What began as an experimental horror film shot in the woods has essentially spawned an entire subgenre of horror films. This “found footage” style has often proved an excellent complement to the horror genre, with its gritty sense of realism and the uneasiness it invokes. You feel like you’re right there with the zombie, witch, ghoul, or other “things” that go bump in the night.
At the same time, this technique has become abused of late, devolving into something of a played-out trope. At times, a film may lean on this style for the source of its intrigue, rather than substance in its characters, plot, or world-building. Still, filmmakers have proven that the style can still be utilized in interesting, creative ways even today.
So let’s get our cameras ready and take a look at 5 of the most awesome found footage thrillers, and 5 that just don’t work.
Doesn’t Work: Cloverfield
Credit to director Matt Reeves and producer J.J Abrams for taking the found footage concept in a new direction. Yet if you were to distill Cloverfield down to its core concepts - is it really all that new? Or is it more akin to Godzilla-meets-Blair Witch? It’s certainly closer to the latter.
While there is some exciting action, Cloverfield has its quirks that bog it down. Among these blemishes are superficial characters, a heap of disorienting camera moves, and only brief looks at the ambiguous monster for most of the film. Obviously, the idea of “fearing the unseen/unknown” can work - just look at the Blair Witch. Yet, here, this lack of a reveal invokes more frustration than fear.
Awesome: The Visit
Sure, you’ve got the occasionally awkward dialogue that’s become sort of an M. Night Shyamalan staple - including some cringy freestyle rapping. You’ve also got that trademark Shyamalan twist ending that’s meant to throw you for a loop.
Yet, for the most part, The Visit actually utilizes these qualities to its advantage. The characters are enduring, and that patented twist is actually pretty clever. In a way, the more realistic angle makes for a creepier, unsettling premise, as does the strange and erratic behavior of the protagonists’ grandparents. The film only includes the “found footage” shots when it makes sense contextually, which proves effective and unique. The Visit is largely a return to form for Shyamalan.
Doesn’t Work: Unfriended
In an era where the internet and social media is so prominent in our lives and society as a whole, it would stand to reason that this format would eventually migrate from home video to computer feeds. Such is the case with Unfriended, a movie that mixes a basic ghost story with video chats and web-browsing.
Sure, its anti-bullying message is an admirable one, and both the premise and style actually held some potential here - but the film mostly fails in its execution. Despite containing an 83-minute run-time, Unfriended drags on as it rarely cuts from our protagonist’s computer screen. It doesn’t help that most of the film’s characters are excruciatingly annoying.
Awesome: Creep (2014)
As The Visit - and various others - help illustrate, horror films don’t need to rely on the supernatural or superhuman to invoke fear. In fact, centering around a seemingly average Joe that turns out to be a psychopath can actually be more effective, especially for the more realistic found footage subgenre.
Creep is shot through the lens of a videographer named Aaron, who takes on a project to document the life of a cancer patient. As the movie progresses, it becomes apparent that the subject in question, Josef, is a far cry from the man he claims to be. The minimalistic style allows us to really hone in on the unsettling, unpredictable nature of Josef - especially when sporting his spooky wolf mask. This creep will really leave an impression on you.
Doesn’t Work: Apollo 18
You can almost hear the pitch to Dimension Films for this one - “it’s The Blair Witch in space!” And while the conspiratorial premise is somewhat clever - demonstrating why we never went back to the moon decades later - the actual film falls flat. Apollo 18 tries to run with a realistic feel with its gritty 60s-style film. Yet, it’s tough to sell a realistic angle in a movie that takes place on the moon, in which our heroes are terrorized by crab-like lunar monsters…
Apollo 18 is disorienting, formulaic, and contains some brutally slow pacing that just doesn’t pay off in the end.
Awesome: Paranormal Activity
Admit it - you couldn’t sleep too well after first seeing this, as you laid in bed thinking of being dragged away by a poltergeist, or having a possessed loved one looming over you for hours.
There are few horror films that can manage to feel both creepily close to home while using an imaginative supernatural premise. Yet these are the traits that allow Paranormal Activity to thrive, making it quite possibly one of the most frightening flicks in recent history.
The film lets you keep tabs on the house of Katie and Micah through the lens of a security camera, which captures glimpses of creepy apparitions and ghostly movements. Like various other found footage films, much of the fear and tension is built from its lack of revelations, as well as its eerie silence penetrated by startling jump scares.
Doesn’t Work: The Devil Inside
If, by chance, you were keen on watching a jarring derivative of the classic Exorcist movie complete with more body contorting and over-the-top acting, you may want to give 2012’s The Devil Inside a peak.
For the rest of us, this film just feels like a dud, and a pointless gimmick that relies on its shaky found footage flair more than any actual content. There are a few thrills and chills, but it feels very “surface level.” It’s like when you jump from a closet to spook your friend - you may have frightened them, but it’s a cheap and lazy way to do so…
Awesome: [REC]
Just like Paranormal Activity, this Spanish thriller, known as [REC], utilizes the strengths of the found footage format superbly. It’s shot in a dark, minimalistic manner that reveals little; conveying a feeling of solitude and vulnerability. Its soundtrack is virtually non-existent - relying instead on a creepy ambiance which further enriches the experience.
The movie follows a reporter as she desperately tries to escape and apartment building crawling with hostile undead mutants. As it takes place in a dark, quarantined building, [REC] exudes a feeling of intensity and claustrophobia, making for a squirm-inducing viewing experience.
Doesn’t Work: Paranormal Activity 4
While newer renditions of this classic found footage franchise recaptured some of the creativity and intrigue of the original, this 4th iteration of Paranormal Activity marks a low point in the series for its derivative, dull nature.
It’s at this point in the series where the once boundary-pushing thriller feels like a formulaic romp that’s out of ideas and destined to go on forever, not unlike Saw. Outside of the demon-possessed children, most of the ideas in Paranormal Activity 4 feel rehashed and uninteresting. The extent of the horror pretty much boils down to cheap jump scares, which are exploited at a ridiculous level.
Awesome: The Blair Witch Project
There’s a reason this film essentially laid the foundation that sprouted a whole subgenre of horror movies. Even 20 years later, The Blair Witch still holds up with its spooky aura, despite - and partly because of - its unique home-movie grittiness. Thanks to some believable (mostly improved) performances and realistic cinematography, we truly feel stranded in the woods with our protagonists.
The movie follows 3 filmmakers in the desolate woods of Maryland, as they find themselves terrorized by creepy noises, ominous relics, and other witchy manifestations. We’re left to fill many of the gaps ourselves, as little is revealed during this increasingly perilous escapade. Yet, this is what makes the film so enduring and frightening - as our imaginations can often paint a far scarier picture than any filmmaker can convey on screen.
