another Cloverfield movie, the Matt Reeves-directed original shines through thanks to the unique angle with which viewers see its traumatized characters, alien-charred environments, and terrifying chaos.

Add notably enthralling performances from characters meant to be unmemorable, quirky demonstrations of even the stupidest but most relatable facets of the human condition—”Okay don’t tell anybody, but Rob and Beth totally had sex together,” Hud spills to random party guests after literally just getting lectured on keeping that secret—decent visuals, and an enticing hint at militant imperfection and lethality, and Cloverfield comes out as a lean, mean, and honorable fighting machine.

Screens Thursday, 9/25, 9:30 p.m. @ The Brattle Theatre
Part of the ongoing repertory series: Found Footage Freakout