Top 10 Found Footage Horror

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

This film focuses on Masafumi Kobayashi, a professional documentary filmmaker. Through the lens of his camera, we follow Masafumi and his crew as he investigates seemingly unrelated paranormal incidents. These incidents are connected by the legend of an ancient demon, or oni, called the Kagutaba. Noroi: The Curse uses a great mix of found footage and mockumentary-style interviews that make the frightening events that occur all the more immersive and believable. The inclusion of Japanese mythology and the cultural phenomenon of Japanese variety shows both lend authenticity to the story.

Home Movie (2008)

In the remote woods of upstate New York, David and Clare Poe are attempting to live an idyllic life with their twin children. Like most families of the mid-2000s era, the parents document their family’s adventures with their camcorder. The tranquility is shattered however when their childrens’ bizarre behavior becomes more disturbing and slowly tears the family apart. The Poes realize there is something very wrong and use their camcorder to catch every event on film. The movie is composed of the video tapes that were found.

Hell House LLC (2015)

It’s been five years since the unexplained malfunction that caused the death of 15 people on Halloween night. Now, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened at Hell House LLC. As the young filmmakers proceed with the investigation, it becomes apparent that they may be in danger as well.

Hell House LLC is a legitimately scary movie that stands out among the typical Insidious/Paranormal Activity/Sinister sequels, the sub-par Poltergeist remake, and the yawn-inducing Crimson Peak that littered the horror offerings of 2015. There have been two Hell House LLC sequels, the most recent being Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019).

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While The Blair Witch Project received very polarized reviews when it was released in 1999, it’s hard to argue the impact it has had on the found footage horror genre both domestically and internationally. The story is simple; three film students vanish after hiking into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.

Critics may see this as a mundane “lost in the woods” story with a shaky camera, but more perceptive viewers will pay close attention to the interviews at the beginning and allow the events of the film to grab their imagination.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

In an abandoned house in Poughkeepsie, New York, FBI investigators uncover hundreds of VHS tapes showing decades of a prolific serial killer’s work. The Poughkeepsie Tapes is one of the most original and shocking movies on this list. Filmed in a ‘mockumentary’ style, the plot uses lots of found footage in the form of the tapes themselves to show the cruel acts committed by the killer in many different settings and even some insidious schemes that have lasting effects on his victims. 

Paranormal Activity (2007)

The classic that spawned so many sequels is a slow burner that provides clues by day and riveting chills at night. After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly presence, so much so that the husband installs a video camera in their bedroom to record the occurrences.

REC (2007)

This film blew me away when it was released, and it is definitely more fast-pased than a lot of the found footage movies on this list. A television reporter and cameraman in Barcelona follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying. Is it demonic possession or something far worse?

Lake Mungo (2008)

Dubbed “the saddest horror movie” and other such titles, this Australian tale of remorse and loss is simultaneously spine chilling and heart breaking. As strange things start happening after a young girl dies in a drowning accident and her family is forced to uncover some mysterious truths of which they were blissfully unaware. Lake Mungo uses found footage in a very clever way that is integral to the plot and some of the more hair-raising images.

Atrocious (2010)

The Quintanilla family was found dead. Recorded evidence was discovered by the police. In this family-oriented Spanish horror shocker, two teenage siblings endure a terrifying experience while investigating a rural legend near their vacation home.

This film cultivates a sense of dread by taking the POV (point of view) of the teens as they investigate a hedge maze and the Legend of the Girl in the Garraf Woods.

Runners up: 

Occult [オカルト] (2009)

In this late-entry Japanese horror movie, Director Kōji Shiraishi uses the found footage style once again to create a sense of authenticity. What really makes the film engrossing, however, is the director’s use of physical objects which are deeply rooted in ancient Japanese history.

In Occult, we investigate a strange, unemployed man named Shohei Eno who witnesses a terrible incident while at a sightseeing resort and claims that supernatural occurrences, which he calls “miracles”, have been happening to him ever since.

The Last Broadcast (1998)

In a style very similar to The Blair Witch Project, but also incorporating a ‘mockumentary’ narrative style, a film crew ventures into the forest in search of the mythical ‘Jersey Devil’. Together with the filmmakers, we embark on an investigation of multiple mysterious occurrences and individuals, including a crew member.

The Last Broadcast happens to be the first film that was entirely shot, edited, and screened digitally. Ultimately, while intriguing, the film drags at times and is mostly not very interesting aside from the beginning and a few parts later on.