The 50 Best Horror Found Footage Movies Of All Time
"Pablo, ¡grábalo todo por tu puta madre!"
-Ángela Vidal (REC, 2007)
The definitive list of the love-it-or-hate-it format's output. Behold the 50 best movies this controversial filming technique has to offer.
50. As Above So Below (2014)
Country: USA/France
Run time: 93 minutes
We start off with one of the most renowned movies in the field. As Above So Below is a very contrasting movie that casts as strengths its fascinating setting, the catacombs in Paris, and a vastly polished poduction.
Nevertheless, those that can be deemed as weaknesses really abate its overall display; cheap jumpscares galore and questionable acting at best do not help at all.
Where to watch?: Netflix
49. Willow Creek (2013)
Country: USA
Run time: 79 minutes
Willow Creek relies on the customary simplicity abundant in Found Footage, but its charming atmosphere can be highlighted over the format's average.
Its first half is an amusing introduction and depiction of the aura and mystery sorrounding the legendary Bigfoot. The second one features one of the best made sequences in the area; a 16-minute scene in which fear and tension pervade all over.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I91ImXtvlbM
48. Antrum (2019)
Country: USA
Run time: 94 minutes
Antrum is one of those movies whose intention is to make you feel unnerved by appealing to its breaking-the-fourth-wall premise of cursed tape/movie.
And, though cheap and pretentious, it does have a couple of tricks under its sleeve; scenes that can be barely bearable at times and a very dull imagery, atmosphere and plot. Love it or hate it, it is guaranteed to not make you feel indifferent.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
47. Mr. Jones (2013)
Country: USA
Run time: 83 minutes
For the parameters in Found Footage Mr. Jones is surprisingly well-crafted. It possesses a fine production and the effects are decent. The makeup and costume and setting design is also a point to highlight.
The problem with Mr. Jones is not how it looks like but how it is. There are some very interesting ideas here and there but the execution lacks coherence and thought. It is a very entertaining movie with a nice atmosphere regardless.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd2ZB7B1euI
46. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
Country: USA
Run time: 84 minutes
The Paranormal Activity franchise is the total antithesis of regularity and consistence. It was a miracle that after countless spin-offs and vulgar sequels we got a decent entry that changed basically nothing in its formula.
How did they pull it off? That is pretty much the miracle. A change of setting, side characters, some latin flavor and a very (surprising?) and incoherent plot twist managed to provide the most rewatchable sequel in the franchise since it started.
Where to watch?: Paramount+, Prime Video
45. Survive The Hollow Shoals (2018)
Country: USA
Run time: 76 minutes
It is astonishing the effectiveness that simplicity can have. Survive The Hollow Shoals is the simplest movie in the whole list, but it demonstrates that in spite of multiple limitations good Found Footage can still be produced.
All it has is a guy with a viral challenge, his camera, the woods and, you guessed it, something out of place that gets increasingly more disturbing. Hope you find amusement in its simple proposal.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpRTrs997Bw
44. Found Footage 3D (2016)
Country: USA
Run time: 102 minutes
It is rather pleasant when clichés are gotten rid of and novel and refreshing proposals are provided. Now, that does not mean that as a result of this we will get a good product.
Original premises are not equal to quality. Screamers is a good exemplification of this. However, quality and uniqueness sometimes go hand to hand and we get pictures like Found Footage 3D. Taking out the duration and some cheap jumpscares, you have a refreshing movie that has more virtues than flaws.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk2cbRBFEFA
43. Home Movie (2008)
Country: USA
Run time: 76 minutes
Most Found Footage movies rely on their premises and the originality of the scares or the plot, but few are so character-driven as Home Movie. It is even more impressive when you realize its protagonists are two children.
Children and horror go well together, and this spot is no exception. A little spoiler here: if you are not into ornaments of cats potraying Jesus Christ, it may be better for you to skip this one.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mYkbr9Qcxo
42. The Tunnel (2011)
Country: Australia
Run time: 90 minutes
The issue I have with The Tunnel is that I appraise it as overrated; slightly overrated. The aforementioned statement does not mean it is a bad film, but one that does not deserve all the hype on social media or crtics' circles.
