I love watching found footage and mockumentary films, and one reason is that any kind of horror story can be applied to it. Eco-horror? The Bay. Ghosts? Paranormal Activity. Folk horror? The Blair Witch. Real-life horrors? Amber Alert. Monsters? Cloverfield. Many people seem to recoil at the phrase “found footage”, and to be fair there are some stinkers in the subgenre, but it’s not all nauseating camerawork and bad acting. Here are some of the best (in my opinion) found footage films that aren’t The Blair Witch Project or Lake Mungo.
Movies selected are available, as of the writing of this post, to stream for free or are included with a subscription service.
Rorschach
Two skeptic researchers investigate a mother’s claim that an unknown presence may be trying to communicate with her 7-year-old daughter.
I wrote about Rorschach in a previous post, Is This the Scariest Film Online? and I’m recommending it here too. Low budget horror often means embarrassingly amateur acting, but not in this film – the characters seem believable, as does the horror. ● Where to Watch: YouTube
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
When hundreds of videotapes showing torture, murder and dismemberment are found in an abandoned house, they reveal a serial killer’s decade-long reign of terror and become the most disturbing collection of evidence homicide detectives have ever seen.
I remember seeing the trailer for The Poughkeepsie Tapes in the theater before a movie, and the trailer alone scared the crap out of me. I couldn’t wait for its release. But it never got its theatrical run, and for a long time was only available via torrent. That the film went underground only added to its intrigue and appeal. I finally watched it last year after it being hyped in my mind… The Poughkeepsie Tapes seems to be divisive in the horror community but I give it a two enthusiastic thumbs up. Serial killers and home invasion are some of my biggest fears, and not gonna lie – I felt uneasy for a little while after watching this. I can forgive some of the bad acting in the “interview” portions of the film because the found footage itself was so damn disturbing. Also, I want to add that if anyone is concerned about on-screen sexual assault, there is none (thankfully) in the film. ● Where to Watch: Prime
Banshee Chapter
On the trail of a missing friend who had been experimenting with mind-altering drugs, a young journalist – aided by a rogue counter-culture writer, The Silence of The Lambs – finds herself drawn into the dangerous world of top-secret government chemical research and the mystery of a disturbing radio signal of unknown origin. A fast-paced thriller blending fact and fiction, Banshee Chapter is based on real documents, actual test subject testimony, and uncovered secrets about covert programs run by the CIA.
Government conspiracies, abandoned research stations, (Lovecraftian) monsters, jump scares… It’s not pure found footage, and follows traditional movie storytelling for the most part, so I’m cheating a bit by including it here. However, it incorporates news reels and found footage, and the result is creepy as hell. I can’t guarantee that The Banshee Chapter will scare you like it scared me, but this atmospheric mystery is worth a watch. ● Where to Watch: Tubi
Butterfly Kisses
A filmmaker discovers a box of video tapes depicting two students’ disturbing film project featuring a local horror legend, The Peeping Tom. As he sets out to prove this story is real and release it as a work of his own, he loses himself and the film crew following him into his project.
What’s interesting about Butterfly Kisses is that one, the filmmaker appears as himself in the film – he’s making a movie about these two young adults who were making a movie about a local legend, Peeping Tom. And two, the Peeping Tom legend in the film is convincingly real. Meta-horror meets urban legend in this effective chiller. ● Where to Watch: Prime | Tubi
Final Prayer
Vatican investigators are sent to the British West Country to investigate paranormal activity, and they find the events are more disturbing than they first imagined.
Also known as The Borderlands. Something sinister lurking in a rural English church? Sign me the fuck up! Everything leads up to a macabre, claustrophobic and startling final act. One of the most unsettling endings I’ve seen. ● Where to Watch: Tubi
Digging up the Marrow
A documentary filmmaker turns his lens on an enigmatic conspiracy theorist who claims he’s found the entrance to a vast underground city populated entirely by monsters.
It’s difficult to say who I liked more in this, Ray Wise or the monsters. Wise really becomes his character and he totally stole all the scenes. The special effect work for the monsters is awesome. The movie is really fun – there are a lot of cameos from the genre – but doesn’t forget to have a few scares, too. ● Where to Watch: Hulu | Tubi
6 countries: Ireland 
Devil’s Doorway
In the autumn of 1960, Father Thomas Riley and Father John Thornton were sent by the Vatican to investigate a miraculous event in an Irish home for ‘fallen women’, only to uncover something much more horrific.
The Devil’s Doorway is well paced in its 77 minute runtime, and its camera style and set design creates authenticity. The character of Father John is eager to believe in miracles and more easily accepting that the woman chained in the basement is possessed by a demon. He’s the one with a camera, and so we witness all the horrifying occurrences that he believes is the work of demonic force. It’s all the more frightening by the fact that these Irish homes for “fallen women” were a real thing. Would pair well as a double feature with the aforementioned Final Prayer (aka The Borderlands). ● Where to Watch: Hulu
Webcast
When two young filmmakers suspect their neighbours are involved with the abduction of a teenage girl, they begin to run surveillance on them, and that’s when things start to go wrong.
I chose the IMDB summary instead of the one on Letterboxd because I felt the latter gave away too much. So, read at your own risk if you click the link. I thought Webcast was one of the scary and imaginative found footage movies I’ve seen. There’s an element of folk horror here, which I appreciated as a fan of that subgenre. ● Where to Watch: Prime
The Triangle
Three filmmakers receive an unsettling postcard from an estranged friend living in a secluded commune. The filmmakers take their cameras into the wilderness of Montana to document the mysterious inner workings of the group. On their disconcerting road to self-sufficiency, witnessing something more shocking than they ever imagined.
Slick, crisp camerawork sets this one apart from the vast majority of found footage films. It’s mysterious, tense, and I cared about the characters. If you enjoy films like The Endless or The Sacrament, you’ll probably dig this, too. ● Where to Watch: Tubi
Unaware
In July 2010, a vacationing couple discovered something disturbing on a ranch in rural Texas. Armed with a home camcorder, they captured their experience on video.
Considering the movie’s low rating on Letterboxd, I would say that I’m in the minority of people who enjoyed this film. Let me defend my choice: For one thing, it’s about aliens. I’m a big “the truth is out there” kind of person, so I seek out stories about aliens. If you think alien stories are stupid, I doubt this would be enjoyable to you. Secondly, although the movie has some straight up boring parts, the payoff is, in my opinion, worth it. The couple in the film is so dull that it actually helped the movie seem realistic. Third, there were about two moments in the movie that caused me to jump up from the couch – yep, they got me. ● Where to Watch: Prime | Vudu
Streaming Platforms Referenced in this Post:
YouTube | Prime (subscription)| Tubi (free with ads) | Hulu (subscription) | Vudu (free with ads)
I link to Letterboxd throughout. If you’re on Letterboxd, feel free to add me. I log every movie I watch. If you need more found footage recommendations, check out my list of all the ones I’ve seen — just be aware that only some are currently available to stream.
Recent Comments