As a storytelling tool,found footage filmmakinghas not only added new levels of intimacy and fear to thehorrorand thriller genres — it also introduced a new medium forindie creatorsto break into a previously cost-prohibitive industry. From unexpected cult hits likeThe Blair Witch Projectto the masterclass of tense low-budget blockbusters likeParanormal Activity, creators have been utilizing a voyeuristic lens to pull audiences deeper into their stories for decades. A big piece of the effectiveness of the subgenre is how much of our lives we spend online, so it’s only fitting that we give you our recommendations on one of the biggest online streamers.
For more recommendations, check out our lists ofThe Best Korean Thriller MoviesandThe Best Japanese Horror Movies.
Disclaimer: These titles are available in the US.
‘Creep’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 6.3/10
An appropriately creepy showcase of how the found footage medium places the viewer in the POV of a harrowing encounter that feels like watching the home movies of a madman,Creepis a dark thriller that will have you screaming red flags at the screen.Patrick Bricemakes his directorial debut as he stars in this feature he co-wrote withMark Duplass, who is the second lead in the film. Duplass, typically known for his comedy roles, steps out of his comfort zone to deliver an unsettling performance as a mysterious man who hires a videographer to chronicle his life for his unborn child. Unfortunately, his real intentions are decidedly more sinister. The film is a bit of a slow burn but definitely worth the wait before the madness unfolds.
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‘Creep 2’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 6.4/10
Patrick BriceandMark Duplassare back at it again with this sequel to their cult classic that takes the uneasy cringe and eccentricity to a new level.Creep 2brings back Duplass as the oddball murderer who shops for victims on Craigslist — but this time, he meets his match in a young YouTube documentarian played byDesiree Akhavan. This installment makes the fascinating choice to stray from a classic slasher mystery and instead creates a character study that dives into the psyche of a killer who is losing his spark. Despite his ‘art’ being murder, it serves as an exploration of passion that acts as a counterbalance to the protagonist’s constant need to feed an algorithm with content to survive.
‘Incantation’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 77% | IMDb: 6.2/10
Incantation
Director and co-writerKevin Koraises the bar on found footage horrorwith this visually stunningsupernatural folklore filminspired by a true story.Incantationis a Taiwanese film that doesn’t hold the viewer’s hand as it leads them through the haunting of a mother and her daughter by a cursed deity called Mother Buddha. While it’s a fictional entity created for the film, the Mother Buddha and the rituals aresteeped in Buddhist and Hindu tradition, which lends the creation a layer of authenticity. The story is deliberately told out of order to give hints and clues to the origins and practices of the mysterious deity that threatens to destroy this family over generations, which only serves to make the film truly feel like the audience stumbled upon something they shouldn’t be watching while being unable to take your eyes off the screen.
‘CTRL’ (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 44% | IMDb: 6.2/10
Capturing the feeling of a feature-length episode ofBlack Mirror, director and co-writerVikramaditya Motwaneusesscreenlife filming techniquesto comment on the modern state of social media relationships, AI, and predatory data mining.CTRLis aHindi-language thrill ridethat followsAnanya Pandayas an influencer who turns over control of her social media presence to a new AI assistant after her public breakup with her boyfriend. But when she tells it to erase him from her life, the program takes it a step too far. Beyond the baseline premise, there are some fascinating twists and revelations as the origins of the AI Assistant unfold.
‘The Bridge Curse’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 32% | IMDb: 5.3/10
The Bridge Curse
Combiningfound footagewith a traditional omniscient camera shooting style, this Taiwanese mystery horror crafts an engaging narrative around a universityurban legend.The Bridge Curseis a narrative set across two decades that surrounds the haunting of a bridge where victims are killed by the ghost of a girl who appears every leap year. The main through-line of the story comes from a journalist, played bySummer Meng, trying to find the truth behind the deaths, which allows the audience to put together clues to the mysterious murders alongside her and her crew. Fans ofsupernatural horrorand fun superstitions are going to leap out of their seats with every scare this film has to offer.
