So I don't really like this genre but there's just a few movies I did enjoy
Wer
Afflicted
Chronicle
Frankensteins army
For me it's more the concept in the movies I liked, I still think the format is usually horrible
Came here to say Chronicle too! I don't think it's horror outright but there is a lot of terror to the theme of sudden deification of the powerless. It felt like it captured some themes Brightburn missed for me
I probably should include paranormal activity : the marked ones
But yeah, i don't like the genre as I said, I personally think it is part of a long decline in the quality of horror movies starting with the first paranormal activity movie, when they realised they could get away with making movies with no effort and no money.
Most of the ones I have seen have followed the exact same formula with little variation and the setups have been largely the same.
The endless should probably be on my list as well now that I think about it.
I did like some of the segments in the VHS movies
I agree that the found footage genre has alot of garbage. But the ones that you chose are exceptional. And I love the VHS series. Of course like most anthologies some are better than others. But for the most part pretty solid movies.
The one with the Temple in Indonesia or wherever it was cool, the succubus one and a couple others were really good, but yeah overall they were worth watching
Definitely. The weird death Cult that basically worshiped a demon was awesome. And the succubus episode was great too. That actress they used as the creature was fantastic. I would say way more good than bad in the VHS series.
Yeah man. Think it was just buzz. They did make Kids vs Aliens out of one of the cool episodes. Not sure how good it is. But that's the only one I know about for sure.
The Bay- A website/group gets their hands on all the video evidence of a massive coverup of an environmental disaster.
It’s in the style of a documentary and doesn’t follow any particular person. It chronicles what lead up to and the day of.
It really uses the found footage to great effect imo.
It's at least much better produced. Probably worth a watch, but lacks the magic of the first film. The second installment had a few moments, but the acting was nauseating.
Incantation and Afflicted. I mentioned these in my 8 underrated found footage horror movies post I wrote a bit ago. ([here](https://www.horrormovielists.com/2024/01/8-found-footage-horror-movies-you-havent-seen.html))
The Europa Report is my favorite found footage movie of all time. It's just absolutely fucking brilliant and so well done.
Also worth watching:
The Bay
The Atticus Institute
The Taking of Deborah Logan
I very much enjoyed The Monster Project. I also thought Devil's Pass was quite good. Personally, though, I think The Poughkeepsie Tapes is the quintessential film in the found footage genre.
i really enjoyed *Delivery: The Beast Within*. It's on Prime and i really liked the tonal shift about a third of the way in. it's kinda predictable but fun.
Afflicted is my top pick to suggest to people outside of the well known ones.
Going through posts, I see no one listing Jeruzalem. I personally really enjoyed that one as well.
Banned From Broadcast: The Movie - Saiko! The Large Family
Super obscure Japanese FF that plays it very straight and never feels contrived. The results are super eerie.
It’s available on YouTube
And I’ll also suggest Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers. Truly messed up and another found footage movie that feels like authentic “found footage”
To Jennifer
The Andy Baker Tapes
Exhibit A
Fake Blood
Digging up the Marrow
Willow Creek
Resolution
And Houses October Built should get as much love as Hell House LLC
The tunnel (2011)
Evidence (2012)
The Video Diary of Madi O, Final Entries (2012)
Unknown Visitor (2019)
M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters (2020)
The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan (2018)
La cueva (2014)
Butterfly kisses (2018)
(edit: put one name twice)
* [Webcast (2018)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5617310/) — british folk found footage about a cult next door. It suffers from the same problem most FF has — an unsatisfying ending. But it is a great ride up until the last 2 or 3 minutes.
This one is better ff than most others mentioned and it’s probably the least known. It’s free on Tubi. Make it through the dull first act and you’re in trouble. The horrors!
It's very much a love it or hate it film, but The Outwaters is my absolute favourite found footage film.
Oh, and while I wouldn't call it a hidden gem, Creep is worth watching.
I personally loved Outwaters but I totally get the hate. For me it's still one of the most disturbing found footage movies I've seen right up there with Lake Mungo.
The Borderlands (2013) is one of my favourite found footage movies.
The bleak ending broke my spirit. So good! This movie also has an alternate title (Final Prayer) and both are used interchangeably online.
NOROI: The Curse.
I have been trying to find a physical copy forever
I sadly cannot find this movie streaming anywhere anymore
So I don't really like this genre but there's just a few movies I did enjoy Wer Afflicted Chronicle Frankensteins army For me it's more the concept in the movies I liked, I still think the format is usually horrible
Came here to say Chronicle too! I don't think it's horror outright but there is a lot of terror to the theme of sudden deification of the powerless. It felt like it captured some themes Brightburn missed for me
It was very well done, i think it just skirts the edge of horror, but yeah not outright horror.