Almost guaranteed is the fact that you will see it ranking high in top lists and it has been awarded several times. Now, in defiance of this, I will always defend this picture because it is just great. Once you watch it you will get why my statements do not lack coherence. With enough quality to be highlighted but not enough quality to be called an all-time great.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-4XsadzovY&list=PLq4yXWRNrtL87Db3ZvcO1lT7yA7JkiV4k&index=1
41. Megan Is Missing (2011)
Country: USA
Run time: 89 minutes
Found Footage has benefited greatly from the distribution on social networks. Tik Tok has introduced neophytes and young generations to this type of movies by means of reels. One of the movies that was largely discussed and talked about was Megan is Missing.
This movie has been out there for more than a decade but last year it was relived by thousands of people putting it in the limelight. In regard to the movie, it is one of the most realistic experiences found in the outlook and has its very particular way of being scary without relying on cheap jumpscares or over-the-top effects.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZIX_YoJdRo
40. Godforsaken (2020)
Country: Canada
Run time: 80 minutes
Normally, Found Footage movies take their time to craft a believable set up to justify their mere existence and display. Seldom is the time we get a glimpse of wildness and riot from the very beginning. Godforsaken does that and thinks: How about starting off with a funeral that goes wrong?
Afterwards, you have a movie that, at times, feels lost for wandering off a bit too much due to its plot twists not being that interesting. Because of its initial sequence and a couple of sequences halfway and at the end, it is better than the ten movies mentioned before (and the thousands before those).
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCEfLyEzE7k
39. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Country: South Korea
Run time: 91 minutes
As years go by, we have gotten Western (mostly American) adaptations of Asian classics with catasthophic results; few are great (Ringu's adaptation The Ring) and others are flops (basically any other adaptation out there). Right here, it is the other way around.
Gonjiam feels like an Eastern adaptation of Grave Encounters [p. 5] though it is not. Its main advantage and strength is the setting; its haunted asylum is real and is considered as one of the most haunted spots in the world. Besides that, it does not reach Grave Encounters heights, but that does not take away how entertaining and frightening it is.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsBI565UPFg
38. Frankenstein's Army (2013)
Country: Czech Republic/Netherlands/USA
Run time: 84 minutes
With the proposals and plots found in Found Footage we cannot really talk about absurdity. Nevertheless, from the many movies that manage to be absurd in spite of this Frankenstein's Army may be te craziest.
The movie in a nutshell: Doctor Frankenstein has been hired by the Nazi army in order to create super robotic soldiers out of humans and, by doing so, prevent Hitler's campaign from failing. The rest you really have to watch it.
Where to watch?: Prime Video or TV channel Pánico (they broadcast it really often)
37. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Country: USA
Run time: 94 minutes
Let us put it plainly. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones [p. 46] is the most rewatchable sequel in the franchise, but Paranormal Activity 3 is the best. This movie compound has always been uneven and unpredictable.
The first installment is a behemot and game-changer in Found Footage. The second one was a pioneer in establishing the usage of security cameras but it was a total flop. On the other hand, the third effort was much better wihtout reinventing anything or using something novel. The house sequence towards the end belongs to the Olimpus of scariest endings in this type of making movies.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
36. The Fourth Kind (2009)
Country: UK/USA
Run time: 98 minutes
The Fourth Kind deeply affected me as a teenager. It has been one of the scariest, and purest, experiences I have endured concerning Found Footage. It also taught me how to handle the "actual footage" hoax.
The plot, way more pretentious than necessary, presents a movie that is not Found Footage in its entirety, but the "real" segments and recordings using the tecnique are scary and interesting enough to assure a spot in the top.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BimIet_iiQE
35. Inner Demons (2014)
Country: USA
Run time: 85 minutes
In a previous post I have mentioned that the majority of characters in Found Footage (and horror as a whole) are just means of getting a point accross by killing or getting rid of them without providing a decent background or development.
