History NightmareFuel / Cloverfield

* Clover itself is scary, but the scariest part of it all? '''It's a baby'''.

'''WARNING:''' Spoilers are unmarked.

-->''It's still alive...''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3108326_5545357660_clove_the_10_best_found_footage_movies_jpeg_90437.jpg]]

** When they were entering the first aid center, some nurses pass through with another "bitten victim" with their ribcage just ''gone'', so as a little {{Foreshadowing}}.

"You mean Mid-Town?"\\

* One last scare the film gives us is at the end when it shows an old video of Rob and Beth having fun on a ferris wheel. [[NothingIsScarier It's very subtle and easy to miss,]] but if you look closely[[FreezeFrameBonus the shot of the ocean]], you'll see ''something'' falling into it.

* One last scare the film gives us is at the end when it shows an old video of Rob and Beth having fun on a ferris wheel. [[NothingIsScarier It's very subtle and easy to miss,]] but if you look closely[[FreezeFrameBonus the shot of the ocean]], you'll see ''something'' falling into it, most likely Clover himself.

* One last scare the film gives us is at the end when it shows an old video of Rob and Beth having fun on a ferris wheel. [[NothingIsScarier It's very subtle and easy to miss,]] but if you look in [[FreezeFrameBonus the background of the video]], you'll see ''something'' falling into the ocean, most likely Clover himself.

* One last scare the film gives us is at the end when it shows an old video of Hud and Beth having fun on a ferris wheel. [[NothingIsScarier It's very subtle and easy to miss,]] but if you look in [[FreezeFrameBonus the background of the video]], you'll see ''something'' falling into the ocean, most likely Clover himself.

* The ''entire scenario''. This is a kaiju attack not from the usual view from afar, but strictly from the view of the poor civilians on the ground, trying desperately to survive crumbling buildings, collapsing bridges, and oh, yeah, the ''giant man-eating monster'' that keeps popping up where you least expect it.

* They're not revealed in the film itself, but see those tube-like things dangling from Clover's belly? According to behind-the-scenes material, those are essentially elongated mouths with teeth-like fingers that lead into Clover's stomach. Anyone unfortunate to be running underneath them are sucked up and {{eaten alive}}. Imagine running for your life, only be sucked up by those things. Or even worse, imagine running with your family, only to watch ''them'' get sucked up.
* Marlena's fate. While the main characters are walking through a SinisterSubway tunnel (a scene which is [[NothingIsScarier pretty creepy in its own right]]), Marlena gets bitten by one of the parasites that fall off of Clover. A few minutes later, when they end up at a first-aid center set up by the military, [[TearsOfBlood her eyes start bleeding uncontrollably]]. Everyone starts freaking out, the staff drag her behind a curtain, and we see a huge splatter of blood against it. [[BodyHorror We explicitly see her body rapidly bloat up like a balloon and explode]]. The sound is understated, and possibly more nauseating for it, like a wet burp.

** When they were entering the first-aid center, some nurses pass through with another "bitten victim" with their ribcage just ''gone'', so as a little {{Foreshadowing}}

--> "..which means they're going to let this whole area go..."\\

-->'''Soldier''': If they know, they ain't telling me. But whatever it is, it's ''winning''.

** Babies spook easily. And when Clover got skittish, buildings crumbled. Worse...

** [[HellIsThatNoise Clover's roars are the stuff of nightmares]], but special mention goes to where the Hammerdown Protocol rains down on him offscreen. We only have to think about the type of pain it's going through to cause it to unleash a never-ending scream of '''agony'''.

* Hell, the whole movie is goddamn terrifying. It is extremely relentless, realistic and, worse yet, it ''feels'' like you're caught in the middle of a monster attack.

--->'''[[spoiler:Marlena]]''': I don't feel so good.

