The original Cloverfield movie, released in 2008, told a found footage story of a kaiju attacking New York and saw a low survival rate among the main characters. The story of how a group of friends and loose acquaintances grapple for survival as mayhem descends is all at once harrowing and heartfelt, as they try to find a way off Manhattan Island to get to safety. For most, their struggle seemingly ends in vain, but some Cloverfield characters might have survived to see another day (or a sequel).
The key to Cloverfield’s success lies in its presentation. A lot of monster movies focus on the large scale, with dramatic scenes of soldiers battling the monster with artillery. For the most part, Cloverfield sidesteps these clichés. Instead, it follows a handful of everyday people caught in the attack and takes full advantage of the found footage genre to show the level of chaos and confusion that ensues. The refreshingly different take provides a closer connection to the protagonists and makes those character death all the more meaningful.
Which Characters Survived Cloverfield (2008)
In the Cloverfield ending, only one character survives: Lily. Lily is a friend of main protagonist Rob and the girlfriend of his brother Jason. Lily is last seen towards the end of the movie as she boards a military helicopter. It’s never confirmed whether it is able to take off safely, but there’s nothing to suggest that Lily doesn’t make it out alive. The other helicopter that is carrying Rob and Beth along with the cameraman, Hud, is not nearly so fortunate. The story closes with Rob and Beth hiding together as bombs fall on the city. It’s heavily implied that even though they escape the Cloverfield monster, they don’t survive much longer.
There is a fan-made short film, The Cloverfield Files, which seems to imply Rob could have survived somehow, but it’s little more than a reference to the original movie. However, while only one of the main characters of Cloverfield appears to make it out alive, there are plenty of other people who could have survived the ordeal. Cloverfield‘s opening scenes show a party in Rob’s apartment, introducing a host of side characters. After the kaiju attacks Manhattan and everyone spills out onto the street, they all scatter. How many of them make it out alive has never been confirmed.
Why More Characters Could Appear In A Sequel
Cloverfield has evolved into more of a loosely connected set of stories than a series, but a direct sequel to the original Cloverfield is in development. While Lily is the only member of the original group who survives, a sequel could star Lily while highlighting her trauma as a survivor. This could potentially tell a unique story, focussing on the aftermath of a kaiju attack from the perspective of a survivor and breaking down how that might feel.
An alternative sequel might not be so much a sequel as a sidequel. The original Cloverfield revolves around the story of Rob and Beth, but a moment when the group see another person filming from a bridge suggests that a sequel could tell a different story about another group of people as they attempt to flee the same event. Whether they fare better or worse than the original group, the tale could be no less tense. After The Cloverfield Paradox was panned by critics as a weak addition to the series, a story directly tied to the original movie could do a lot to refresh the franchise.
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