Inner Demons is not Schindler's List or The Godfather, but at least it tries to give development to its protagonists. Hardly any movie in the format dares to craft a romance out of the usual tragedy abundant in horror. This one sort of succeeds at it.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8xOU_2zF4U
34. Incantation (2022)
Country: Taiwan
Run time: 111 minutes
Annually, the media hypes up an Asian horror movie claiming it to be the scariest of all time. The truth is that none of them live up to statement attributed and just a handful of them turn out to be actual good films.
Incantation is a flick that, despite not reinventing the wheel, utilizes its tools and plays its cards in a very compelling way. In a similar vein to Antrum [p. 48] in terms of premise (cursed tape/film) but quite more convincing and scary, it is one of the best horror movies avialable on Netflix.
Where to watch?: Netflix
33. Dabbe 3: Bir Cin Vakasi (2012)
Country: Turkey
Run time: 119 minutes
Had this top been made based on how scary the movies are, Dabbe 3 would have ended up top 3, easily. The third installment in the popular (at least in Turkey) franchise is the best and the most horrifying.
Now, I am pretty sure the question here is "Why is not this movie higher in the list?" The explanation is quite simple. It is definitely and genuinely scary, but rather often boundaries are really pushed and the spooky turns into something avant-garde and absurd. The difference with movies with similar issues like Cult [p. 24] is that the latter makes its absurdity fun while Dabbe's dead serious tone does not achieve that.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAr8Wxw0xls
32. Evidence (2012)
Country: USA
Run time: 78 minutes
Evidence is the epitome of playing it safe but playing it well. We get a very standard movie structure and, excepting the ending segment, we have a linear movie that does not take risks at all.
The aforementioned lines might make it see like it is a plain and subpar movie; it is not. There are reasons that back up its position here. A small amount of Found Footage movies are able to keep up with Evidence in regard to how exciting and gripping they can get. The only thing preventing this flick from being higher is the horrendous protagonists it has. But let us be honest, that is a flaw in almost all movies in the field.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5iY7ofzZSM
31. The Devil's Doorway (2018)
Country: Northern Ireland
Run time: 76 minutes
The Devil's Doorway came through to prove that the already then (and still now) worn out demonic possession trend was yet approachable and able to be scary.
It possesses a very distinctive flavor and ambience, usual in British cinema, and the acting is suprisingly good (measured against the average in Found Footage). Do not expect a movie breaking new ground, but one covering it in the best way possible by making its point clear since the get-go.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pGd-39jtLw
30. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Country: Italy/Colombia
Run time: 95 minutes
Scarcely any movie truly lives up to what it claims to be. Nonetheless, the thirtieth spot in the list, Cannibal Holocaust, does it with its "The most controversial film ever made" billing.
Just imagine being pressed with charges for a film you made and, ironically, for bad reasons. Ruggero Deodato, the director behind the flick, was charged for obscenity and for allegations of it being a snuff film; the violence and murders against humans were thought to be real, which of course was not true. Unfortunately, there were no allegations for the actual and factual animal cruelty display. The results? Seven animals killed. Six of them on screen.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=915utyZXZTI
29. JeruZalem (2016)
Country: Israel
Run time: 94 minutes
Mainstream streaming platforms are not the ideal form of getting proper horror; Shudder can be the only exception but it is integrally devoted to everything in the scope of horror. That is why Netflix would be one of the last sources in which I would have expected to find a good horror film.
Not only it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, but it also ended up being one of my favorite Found Footage movies. The setting, the historical Jerusalem, is second to none, and the occurences taking place through its labyrinthine streets and "sacred" constructions offer no shortage of action, fear and chaos. On the outside it may not seem like a very attractive option, but it landed within the top 30's boundaries for solid motives.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
28. The Atticus Institute (2015)
Country: USA
Run time: 92 minutes
Movies with the scammers-getting-what-they-had-coming plot tend to be inmensely rewarding. Many examples can be brought up in the likes of The Last Exorcism or The Atticus Institute.