* [[spoiler:Marlena]]'s fate. While the main characters are walking through a SinisterSubway tunnel (a scene which is [[NothingIsScarier pretty creepy in its own right]]), [[spoiler:Marlena gets bitten by one of the parasites that fall off of Clover. A few minutes later, when they end up at a first-aid center set up by the military, [[TearsOfBlood her eyes start bleeding uncontrollably]]. Everyone starts freaking out, the staff drag her behind a curtain, and we see a huge splatter of blood against it. [[BodyHorror We explicitly see her body rapidly bloat up like a balloon and explode]]. The sound is understated, and possibly more nauseating for it, like a wet burp.]]
** Doesn't help that [[spoiler:a FreezeFrameBonus reveals ''part of [[BodyHorror her ribcage]]'' after the flesh and organs erupt]].
** When they were entering [[spoiler:the first-aid center, some nurses pass through with another "bitten victim" with their ribcage just ''gone'', so as a little {{Foreshadowing}}]]

*** [[spoiler:[[Film/TheCloverfieldParadox We know now.]]]]

* [[spoiler:As Rob, Hud, and Beth are being evacuated, they watch as Clover is hit with missiles by the military and seemingly goes down. One of the guys cheers, clearly thinking it's over...then a roaring Clover jumps out of the smoke at the helicopter!]] Possibly the JumpScare to end '''all''' Jump Scares.

-->''[[spoiler: It's still alive...]]''

** When they were entering [[spoiler:the first-aid center, some nurses pass through with another "biten victim" with their ribcage just ''gone'', so as a little {{Foreshadowing}}]]

** And, if the brief post-credits audio is anything to go by, [[spoiler: '''''it wasn't enough'''''.]]

----

** And, if the brief post-credits audio is anything to go by, [[spoiler '''''it wasn't enough'''''.]]

*** [[spoiler:[[Film/TheCloverfieldParadox We just did.]]]]

*** There's also the fact that babies have enormous appetites, and in between spooking and running away, Clover has to stop and feed. And it's surrounded by tasty little treats: '''[[ImAHumanitarian Us]]'''.

* [[spoiler:[[{{Stinger}} "It's still alive!"]]]]

*** Or how ''pissed'' Mama's gonna be when she finds her dead baby, assuming it even died from Hammerdown. Let's hope these things aren't capable of plotting revenge...

[[caption-width-right:350:Face to face with nowhere left to run.]]

** And the octane rating only goes up once you get bitten.

* The fact the movie leads with a title card reading "...retrieved from the area formerly known as Central Park."

* [[spoiler:Marlena]]'s fate. While the main characters are walking through a SinisterSubway tunnel (a scene which is [[NothingIsScarier pretty creepy in its own right]]), [[spoiler:Marlena gets bitten by one of the parasites that fall off of Clover. A few minutes later, when they end up at a first-aid center set up by the military, [[TearsOfBlood her eyes start bleeding uncontrollably]]. Everyone starts freaking out, they drag her behind a curtain, and we see a huge splatter of blood against it. [[BodyHorror We explicitly see her body rapidly bloat up like a balloon and explode]]. The sound is understated, and possibly more nauseating for it, like a wet burp.]]
** Doesn't help that [[spoiler:a FreezeFrameBonus reveals part of [[BodyHorror her ribcage]] after the flesh and organs erupt]].
** When they were entering [[spoiler:the first-aid center, some nurses pass through with another "biten victim" with their ribcage just gone so as a little {{Foreshadowing}}]]

--> "..which means they're going to let this whole area go..."
--> "You mean Mid-Town?'
--> "No, I mean Manhattan."

* The scene where Hud comes face-to-face with Clover. We don't even get a cheap JumpScare; he just stares into the camera, takes a sniff, then CHOMP.
* Hell, the whole movie is goddamn terrifying. It is extremely relentless, realistic and, worse yet, exactly feels like you're caught in the middle of a monster attack.

** Babies spook easily, and when Clover gets skittish, buildings crumble. Worse...

** We never see her, but [[FridgeHorror imagine how big and horrid]] the ''mother'' is.
*** Or how ''pissed'' Mama's gonna be when she finds her dead baby. Let's hope these things aren't capable of plotting revenge...

