The genre of found footage horror films is still relatively new compared to creature features or slashers that have graced our screens for as long as we can remember. However, being a relatively new genre means there are plenty of exciting and innovative entries, so here are the best.
As Above So Below
Where to stream: Netflix
It’s hard not to fall into the same basic formula when it comes to found footage horror movies. There are times when you feel like once you’ve seen one found footage horror movie, you’ve seen them all. At times, As Above So Below can feel generic, especially regarding its leading character. However, for every unoriginal trope in the film, plenty of imaginative sequences use its filmmaking style to the fullest. Serving as a unique interpretation of Dante’s Inferno, As Above So Below is a must-watch for some intense found footage scares.
The Blair Witch Project
Where to Stream: Peacock
This classic found footage horror movie is often considered to be the one that started it all (though that isn’t necessarily the case; more on that later). The Blair Witch Project features an unprecedented level of guerilla filmmaking and storytelling that puts its actors through the wringer. Telling a story about three college students looking for a myth and ending up down a rabbit hole of uncertainty and ambiguity as they become lost in the woods. The film is the perfect example of how unseen horror can be scarier than anything explicitly shown and whose style is replicated to this day.
Paranormal Activity
Where to stream: Max
Another landmark in the genre is the first Paranormal Activity film, whose creativity and structure would lead to a myriad of spinoffs and sequels that would never quite recapture the magic of this first film. With an inspired marketing campaign and scares that felt a little too real despite its paranormal backdrop, this found footage film would be a resounding box office success and feature an unsettling ending that’s one of the scariest on this entire list.
Late Night With the Devil
Where to stream: Hulu
Late Night With the Devil is the newest film in the found footage genre on this list, focusing on late-night talk show host Jack Delroy. With his talk show Night Owls struggling to maintain viewership, Delroy attempts to take one last shot at relevance with a Halloween-themed special episode featuring the paranormal, with the films serving as found footage of the live recording before it went horribly wrong. With an impeccable performance from David Dastmalchian and genuinely frightening moments thanks to its lost media aesthetic, Late Night With the Devil shows that the found footage genre still has life.
Host
Where to stream: AMC+
For every uninspired Paranormal Activity sequel, there are more inspired efforts in the found footage genre, such as Host. Host takes place entirely through an online video call and features a group of six friends who find themselves victims to a demonic possession thanks to their online séance. The film feels like a modern-day spiritual successor to Paranormal Activity, transporting those themes and scares into a modern online horror landscape. The resulting film is genuinely a product of its time, as its release during the 2020 quarantine and pandemic helped to cope with some real-world fears.
V/H/S/85
Where to stream: Shudder
The V/H/S series of films are remarkable for their anthology format and the number of creatives joining each installment to bring their found-footage story to life. V/H/S/85 stands out in particular, with horror directors such as Scott Derrickson and Gigi Saul Guerrero joining the series to leave their own grisly marks on the franchise. It’s Derrickson’s entry in this installment of the series that stands out the most, especially because it’s connected to his 2021 film The Black Phone.
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Cloverfield
Where to stream: Paramount+
The J.J. Abrams-produced and Matt Reeves-directed found-footage film is part horror and part monster movie, played to viewers like a confidential government archive of a recovered camcorder the night a monster decimated New York. Told entirely from the perspective of a handheld camera meant to document a going away party, Cloverfield is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. There aren’t many monster movies quite like Cloverfield, as the film hides the monster behind debris and terror for most of the runtime, and the camera’s perspective looking up at the destruction makes audiences feel small and vulnerable. It’s an inspired entry in the found footage genre that shouldn’t be missed.
One Cut of the Dead
Where to stream: AMC+
One Cut of the Dead isn’t entirely structured around the found-footage genre. However, the parts of the film that use it help elevate this zombie horror comedy film. Embracing low-budget filmmaking, this meta-zombie story tells the story of the fictional production of a zombie film before things become incredibly real and dangerous as actual zombies invade the production. It’s a more light-hearted watch compared to other films on this list, and despite its grim premise, the movie manages to keep things humorous.
The Visit
Where to stream: Max
Legendary Director M. Night Shyamalan had faced a series of critical failures before 2015’s The Visit would help to re-establish the filmmaker as one of the best. Going back to his roots and self-financing the movie himself, The Visit has Shyamalan playing in the found-footage genre with an intense thriller about two children who visit their maternal grandparents only to slowly discover that something is off about the elderly couple. The Visit is Shyamalan in top form, using the genre to its fullest as this style of filmmaking lends itself especially well to the director’s knack for twists and the unexpected.
Unfriended
Where to stream: Netflix
Unfriended is another horror film based on found footage that takes place on the social media landscape. The world of the internet has opened up a whole new avenue for directors and writers to produce scares, and similar to Host, it uses desktop interfaces to tell its chilling story. Online hauntings are hard to pull off, but Unfriended takes a unique angle, blending the supernatural with the cyber world that was considered experimental at the time of its release. Found footage was no longer restricted to the format of cassettes or camera recordings — a laptop screen can capture some horrors of its own as well.
The Sacrament
Where to stream: Peacock
Before A24 distributed the slasher X trilogy, Ti West would leave his mark on another horror genre with the 2013 found-footage film The Sacrament. Revolving around two fiction VICE journalists as they explore the inner workings of a reclusive cult, The Sacrament would take inspiration from the real-life tragedy of the Jonestown Massacre. This film is a slow burn similar to The Blair Witch Project and is a descent into madness that also serves as a somber commentary on how real-life violence is scarier than anything that can be put on screen.
V/H/S
Where to stream: Peacock
The original V/H/S film didn’t receive the best reviews at the time of its release. However, it should be included on this list because of how its format and storytelling structure would lead to countless more inspired sequels, spawning a franchise filled with so many creative scares and stories. This first entry also features segments by directors who would later become more famous, such as Adam Wingard and Ti West. It doesn’t get more found footage than V/H/S, and this first film is the perfect entry point into the series.
The Last Broadcast
Where to stream: AMC+
Released a full year before The Blair Witch Project, The Last Broadcast could technically be considered the first film to employ the use of found footage in its storytelling to create a compelling and terrifying film. However, Blair Witch would end up having a more considerable impact and legacy after its release. Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out this film, which chronicles a documentary filmmaker and Journalist who sets out to discover the truth behind a series of murders.
And those are the best found footage horror movies.
Published: Oct 22, 2024 02:52 pm