Cloverfield (2008)

On the night that five friends throw a going-away party, a giant monster attacks Manhattan. The film depicts their attempts to survive the attack, all of which is recorded and then replayed on a handheld video camera. Rob (Michael Stahl-David) records Beth (Odette Yustman) after sleeping with her for the first time. The video, being recorded over, then cuts to one month later, where Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and his girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) are planning a surprise going-away party for Rob, who has accepted a job in Japan. Jason gives "Hud" (T. J. Miller) the task of documenting Rob's last night in the United States and recording farewell messages to Rob from party guests. Hud also attempts to attract the attention of Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), his love interest. A confrontation occurs between Rob and Beth after it is revealed that the two friends had sex with each other, and Beth leaves the party with her date. The building suddenly shakes, a loud noise is heard, and large parts of the city briefly lose power. From the roof, the friends see a large explosion in the distance and they flee to the street, where the head of the Statue of Liberty lands as further explosions and a gigantic creature is glimpsed in the distance. As the friends attempt to leave Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge, they stop when Rob receives a phone call from Beth, who is trapped in her apartment. Jason is killed when the creature destroys the bridge. U.S. Military ground forces arrive to battle the creature, while Rob and his remaining friends resolve to rescue Beth. As they make their way to Beth's apartment, they are attacked by smaller insect-like creatures in the subway tunnel. During the scuffle, Marlena is bitten by one while saving Hud. Eventually the group finds shelter and reaches a US Army field hospital. Marlena begins to bleed through various orifices and is dragged off behind a screen where her stomach then explodes. The surviving friends resolve to continue to Beth's apartment, but before they leave, a soldier warns them of the government's "Hammer Down" policy: if the military cannot contain the creature, the entire island of Manhattan will be bombed. After receiving information regarding the ongoing evacuation of the city, the remaining three friends continue to Beth's apartment, which has nearly toppled. Finding Beth alive, but injured, they make their way to the evacuation site, where Lily is placed in the last seat of a departing helicopter. Rob, Beth and Hud board another helicopter, which is damaged by the creature during a military assault, and crashes in Central Park. They survive the crash, but Hud is killed by the creature after inadvertently filming it close up. Taking the camera, Rob and Beth take shelter under a bridge, where they each briefly address anyone who might find the film. Air-raid sirens sound, and an explosion collapses the bridge, partially covering the camera with debris. Rob and Beth proclaim their love for each other before a second explosion completely covers the camera in rubble. The final scene returns to the recorded-over footage from the month before, where Rob and Beth are enjoying a date at Coney Island. Something splashes into the water on the horizon, hinting at the monster's origins.

Links:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four