From producers of blockbusters such as Annabelle or The Conjuring, one could expect no less than a nice production. We got even more than we expected; The Attitcus Institute looks gorgeous; it has cool effects and when it needs and wants to get scary, it does it with no remorse.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5natZPUBy7k
27. Last Radio Call (2022)
Country: USA
Run time: 76 minutes
Last Radio Call is the Found Footage equivalent of Outlast to the horror videogame industry. Not as renowned or influential, but aesthetic-wise they are extremely alike. Its relenthless approach towards the viewer is also another similarity.
Kings Of Horror, a community which has as main residence Youtube, has made sure to share and promote indie horror by providing the opportunity of distribution for filmmakers with great ideas and scanty budget. Last Radio Call is the best movie that has come out from there, at least in the Found Footage universe.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvGNNbeUuI4&list=PLq4yXWRNrtL87Db3ZvcO1lT7yA7JkiV4k&index=51
26. Alien Abduction: Incident In Lake County (1998)
Country: USA
Run time: 89 minutes
Do not let the ludicrous and horrendous movie poster (or any of the others out there that are equally terrible) fool you. It is the best you can get in regard to aliens in Found Footage as an entire movie (Slumber Party: Alien Abduction rivals it but for being just a segment it falls short).
There is a point in which finding it might get confusing because of being the remake of the 1989 film of the same director under the name of Alien Anduction: The McPherson Tape. While the latter has not aged quite gracely, the one occupying this spot is one of the finest experiences in the format undeterred by its age and limitations.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heo_F5EuMVw
25. V/H/S 94 (2021)
Country: USA/Indonesia
Run time: 103 minutes
The first two entries in the V/H/S universe set the bar way too high for the franchise itself and for Found Footage in general. Nonetheless, V/H/S Viral set it way too low. Afterwards, V/H/S 94 brought back the saga from the brink of extinction.
It may not feature segments as Amateur Night, 10/31/98 (both from the first movie), Safe Haven or A Ride In The Park (from the second installment), but it offered something rarely seen before or since: consistency. It as well bestowed a set of iconic monsters and entitites with the likes of Raatma, the zombie in The Empty Wake, the vampire in Terror or the robotic abominations in The Subject.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPkU1rZxVDQ
24. Cult (2013)
Country: Japan
Run time: 84 minutes
Can a product from Found Footage be funny and terrifying at the same time?. Of course it can. Deadstream [p. 11] is an excellent and modern exemplification of this. But way before that movie J-Horrror (specifically the renowned Kôji Shiraishi ) released Cult and blew everybody's mind.
The theme in Cult and the ambience are sheer and pure horror. However, there is a point in which the movie goes off the rails and turns into something absurd. The advantage of this situation is that it is totally intentional and it does tap into it. Few movies are this representative of all the qualitites that make J-Horror so distinctive.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2lZVIIWdCA
23. Murder Death Koreatown (2020)
Country: USA
Run time: 80 minutes
Found Footage definitely needs more pictures and features like Murder Death KoreaTown. Its murder case is real and it is the starting point for the rest of the movie. What is great about the film is that it is hard to tell when that introduction ends and when the movie begins.
If you seek information about it ,you will end up in a dead end; thera are no names for the directos, producers or the cast. Hell, it was even released anonimously. There is no experience in Found Footage that feels and is more realistic that this movie right here.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
22. The Taking Of Deborah Logan (2014)
Country: USA
Run time: 90 minutes
Not many horror Found Footage films are capable of conveying emotions the way The Taking Of Deborah Logan does. Its plot is saddening enough to draw you in . Furthermore, another aspect that sets it apart from similar movies like The Last Exorcism is the quality.
This picture is superior, scarier and knows how to deliver good scares. While watching it you will find one of the most shocking and iconic scenes in all of horror cinema. A must watch for any horror viewer.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCpGUIS3PME
21. The Monster Project (2017)
Country: USA
Run time: 99 minutes
The Monster Project is the very definition of hell breaking loose.. This freak fest is what we would call the peak of the development of a cinematic universe leading towards a massive confrontation (e.g. Final Wars in Tōhō's Godzilla or Justice League in DCEU). Of course, without a structured cinematic universe.
