[8]

This monster movie from the creators of Lost and Felicity combines low-budget ingenuity with high-budget production values for a thrilling movie going experience. The whole film is hand-held ‘found footage’ documenting a group of friends’ attempted escape from Manhattan after the city is attacked by a raging leviathan. The monster’s design is fresh and original, and the young cast do very good jobs running around terrified (which is harder to do than most people give credit). While the movie definitely rides on the coat tails of The Blair Witch Project, the approach really works here. I felt like I was among the characters trying to survive the mayhem and destruction. It’s an amusement park ride of a movie. With Lizzy Caplan. Directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J.J. Abrams, written by Drew Goddard.