Director Matt Reeves’ 2008 found footage horror film, Cloverfield, follows five young New Yorkers as they face catastrophe and the onslaught of an inexplicable monster with mysterious origins; however, one theory suggests there could actually be two monsters. Produced by Star Trek’s (2009) J.J. Abrams, the film was met with positive reviews from fans and critics. The 2008 film spawned two sequels and a tie-in manga featuring the horrifying monster known as Clover.
Cloverfield begins at a going away party where the three primary characters Rob (Michael Stahl-David), Hud (T.J. Miller), and Beth (Odette Yustman) are introduced. As the party comes to a close, partygoers are shocked to find the Statue Of Liberty’s head hurled in front of them and Hud records a monster in the distance. As Beth is trapped in her apartment, Hud, Rob, and other party attendees travel across New York City to rescue her. It ends with Rob and Beth proclaiming their love to one another, shortly followed by screams and roars from the monster.
The film offers little to no explanation regarding what the monster is or where it came from. Its follow-up, 10 Cloverfield Lane released eight years later, in 2016, and revealed that the monster’s mayhem in Cloverfield has spread across the country. The 2018 Netflix original third installment, The Cloverfield Paradox, answers the question of the monster’s origins. It takes place in 2028 when a space crew accidentally opens the door to parallel universes. As the film comes to a close, the Cloverfield monster bursts through the sky. The fan theory of two monsters is specifically allocated to the discourse surrounding the 2008 film, and based on a mother-child scenario.
Could Cloverfield Have Two Monsters?
As the fan theory suggests, Cloverfield’s primary monster may be in a mother-child scenario where the lost and confused child is not conscious of the damage it is causing. As the third film details, the creature came from a parallel universe. Therefore, it would not have the same earthly concept of destruction. Furthermore, the theory suggests that when the veil between parallel universes was blown open, the child fell through, and got lost on Earth. This would mean Cloverfield is a found footage film about a monstrous child's search for its equally monstrous mother.
This theory is nearly airtight, but requires mathematical equations and algebraic formulas to come to the conclusion that there are two monsters. In one instance, the monster appears to be approximately twenty feet larger than it did previously. Fans have utilized infographics for locating the approximate dimensions of the Cloverfield monster as well as the real-life heights, widths, and lengths of the structures that the monster destroys. There are also specific instances where the creature looks much older, and then suddenly younger. It is perhaps one of the most complex fan theories on the monster or monsters, but is backed up with a lot of research and dedication.
Cloverfield’s fan theory that there are two monsters rather than one is highly probable. This is due to the fact that the monster should have a purpose or something that drives it towards the destruction it is causing, as well as the intricate details that fans have noted alongside their proposed mathematical equations. If the Cloverfield franchise ever gets a fourth installment, hopefully it will address this theory regarding whether the original film depicted only one monster or two.