Are you into demons? Are you a fan of vampires? What about skinwalkers? Well. here you have a taste of them all. Really scary from time to time, but truly exciting and thrilling above all. Out of all the movies in the list The Monster Project is the last one in which I would like to be.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpWC7KBKSjk
20. The Fear Footage (2018)
Country: USA
Run time: 71 minutes
The Fear Footage draws a direct comparison with the V/H/S franchise; the thing is that it is compared with the latter's big guns. It is also aware of this comparison and, besides the anthology film approach, does not want to go any further regarding the development.
While the pivotal part of the V/H/S universe, the main story that attaches all the others, is one of the lowest points in the overall picture, in The Fear Footage we have a more even film whose main story is the one that shines the most. Unquestionably, it is one of the hardest to watch as well.
Where to watch?: https://ww8.soap2dayhd.co/film/the-fear-footage-28705/
19. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
Country: USA
Run time: 86 minutes
Due to being more a format and filming technique than a proper subgenre, you can find ramifications and subgenres in a Found Footage presentation. There exists at least a movie about the subgenre you can think of (with Giallo being the only exception).
The Poughkeepsie Tapes is often and wrongly considered as a snuff film or an exploitation one. The movie of course is not real (although the story upon which it has been based is) and is not very graphic either. Few Found Footage movies are in the boundaries of extreme cinema. The Poughkeepsie Tapes is but not for its presentation but for its context.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
18. M.O.M. Mothers Of Monsters (2020)
Country: USA
Run time: 98 minutes
One of the very few movies in the top 20 to not address paranormal entities or monsters (yes, it does not do that despite its title) Mothers Of Monsters is a very complex exercise in tension and the so-believed "unbreakable" bonds and boundaries among people being broken.
Deemed as too much at times, it swings effortlessly between edginess and deep and clever fear. Out of all the movies in the list, it is the one with the biggest impact, which lingers long after you are done watching it.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKcujIYl9Sc&t=284s
17. The Borderlands (2013)
Country: UK
Run time: 89 minutes
It is extremely hard to find a Found Footage movie with no weak spots. The Borderlands is a rock solid picture that is able to be one of the best movies in the format ranking high in most of the aspects in which other movies limp.
The acting, a recurrent issue in the purview, is very competent; the movie tells itself in a very compelling way; it is nicely shot and its monster reveal is one of the most incredible and spine-chilling in horror cinema. A British movie too good even for British horror standards.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
16. V/H/S (2012)
Country: USA
Run time: 116 minutes
There are movies that I avoid in order to not spoil the experience or the impact they had on me by rewatching them several times; plenty of films here are a prime example of this since I have watched them twice or thrice at most.
With V/H/S I do not experience that issue. On the contrary, the more I watch it, the more I like it and the more I discover. I am sure that If this top were made right before watching it again, it would be a couple of spots higher. Indubitably, this is Hell House VMM's favorite Found Footage effort.
Where to watch?: Prime Video, Shudder
15. Be My Cat: A Film For Anne (2015)
Country: Romania
Run time: 87 minutes
Eventually, the agreement between the viewer and the Found Footage movie in turn grows weaker, breaks and needs to be rearranged. What agreement am I referring to? Easy, the one that the viewer accepts about taking the movie's story as real in order to keep the escence of the subgenre.
Found Footage's purpose and main mean of keeping it is tricking the casual watcher into thinking that the footage being watched is real. Veteran audiences have undergone the process of accepting the lies within the real premises and still enjoy the flicks. Well, I, a veteran viewer and consumer, had trouble separating what was real and what was not in Be My Cat. Adrian Tofei, the film's writer, producer, director and protagonist made sure that the first Romanian Found Footage movie ever was one of the best and creepiest. The eeriest aspect of them all is that I do not know up to what extent the guy potrays a fictional character or himself.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzUXtaI7xoI
14. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Country: USA
Run time: 86 minutes
In spite of the diminished impact of its mediocre sequels and spin-offs (most of them) the starting point of the Paranormal Activity universe was monstrous. To put it plainly, it is the biggest movie that Found Footage has ever produced.
It does not have the quality of any of the thirteen movies that precede it, but it was produced at the right time and tapped into all the things it could have tapped into at its time. It will always be a turning point in the format and the only movie used to state a before and after in the subgenre alongside The Blair Witch Project [p. 7].
