The Found Footage genre contains some of the most unique, creative, and creepy movies in all of horror. By having the audience look through the eyes of the main character, it makes us feel as if we are actually in the room with them. We see what they see and experience what they experience. And although it is true that the genre has become oversaturated as of late, that doesn’t mean there are still not some fantastic movies to be found.
So we compiled this list to share with you 10 of our favorite Found Footage movies. Enjoy.
10: Exists (2014)
Synopsis: Five friends go on a camping trip in East Texas. On their way to the cabin, they strike an unknown animal with their car but by the time they pull over to investigate, the animal is gone. Soon after arriving to the cabin the friends find themselves victims to a monstrous beast that lives in the nearby woods.
On the surface, Exists comes across as another “hidden monster” found-footage movie. It is very typical for these movies to hide the monster until the very end. Exists breaks the mold by showing us the monster several times throughout the movie. We catch glimpses of it, close ups of it, and even witness it’s attack on the unsuspecting campers. Another point in it’s favor is the ending; which ties together everything we’ve seen thus far. It may not be perfect, but it was definitely an entertaining and fun watch.
09: Troll Hunter (2010)
Synopsis: A trio of Norwegian film students set off to make a documentary about a local bear poacher named Hans. They soon discover that there is a lot more to Hans than what they had been told. For he is not a bear poacher but, in fact, a Troll Hunter hired by the government to keep the mythical creatures at bay.
Found Footage movies live or die by immersion. If the audience does not believe that what they are seeing is real, then the movie has failed in its premise. One thing that can immediately ruin the experience is shoddy CGI. Luckily, Troll Hunter can combine special and practical effects to make the Trolls come to life. They are frightening to watch and more importantly, believable. There is not one moment where I felt that the trolls were fake.
But there is more to the movie than pretty special effects. It also has an engaging, suspenseful story that is a lot of fun to watch. Our cast of characters are likable and believable and the action is intense as it is frightening. If you are looking for a different style of Found Footage movie, than you definitely need to check this on out.
08: WER (2013)
Synopsis: French attorney Katherine Moore requests to represent Talan; a gigantic but quiet man who has been accused of a triple homicide. She believes that because of his looks, the locals have accused him of murder without providing any real evidence. She, along with her assistant Gavin, believe that a wild animal is responsible for the killings. What they uncover, however, is far worse than they could ever imagine.
First and foremost I want to talk about the brilliant choice of casting Eagles of Death Metal bass guitarist Brian O’Conner as Talan. Whether he is innocent or not, the 6’8 musician makes for an intimating character. Combine this with a fantastic investigative storyline and an action packed final act and you have yourself a winner. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a unique spin on the werewolf genre.
07: Afflicted (2013)
Synopsis: Friends Clif Prowse and Derek Lee are backpacking around the world for their web series Ends of the Earth. While visiting Barcelona, Derek is seduced by a beautiful woman named Audrey who ends up infected Derek with mysterious disease. Now the two friends must band together to find Audrey and a cure for the disease before it transforms Derek into a blood-thirsty, inhuman monster.
I feel like Found Footage movies tend to focus more on the paranormal than the supernatural. It is this reason that I love Afflicted so much. It focuses more on modern-day vampirism instead spooks and specters. Derek and Clif are quite likable which makes their journey all the more intense as we cannot help but root for them to discover a cure. Afflicted also does a great job at hiding its special effects through camera angles and quick movements, allowing Derek’s supernatural abilities feel that much more realistic. This is a great entry for vampire and found-footage fans alike.
06: Final Prayer (The Borderlands) (2013)
Synopsis: The Vatican sends two priests, a skeptic and a believer, to a remote village that claims to have witnessed a miracle. Instead of a miracle, however, the priests discover the secret and sinister history behind the village’s church. How far will they go to uncover the truth behind this so-called miracle and will their obsession be their end?
Final Prayer is different than the other movies on this list. It’s terror relies more on world-building than jump-scares. A lot of the tension comes from how the village treats the priests. They are wary of outsiders and are not above giving them a hard time about it. However it is the ending. It is the ending that solidifies this movie’s place on this list. It is hard to describe without hyping it too much but for me, personally, it was absolutely terrifying. I don’t know what it is about the ending that struck me as so eerie but it did. For this reason I have to include this movie to the list.
