[Editorial] Best 13 Found Footage Horror Films

Found footage is a powerfully immersive method to bring horror into ‘the real world’. It can come in many forms, from TV documentary or mockumentary style to home videos, to even Skype conversations, as you will see in this list.

Before I start, an honourable mention needs to go to Ghostwatch (1992). In a live television event, Ghostwatch redefined a genre that people didn’t know existed in the 90s. The studio set-up paired with the ‘live’ feed to a haunted house terrified British audiences on Halloween night, never to be rebroadcast on television again.

Although some may argue that this is not technically ‘found footage’, I believe that this drama sits alongside many of the entries on this list, not just for its themes but for the ominous ending that left audiences stunned. And with that haunting your minds, please enjoy my list of the best found footage horror films. 

13. As Above So Below (2014)

Have you ever wanted to enter the Parisian catacombs and relive your worst sins? No? How about if it meant you could find the Philosopher’s stone and get eternal life? This incredibly out-there horror flick does just that, and although it received pretty negative reviews on release, I think this claustrophobic nightmare has a lot going for it. Avoiding the ‘you would put your camera down’ argument by using headcams (as a few entries on this list have), As Above So Below is full of blurry, nauseating shots of panicked faces as they try to navigate dark tunnels.

12. Noroi: The Curse (2005)

This Japanese found footage documentary within a documentary may leave you a little confused if you’re not paying full attention, but trust me, it’s worth it. Disturbing deaths, crying babies, and old demonic rituals draw you into a wild final act. As proven by many other examples, Japan knows how to do horror, regardless of the format. 

11. V/H/S/2 (2013)

The V/H/S films (2012 – present) have a very opinionated following, I’ve seen countless arguments online about which of the entries is best. In my opinion, it has to be V/H/S/2 (2013), which has all of my favourite things – seeing (and hearing) ghosts, a zombie with a headcam, cult activity, aliens, and a creeping figure in the dark. I will say no more, except that it’s top anthology content like no other.

10. Paranormal Activity (2007)

The beginning of a horror franchise that broke into the mainstream in a huge way, Paranormal Activity (2007) is a great film for people who want to be scared but not disgusted by horror. With multiple different endings available, this film has a way of drawing you in no matter how it concludes. With a very small cast, next to no script, and a basic camera set up, this film launched a boom of cheaply made films of a similar style. 

9. Host (2020)

The lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic brought feelings of isolation and anxiety to many people. However, director Rob Savage saw the opportunity for creativity and made this short and sharp supernatural Zoom film. At a very enjoyable one hour and five minutes, Host is for those evenings where you want a spooky séance experience without the slow burn.

8. Cloverfield (2008)

Before Matt Reeves delved into the Batman universe with his crime-noir take on the caped crusader, he gifted us this found footage gem with giant monster chaos. Even though this film has the worst reasoning for capturing the events ever (if a giant alien started attacking your city you would drop your camera and run…), this sci-fi horror has plenty of thrills to help you forget this minor detail. Intercut with previous home videos of the main characters, Cloverfield attaches you to realistic characters, making you hurt when they meet their untimely demise. 

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7. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Although an entry further down this list often takes credit for the birth of found footage in horror (here’s looking at you TBWP), Cannibal Holocaust is thought to have been the first. This Italian exploitation movie has been met with a lot of controversy since its release, the production itself really leant into the potential that what the audiences were watching was factual, something that many films since have tried and failed to replicate. Although the content may not have aged particularly well, with real animal cruelty and particularly racist cultural undertones, the gory reputation of this film is still present and noteworthy; over the years it has been banned and later released in multiple countries, including the UK and USA. 

6. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

Found footage tapes filmed from the perspective of the serial killer, this one isn’t for the faint of heart. However, if you love crime stories and aren’t triggered by disturbing sexual violence, The Poughkeepsie Tapes is intensely creepy and worth a watch. My personal favourite scene is a man’s head being sewn into his wife’s womb before she is awoken by the killer to discover his work; this is full of moments that will leave your mouth agape, a real horror show. 

5. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project deserves a spot on this list partly, if not completely, due to the advertising campaign that coincided with its release. The creators manipulated the idea of the found footage being ‘real’, releasing a website and missing person leaflets about the characters and the legend of the Blair Witch, as well as a fake documentary trailer for the film featured within the film. This clever use of the internet (which was still fairly new), and other media sparked real interest, and made it a huge success at the box office. On top of this, Blair Witch is thoroughly enjoyable, once again a production that barely had a script, and was dependent on the actors improvising lines and actions when given prompts (this includes Josh’s disappearance, something that the other actors didn’t know was going to happen). 

4. Creep (2014)

Not my favourite film by this name (Creep (2004) set in the London Underground is one of my all time trashy top picks), but still amazing in its own right. In 2014’s Creep, videographer Aaron answers an advert on Craigslist (first mistake) to record someone who claims to be dying and needs to document his life for his family. It turns out that erratic Josef is actually a murderer. Chaos and fun ensues, Aaron escapes, but can never truly seem to get away…

3. Lake Mungo (2008)

By far the saddest entry on this list, I didn’t discover Lake Mungo until last year, where it quickly became one of my favourite films of all time. Struggling after the loss of his sister Alice, Mathew sets up cameras around his home to capture footage of her ghost that appears to be haunting the family. After a series of twists and turns, you’ll find yourself wondering if the haunting was a hoax, or if Alice’s drowned phantom is still among them. Watch the credits, I promise you it’ll make you want to re-watch the film and check your eyesight.

2. The Borderlands (2013)

Another film that I was very late in discovering, The Borderlands is not to be confused with the popular video game of the same name. This film revolves around a group of Vatican investigators looking into the odd occurrences in a derelict church. My only warning for this film, don’t watch the trailer beforehand, the less you know, the better it is.

1. .REC (2007)

Mentioned on my previous list, Best 15 Zombie Horror Films — Ghouls Magazine, the first two .REC films do found footage perfectly. The first is from the perspective of a Spanish TV news crew that film segments about things that happen at night whilst the public are asleep. They are covering a team of firefighters who get a call about a woman who may be stuck in her apartment, they end up in a biological lockdown due to a mysterious illness. Zombies. The sequel (from 2009), directly follows the events of this story as a team of tactical police accompany a representative from the Ministry of Health as they enter the building to assess the threat (filmed on bodycams). After this the series isn’t all that great (it also steps away from the found footage format that made it stand out), but these films are worth a watch for whatever horror mood you’re in. 

Obviously I couldn’t include every single found footage film out there on this list. However, here are a few more films that are worth a special mention:

• Murder Death Koreatown (2020)

• Death of a Vlogger (2019)

• Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

• The Dark Tapes (2016)

• Savageland (2015)

• Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (2015)

• Hell House LLC (2015)

• Exists (2014)

• The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

• Unfriended (2014)

• Afflicted (2013)

• Willow Creek (2013)

• The Sacrament (2013)

• The Bay (2012)

• Grave Encounters (2011)

• Trolljegeren/ Trollhunter (2010)

• Long Pigs (2007)

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