Where to watch?: https://ww8.soap2dayhd.co/film/paranormal-activity-2600/
13. Cloverfield (2008)
Country: USA
Run time: 85 minutes
Notwithstanding that it is a Found Footage movie in all its entirety, Cloverfield feels out of place; this might be occasioned by its Hollywoodesque nature. This, of course, does not diminish in the slightest its quality and capability to thrill and provide uneasiness.
The first entry in the Cloverfield franchise may not be the best (I deem 10 Cloverfield Lane in that regard) but it is without a shade of doubt the scariest and the most entertaining one. Considered an outsider for Found Footage purists, its quality assured it a spot in defiance of the format's motives and principles.
Where to watch?: Prime Video
12. V/H/S 85 (2023)
Country: USA/Mexico
Run time: 111 minutes
There is something about this franchise that keeps us on track and hyped with every single effort released regardless of the quality of the previous entry.
V/H/S 94 [p. 25] made that possible with its triumphant return to form after the obscene V/H/S Viral. Our last reference before 85 was the substandard V/H/S 99. However, our hopes were well placed after the grandiose beast that V/H/S 85 turned out to be. Easily, the most consistent in the saga and there are only three words I want to state: No Wake/Ambrosia. Nuff said.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjQkqWjMaGI
11. Deadstream (2022)
Country: USA
Run time: 87 minutes
Beforehand, I have stated how good and how much of a surprise was Deadstream. The film succeeded, with few flaws, in embracing comedy and horror using Food Footage which of course is no easy feat.
In contrast to the majority of movies in the format, it barely has build up; this build up is very condensed and not even 10 minutes into the movie we are in the setting in which the whole thing will take place. From then onwards we can only state as main weakness how abrupt the transitions from comedy to horror (and viceversa) are. Do not expect Shaun Of The Dead; this is the best you can get with all the assets available in the purview.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc3D--yIgN4&t=193s
10. The Sacrament (2013)
Country: USA
Run time: 99 minutes
Few directorial careers in horror cinema ar as diverse and well-accomplished as the one of Ti West. The Pearl and The House Of The Devil's director has no shortage of up to sratch horror movies.
Out of his body of work, the most underrated is The Sacrament; perhaps, it is also his very best. Based on one of the saddest, most infuriating and biggest tragedies in modern times, it is a rather immersive representation of said indicent which is carried out by great performances and one of the scariest cults ever put into film.
Where to watch?: https://ww8.soap2dayhd.co/film/the-sacrament-3822/
9. Horror In The High Desert (2021)
Country: USA
Run time: 82 minutes
The best Found Footage movie of 2021 is a worthy top 10 dweller. Horror In The High Desert demonstrates in a masterful way that, in spite of the countless films addressing the topic of a missing person with the footage of their fate being found that are produced every year, it can still feel fresh and be scary.
Featuring a very decent score, which by the way can be found on Spotify (something quite rare in the panorama), and the most appalling final 15 minutes in Found Footage history right up there with REC's and Lake Mungo's, this flick is a must-watch for any horror movie enjoyer.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVUL8AeVfCY&t=5s
8. REC (2007)
Country: Spain
Run time: 75 minutes
REC was a very divisive movie during its time: its approach towards its apotheosic ending leaning on (spoiler) religion and demonic possession did not suit with many viewers' expectations.
Controversial as it may be, its ending is nothing but some of the scariest experiences you can get watching a movie and as a whole it is the most thrilling and sense-budgeoning effort the format has to offer. The greatest Spanish-speaking Found Footage movie ever produced.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2k2c4wRqM
7. The Blair Witch Project (1998)
Country: USA
Run time: 81 minutes
Rivalling the influence and legacy of the humongous and infamous Cannibal Holocaust [p. 30], The Blair Witch Project lands on the seventh spot. This omnipresent film is, undoubtedly, the most iconic in the list and for adequate reasons.
It reinvigorated Found Footage movies; its publicity campaign would make J.J. Abrams himself jealous; it is one of the most profitable films ever made considering its budget and its grossing; and it is and overally a good movie with one of the most recognizable endings of all time.
