This article contains references to suicide and abuse.
While many found footage Horror movies Are truly scary and well-made, some would perhaps thrive even more than regular films. With origins dating back to the 1960s, the found footage genre has spawned countless horror movies. Classics. As their name suggests, These movies are made to emulate footage that could be found some time later.
Because of this assumption, Found footage often looks as if it was shot on low budget devices Such as camcorders, phones or webcams. This method of filming, although considered innovative many years ago, can often make movies feel constrained. Although the genre has spawned many great found footage horror movies, this kind of filmmaking can lead to many films with a similar feel.
10
Creep (2014)
Crip’s videographer protagonist has promise
Told through the eyes and lens of a videographer named Aaron, crawl Has an interesting premise that keeps viewers hooked. Aaron visits Joseph, a man with an inoperable brain tumor, and records that Joseph’s son will have something to watch when his father passes. however, Joseph becomes increasingly unhinged, which leads to the true horror of the film.
While The premise of crawl Lends well to the found footage genre, Much of the real horror is missing. Where there might have been some pretty jarring scares if this was a normal horror movie, there are instead lingering shots that tend to sit with viewers for a while. This may work for some audience members, but there are many moments that would be more frightening and more impactful if the film was shot in a more traditional way.
9
Apollo 18 (2011)
It’s rare that found footage films are pure science fiction, however Apollo 18 Stands out as an interesting addition to a diverse genre. Its premise revolves around the canceled Apollo 18 mission, which offers the possibility that the mission was launched and landed on the moon, but the crew never returned. This is because of a group of supposed aliens living on the moon, who, throughout the movie, slowly kill the astronauts who land there.
Related
While the monsters in the film are somewhat jarring themselves, their presence is undermined by the found footage format. If the film had better frame them, they could perhaps have been more suspenseful, but they were left empty and generally not very scary. If Apollo 18 would be made like any other monster horror movie, it could have capitalized on the terrifying creatures, as seen in movies like Alien And Pitch black.
8
As Above, So Below (2014)
Presented as a documentary about the catacombs of Paris, As above, so below Serves as a chilling, mind-bending experience. As the group explores further down below the city, they encounter all sorts of differences, each more terrifying than the next. The film broaches themes such as faith and religion and heavily references Dante Alighieri The Divine Comedy.
The best parts of this movie are the terrifying out-of-this-world moments, and because of that, As above, so below would thrive in a format that would allow even more artistic expression in this regard. A regular horror film with a less personal lens would allow this perspective, one that prioritizes the shifting world around the characters. As above, so below Would be even more terrifying if the focus was put on some visuals over the found footage format.
7
Unfriended (2014)
Unfriended is unique when it comes to finding footage stories, For the most part, it takes place during a Skype call. This is quite a deviation from other found footage films, which typically allow for at least some movement from location to location. instead, Unfriended Follows a group of high schoolers and the game of death they are forced to play as a result of their classmate’s suicide.
Despite the one-time original presentation of Unfriended And the films it later inspired, the film still suffers from static. Because it takes place during a Skype call, there’s not much the film can do when it comes to including other points of view. Adding a little bit of outside perspective would have helped Unfriendeds The plot is too bare bones, and therefore, it would have worked a little better than a regular film.
6
Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverleaf is the film that launched a beloved franchise
Many people know about the incredible thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane Or the more science fiction leaning The Cloverfield Paradox. however, Many forget that it all began with the found footage monster movie Cloverfield, The plot of which is surprisingly simple. It focuses on the story of six people as they escape from a massive monster attacking New York City for some unknown reason.
While the plot may be simple, the execution is anything but. The monster of Cloverfield is impressively realized in a way that generally holds up to this day. However, if the movie were to be a blockbuster film like those that would come later in the series, not only would it feel more thematically tied to the movies, but it would also be able to more properly capitalize on the fear that the monster instills. The viewer.
5
Megan is Missing (2011)
Megan is missing’s messy story could have been saved
A teenager mysteriously disappears without a trace after meeting someone she had been talking to online.
One of the most controversial found footage films to date, Megan is missing It presents itself as a cautionary tale Of what can happen when children trust strangers on the Internet. Cruel at best and exploitative at worst, the film shows in great detail the abuse two children suffer at the hands of a man they meet online. It’s a tough week from start to finish. And Megan is missingIts ending may be one of the most disturbing in the entire genre.
Because it comes off as what is meant to be a deeply personal found footage film, the movie often lingers in places it shouldn’t. Sexual descriptions and acts continue for uncomfortably long amounts of time, and there is a lack of distance from the killer. Turn Megan is missing In a regular film can help start the journey to correct its faults, Perhaps take a more respectful stance on the disturbing subject matter.
4
The Visit (2015)
Directed by the legendary M. Night Shyamalan, The visit is a confused thriller that alternates between found footage horror and classic American film. After a couple of children when they go to visit their grandparents, they begin to realize that something is very wrong when they are told not to leave their room at night. Anything else would be too much in spoiler territory, as with any Shyamalan film there are many surprising twists and turns.
Related
Despite the fact that it was recorded as a found footage film on lower-budget cameras, The visit Still feels like it’s a little too close to traditional filming to be considered pure “Found footage.” The camera work is very quiet most of the time, and every shot feels as if it was personally composed with filmmaking in mind. It already crosses the line into being a traditional film, and by fully taking that step, it can really lean into its other strengths.
3
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Known for its grotesque imagery and horrifying premise, Cannibal destruction is a controversial horror film that follows a rescue mission in the Amazon rainforest. Before the start of the film, a film crew has disappeared while documenting the tribes that live in the forest, known for being cannibals. The rescue mission eventually makes its way into the forest and finds the tribe responsible for the disappearance of the film crew, but they cannot imagine the horror that awaits them there.
Cannibal destruction Is historical when it comes to the cultural explosion of the found footage genre, and without it, there is no evidence if these types of movies would be as popular as they are today. It was banned and unbanned, criticized and politicized for various reasons, and provided its own form of social commentary. however, If it was filmed like a regular movie, Cannibal destruction May have escaped some of the charges Of being a real smelly film.
2
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Few discussions of found footage films ever leave out The Blair Witch Project. Perhaps the most famous found footage horror film of all time, it follows the disappearance of three film students who set out to document the stories of the supposedly fictional Blair Witch. However, they bit off a bit more than they could chew, finding themselves haunted by the myth in the woods of Maryland.
mostly improvised, The Blair Witch Project is a spectacular example of how tense found footage films can be. Although there are only a few actors, a forest, and the infamous cabin, the film manages to do a lot with very little. However, one is left to wonder why The Blair Witch Project Would like if it was filmed more traditionally, possibly dialing up the scares but removing some of the grounded-in-reality feelings the original had.
1
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Paranormal Activity has spawned countless sequels for a reason
Originally released in 2007, Paranormal activity Supposedly documents a haunting that takes place in the home of young couple Katie and Micah. It follows the same format as many popular ghost investigation shows, with cameras set up throughout the house to document paranormal activity. However, it quickly becomes clear that there is a very evil spirit in the house, which makes for one of the most terrifying found footage movies ever made.
Although the film is very scary on its own, A traditional horror movie might take the things that made up the found footage sections of Paranormal activity Amazing and raise them to even greater heights. Stories like The Conjuring Or The Haunting of Hill House Expertly craft these lingering narratives, leaving viewers watching around every corner. This is something that Paranormal activity Could do as well, just cementing it as one of the greatest Horror movies of all times.