05: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Synopsis: Members of a horror web series break into an abandoned insane asylum in the hopes of unlocking the supposedly haunted Room 402. What starts off as a simple internet live stream ends up becoming something much worse as they encounter entities beyond their wildest imagination.
On the surface there is not much that Gonjiam does that is different than other “haunted asylum” movies. It follows the same beats as others on this list (See Grave Encounters) but ends up carving out a name for itself with its fantastic use of sound editing, set design, and atmosphere. Gonjiam does a great job in building suspense; making us question what is real and what isn’t. But it is the final twenty minutes where things really kick off. It’s rare that I found a movie’s audio disturbing but there is a moment in Gonjiam that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. That alone makes it worthy of this list.
04: The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Synopsis: Three film students vanish while making a documentary about a small town’s urban legend: The Blair Witch. A year later, their equipment and footage is found and released to the public. What we watch are the days leading up to their disappearance.
There is something unsettling about how the Blair Witch Project presents itself. It feels visceral; raw, real. We don’t feel like we are watching a movie but actual found-footage. This is partially thanks to being filmed on Hi-8 film and partially thanks to the phenomenal performance of our three leads. The movie is almost voyeuristic in nature. it is uncomfortable to watch and I daresay the movie is more about the characters’ dissolving friendship than it is about a supernatural entity. Which, of course, makes the finale that much more frightening.
03: Grave Encounters (2011)
Synopsis: A group of phony paranormal investigators host a ghost hunting reality series called Grave Encounters. For the season finale the crew decides to spend the night inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital. It is here where the patients were subjected to horrible experiments by the cruel doctor Arthur Friedkin and it is these patients that the Grave Encounter crew hope to capture on camera. They bite off more than they can chew, however, as the hospital comes to life around them, trapping them in a nightmare from which there is no waking up.
What makes Grave Encounters stand out amongst the crowd is its devotion to world building. It does a fantastic job establishing characters and the horrific history of Collingwood Hospital. This makes it all the scarier when horror kicks in. We know that this is not just some random haunted location but something sinister. To make matters worse; this is not one of those Found Footage movies where the hauntings start off slow and build up to a giant shocking conclusion. But not here. Once the terror starts it does not stop until the end. So do yourself a favor and give this one a chance. I promise you won’t regret it.
02: The Sacrament (2013)
Synopsis: A pair of VICE journalists document a man’s attempt in locating his lost sister who has allegedly joined a cult. The three of them are able to gain access to the cult where they uncover the leader’s sinister, and deadly, plan.
I say this with no exaggeration. The Sacrament is one of the scariest horror movies I have ever seen. It is heavily inspired by the Jonestown Massacre and comes across as so realistic that I could not help but feel uncomfortable throughout the entire movie. It was like watching something perverse and taboo – that I should not be seeing just how dedicated these cult members were to their leader. And although everyone did a bang-up job as their characters; no other could compare to just how creepy Gene Jones comes across as Father Reed. But nothing compares to the final act. I will not go into spoilers but it was probably the most tense I have ever been while watching a horror movie. Definitely a must watch.
01: As Above So Below (2014)
Synopsis: An young archeologist, Scarlett Marlow, believes she has discovered the location of the famed Philosopher’s Stone. She enlists the help of several Paris locals to help her traverse the maze-like catacombs buried beneath the city’s streets. As they delve deeper and deeper into the catacombs the group begins to question whether or not they are still on earth or somewhere much more sinister.
As Above So Below hits the ground running. You learn exactly what kind of movie this is going to be within the first ten minutes; intense, quick, and full of suspense. There is really only one moment throughout the entire movie where we are able to catch our breath and that is during the first act when Scarlett is gathering a team to help her navigate the catacombs. After that; from the moment they step into the catacombs to the final scene – we are bombarded a nonstop thrill ride of horror, mystery, and suspense. One part Da Vinci Code, one part Dante’s Inferno – As Above So Below is everything I love in a Found Footage movie. I can watch it over and over again without ever getting bored. I cannot recommend it enough. Do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself when you have the chance.
Do you agree with our list? Let us know in the comments below!