** When they were entering [[spoiler:the first-aid center, some nurses pass through with another "biten victim" with their ribcage just gone so as a little [[{{Foreshadowing}}]]]]

** When they were entering [[spoiler:the first-aid center, some nurses pass through with another "biten victim" with their ribcage just gone so as a little [[Foreshadowing]]]]

* The scene where Hud comes face-to-face with Clover. We don't even get a cheap JumpScare;he just stares into the camera, takes a sniff, then CHOMP.

* Giant tick-things appearing to grin, with eyes glowing in the dark.

---> "I don't feel so good."
* Much like how the original Godzilla was a metaphor for the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there's a good amount of terrifying 9/11 imagery here.

* They're not revealed in the film itself, but you see those tube-like things dangling from Clover's belly? According to behind the scenes material, those are essentially elongated mouths with teethlike fingers that lead into Clover's stomach. Anyone unfortunate to be running underneath them are sucked up and eaten alive. Imagine running for your life, only be sucked up by those things. Or even worse, imagine running with your family, only to watch them get sucked up.
* The exact fate of [[spoiler:Marlena]]. While the main characters are walking through a SinisterSubway tunnel, a scene which is [[NothingIsScarier pretty creepy in its own right]], [[spoiler:Marlena gets bitten by one of the parasites that fall off of the giant monster-thing. A few minutes later, when they end up at a first-aid center set up by the Military, her eyes start bleeding uncontrollably. Everyone starts freaking out, they drag her behind a curtain and we see a huge splatter of blood against it. We explicitly see her body rapidly bloat up like a balloon and explode. The sound is understated- and possibly more nauseating for it, like a wet burp.]]
** Doesn't help that [[spoiler: a FreezeFrameBonus reveals part of [[BodyHorror her rib cage]] after the flesh and organs erupt.]]
* The fate of the crew of the M109-howitzer that Clover crushes (in full view of the camera). One of the guys almost makes it out, and manages to scream before he is squashed.
* [[spoiler: [[{{Stinger}} "It's still alive!"]]]]

** Just consider how bad things have to be for the government to even be willing to flatten all of Manhattan. The entire situation can be summed up by one line of dialogue from the soldier that rescues Rob and his friends after they ask him what Clover is.
-->'''Soldier''': If they know, they ain't telling me. But whatever it is, it's ''winning.''
* The scene where Hud comes face to face with the Monster. We don't even get a cheap jump scare, he just stares into the camera, takes a sniff, then CHOMP.
* Hell, the whole movie is goddamn terrifying. It is extremely relentless, realistic, and worse yet, it exactly feels like you're caught in the middle of a monster attack.

** There's also the fact that babies have enormous appetites, and in between spooking and running away, Clover has to stop and feed. And he's surrounded by tasty little treats -- us.

** Clover's roars are the stuff of nightmares, but special mention goes to where the Hammerdown Protocol rains down on him offscreen. We only have to think about the type of pain it's going through to cause it to unleash a never-ending scream of '''agony'''.

* The exact fate of [[spoiler:Marlena]]. While the main characters are walking through a SinisterSubway tunnel, a scene which is [[NothingIsScarier pretty creepy in its own right]], [[spoiler:Marlena gets bitten by one of the parasites that fall off of the giant monster-thing. A few minutes later, when they end up at a first-aid center set up by the Military, her eyes start bleeding uncontrollably. Everyone starts freaking out, they drag her behind a curtain and we see a huge splatter of blood against it. We explicitly see her body rapidly bloat up like a balloon and explode.]]

** There's also the fact that babies have enormous appetites, and in between spooking and running away, Clover has to stop and feed. And he's surrounded by tasty little treats - us.

** Clover's roars are the stuff of nightmares but special mention goes to where the Hammerdown Protocol rains down on him offscreen. We only have to think about the type of pain it's going through to cause it to unleash a never ending scream of '''agony'''.

** Much like how the original Godzilla was a metaphor for the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there's a good amount of terrifying 9/11 imagery here.
** The fact the movie leads with a title card reading "...retrieved from the area formerly known as Central Park."

** Subverted. Revealed to be dead at the end.