10 Scariest Found Footage Movies that don't rely (or not so much) on jumpscares.

Can be assumed that the two most overtly exploited elements in horror to date are jumpscares and the Found Footage format; both of them dating back to decades ago.

Eventually, their impact has grown dim and their approaches repetitive (the majority can tell when a jumpscare is about to occur and no one, neophyte or expert, is stranger to the asylum-haunted house-exorcism Found Footage film). On top of that, there are countless of exemplars that grasp the two sloppily.

Nevertheless, a handful of preeminent examples embrace both elements in an excellent manner, providing a scary experience without feeling worn out or over repetitive. Keep in mind, the amount is not the account.

Be My Cat: A Film For Anne.

No film in this list leans as much on a single character as Be My Cat. Adrien Tofei's chops are some of the best ever captured on a soon-to-be-found-footage record.

The guy potraits himself during the movie and is so devoted to his character (or, I hope not, personality) that even when you see his comments on Youtube videos, you can't help but thinking the guy was not acting at all.

Leading up to an ambigous ending, the jorney is nothing but a hellride with plenty of the most tense and intense moments in any Found Footage film. I'm still wondering what are Anne Hathaway's thoughts on this. 

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqnw4Pf2yrg

Noroi: The Curse.

Noroi offers something that the vast majority of Found Footage films lack and seem unwilling to provide: good pacing.

With a run time of almost two hours (more than half an hour over the average format effort) and noticeably more detailed and deepened, this Japanese movie is one of the scariest experiences in horror cinema.

Watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3RFPd0YvP0

Hell House LLC.

Yes, there are a few jumpscares thrown here and there throughout, but they do not diminish the impact of the overall film nor are the go-to to bring up the scares.

Just a handful of films craft such compelling setting and provide the variety of elements used in the first installment of the Hell House franchise (a prequel and fourth entry is in the making as you are reading this).

The amount of movies this perfect for Halloween is not lavish. Indeed, this website is named after it. No better recommendation can be given. 

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1UdTVpJ7GM 

Lake Mungo.

The very last moments from Lake Mungo are among the most startling sequences in Found Footage history.

Currently deemed a cult classic, this mockumentary compensates its flaws (especially the poor pacing) with a couple of interesting, yet not staggering or inconceivable, twists and a masterfully executed last segment. 

The movie does not rely on jumpscares, but within lies one so well-crafted and placed that I am not afraid in labelling it as the best and scariest in the format. 

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PJm8aj3-Mg

Savageland.

Undoubtedly, the most novel and unique film in the list, Savageland is a remarkable example of "the less you see it, the more you fear it". The only big difference is that you do see what happens.

Technically not a Found Footage in form but in essence, the movie focuses on the aftermath of a terrible and brutal riot. 

We are given the hotspots and our imagination is free to make the connections and conceptualize the very film.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyJLF1cL2r0

Creep.

It it weren't for the aforementioned Adrien Tofei, Mark Duplass would make it to the top in the performance department.

Tapping into its brief lifetime in order to go all out from start to end, Creep is very uncomfortable to watch at times, although the final experience is sort of rewarding.

Short in run time but with a lingering outburst, Creep is a must watch for any horror fan.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgyN48-Jmos

Cult.

The animesque nature of the film might condition the horror aspect for some viewers, but Cult's charming ilk depends on those that can be considered its flaws.

Incredibly amusing and eerie in equal measure, Cult can be considered a prime example of the virtues and drawbacks of the beloved, and progressively more renowned, J-Horror.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHAKX7X9Ew0

Mother of Monsters.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable and acute movie in the list, Mother of Monsters budgeons your senses with no mercy. The movie is really alike in concept to Be my cat and moves along a similar line: monsters are closer to what most individuals think and we do know it.

Very over the top and avant-garde for the Found Footage format without necessarily being edgy (in spite of crossing the boundaries a couple of times), M.O.M. annoys, scares and supplies satisfaction.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKcujIYl9Sc&t=284s

Antrum.

Horror movies trying to break the fourth wall are a pitiful attempt to gaining attention and making the viewer feel disturbed. Antrum is no exception; but what it lacks in originality, it makes it up for a dense and dusky atmosphere and a fair few of creepy and barely bearable scenes.

Antrum knows how to make you feel uneasy, regardless of a deficient initial premise and execution.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3FGzAqMfuw

Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County.

There was a time in which aliens were the forefront in horror; from the seventies all the way to the beginning of the new millenium, outwarldly visitors experienced a blossom in films and recordings.

No movie has better depicted how scary could it be to get to know them in the flesh as Alien Abduction. Holding up astonishingly well for its time (more than twenty years), this Found Footage effort has scares and thrills galore.

Being a remake of the original 1989 The McPherson Tape (which hasn't aged as well but is still worth-checking), Alien Abduction offers the best alien experience in Found Footage.

Watch Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County  (1998) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPIO72sJZNU

Watch The McPherson Tape (1989) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCMkzICxFeA&t=1067s