Where to watch?: MUBI, Prime Video
6. Hell House LLC (2015)
Country: USA
Run time: 89 minutes
Take a look at the name of this website. Do you notice any similarities? Well, let that be the assuring credential regarding the quality of this movie if you are clueless about it. Hell House LLC is a masterpiece in the purview.
The number of movies this suitable for a Halloween binge-watch marathon is very low. All the elements that can be right are right in this film (the acting will always be a detail but in here it is decent). Taking into account its atmosphere, its original proposition, its creepy setting and the fact that it does not rely on jumpscares (despite having a couple) to ramp up the tesion and bring out the scares, it is the greatest Halloween Found Footage movie.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1UdTVpJ7GM&list=PLq4yXWRNrtL87Db3ZvcO1lT7yA7JkiV4k&index=29
5. Grave Encounters (2011)
Country: Canada
Run time: 95 minutes
Throughout Found Footage lifespan there have been few films that can be heralded as foundations for the format. Said films have hurled this way of making movies onto the forefront of horror. Out of that handful of movies, Grave Encounters stands tall.
Are you familiar with movies such as Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum [p. 39], Archivo 253 or Nightshot? Or how about the haunted-asylum-plot cliché? Well, Grave Encounters made it a cliché. Grave Encounters did it first and Grave Encounters did it best.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCLrUIw_a70
4. Lake Mungo (2008)
Country: Australia
Run time: 88 minutes
It is no surprise to anyone that Lake Mungo became the template and the blueprint for hordes of movies that came after to create a Found Footage film using its formula; it was not the first one to do it (not even close) but it was the one that executed it almost flawlessly.
Deemed as one of the saddest horror movies out there, it also includes one of the scariest sequences in cinema thanks to its marvelous building, timing and the most frightening jumpscare I have had the (pleasure?) to behold.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PJm8aj3-Mg&t=16s
3. Creep (2014)
Country: USA
Run time: 77 minutes
There are numerous reasons why Creep is the ideal starting point for diving into Found Footage in the case of being a neophyte at it.
To begin with, it is a movie that lets itself be enjoyed; short run time (even for the format standards) and it makes its point clear in really no time. Secondly, it depicts a very grounded horror; the scares and tension here are as real as it gets. Lastly, its simplicity and effectivity leaves room for taking in vast input from that point onwards as you progress in the field. By the way, Mark Duplass' performance is top 3 in Found Footage history.
Where to watch?: Netflix
2. Noroi: The Curse (2005)
Country: Japan
Run time: 115 minutes
Landing on the second spot many things can be said about Noroi. V/H/S 2 [p. 1] got the edge for being an anthology movie, but as a single effort it cannot get better than this.
Carefully paced, brilliantly crafted and with some of the scariest scenes within Found Footage, Noroi surpasses the average horror movie in all aspects (plot, crafting, acting and even length) and deserves to be considered among the greatest J-Horror movies ever alongside powerhouses as Kairo, Ju-On, Ringu or Audition; it might as well be the best one from that bunch.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXRzT7BjmTI
1. V/H/S 2 (2013)
Country: USA
Run time: 92 minutes
This is not the first time I hold this film highly and label it as the crowning achievement in all the Found Footage panorama (and I am fairly sure it will not be the last). There is nothing, at least under Hell House VMM scrutiny, that goes beyond this film. At least no quality-wise.
Here you can find the best franchise in the department at the peak of its powers; Safe Haven, Tape 49, Slumber Party: Alien Abduction and A Ride In The Park could perfectly occupy a spot by themselves in this list and they are just segments constituting the most thrilling and ruthless whole in the format.
Where to watch?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqUomYTTBmE
Honorable mentions:
-Amber Alert
-The Last Exorcism
-Ghoul
-Digging Up The Marrow
-S&man
-Raised By Wolves
-Occult
-Man Bites Dog
-The Visit
-Creep 2
-Host
-The Conspiracy
-Followed
-Savageland
-The Houses October Built
-Leaving DC
-The Bay
-Afflicted
-Ghostwatch
-They're Watching
