This Explains It!

What's Behind ‘Cloverfield' Illness?

Wave of Nausea Hits Moviegoers

By Michael W. Smith
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

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Jan. 22, 2008 -- Scan the news and blogs and not only do you see that Cloverfield had a record-breaking opening weekend, but there was an unforeseen side effect: nausea. And it didn't come from the popcorn, or the writing -- but the camerawork.

In Cloverfield, a giant monster attacks Manhattan. The problem -- at least for those prone to motion sickness -- is that it's all filmed through a very jerky handheld camera.

"I saw it this weekend and was so sick to my stomach that I had to leave the theater," says Sara Butler, a WebMD programming manager. "I have a friend who's an EMT in New Jersey, and she was called to several theaters this weekend to deal with people who were sick."

While motion sickness is usually caused by plane, boat, or car movement, bumpy camerawork could definitely do it, too.

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting messages from the inner ear, the eyes, and other parts of the body.

While watching Cloverfield, viewers were sitting still in their seats, so their inner ear was telling their body they were motionless. But the bumpy camera movements -- and their eyes -- misled them into thinking they were moving around erratically.

These conflicting messages to the brain lead to symptoms of motion sickness, most notably nausea. Other symptoms include vomiting, headache, and sweating.