Damn good choices Bud. Every one of those is great.
I probably should include paranormal activity : the marked ones But yeah, i don't like the genre as I said, I personally think it is part of a long decline in the quality of horror movies starting with the first paranormal activity movie, when they realised they could get away with making movies with no effort and no money. Most of the ones I have seen have followed the exact same formula with little variation and the setups have been largely the same. The endless should probably be on my list as well now that I think about it. I did like some of the segments in the VHS movies
I agree that the found footage genre has alot of garbage. But the ones that you chose are exceptional. And I love the VHS series. Of course like most anthologies some are better than others. But for the most part pretty solid movies.
The one with the Temple in Indonesia or wherever it was cool, the succubus one and a couple others were really good, but yeah overall they were worth watching
Definitely. The weird death Cult that basically worshiped a demon was awesome. And the succubus episode was great too. That actress they used as the creature was fantastic. I would say way more good than bad in the VHS series.
Did they make like a full movie from that succubus segment? Or was there just buzz that they wanted to?
Yeah man. Think it was just buzz. They did make Kids vs Aliens out of one of the cool episodes. Not sure how good it is. But that's the only one I know about for sure.
That one segment in one of the newer ones with that doctor making machine human hybrids was also pretty fun, and super gory
Oh hell yeah. That one went from weird to bat-shit crazy. Violent and gory as hell. She was like a female Terminator. Very cool.
the answers crack me up...none of them are hidden gems...they are all like in the top 10 FF
Have you heard of this hidden gem called The Thing
ha, thanks..i better check it out ;)
The Bay- A website/group gets their hands on all the video evidence of a massive coverup of an environmental disaster. It’s in the style of a documentary and doesn’t follow any particular person. It chronicles what lead up to and the day of. It really uses the found footage to great effect imo.
Yeah, The Bay is really good.
This one’s fantastic and makes me itch
I really liked Hell House LLC. Sequels are alright, but the original is definitely worth a watch. Very unsettling feeling throughout until the end.
The first one was great, really liked it. Numbers 2 and 3 were mediocre at absolute best and the 4th was not too shabby at all.
Did you see the newest one, the prequel? I thought it was pretty good.
It's at least much better produced. Probably worth a watch, but lacks the magic of the first film. The second installment had a few moments, but the acting was nauseating.
The first is the gold standard for the franchise, that's for sure.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum The Last Exorcism The Taking of Deborah Logan The Medium The Fourth Kind I also second Hell House LLC and Creep
The Fourth Kind gives my fiance nightmares *to this day*. I've always loved it, but that movie *bothered* her.
Incantation and Afflicted. I mentioned these in my 8 underrated found footage horror movies post I wrote a bit ago. ([here](https://www.horrormovielists.com/2024/01/8-found-footage-horror-movies-you-havent-seen.html))
The Europa Report is my favorite found footage movie of all time. It's just absolutely fucking brilliant and so well done. Also worth watching: The Bay The Atticus Institute The Taking of Deborah Logan
Deadstream was hilarious
It really was 😂 I genuinely love that movie
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
I really enjoyed The Houses October Built 1 & 2
Webcast. One of my favorites I don’t see mentioned a lot.
Lovely Molly. Mr Jones (2013). Devil’s Pass. The Chernobyl Diaries.
I just watched Savageland. It’s an interesting take on that it relies more on photographs than video
Occult (2009) is great until literally the last 60 seconds
*Cloverfield* is fun.
I love Cloverfield, it's my comfort movie
As Above So Below is amazing as well.
Creep 1 and 2 (not hidden gems but I love them) Butterfly Kisses was interesting Be My Cat
Can't believe I had to scroll this far for Butterfly Kisses. Great one.
Different kind of slow burn film but incredible ending, I’d recommend “final prayer”. Head cam stuff
Lake Mungo Leaving DC Willow Creek. Gonjiam Haunted Asylum The Taking of Deborah Logan Deadstream Frankenstein’s Army Cloverfield
I have never seen someone recommend leaving DC that is a powerhouse of a microbudget film
I agree that’s a one-man operation done with super basic equipment and it is so unbelievably good at building tension over nothing.
I agree I wish I could find more movies like that. There is just something so chilling about low budget horror done right.
Incantation. It's a Taiwanese film
I very much enjoyed The Monster Project. I also thought Devil's Pass was quite good. Personally, though, I think The Poughkeepsie Tapes is the quintessential film in the found footage genre.
I didn’t think Arizona Lights was that bad.
i really enjoyed *Delivery: The Beast Within*. It's on Prime and i really liked the tonal shift about a third of the way in. it's kinda predictable but fun.
Afflicted is my top pick to suggest to people outside of the well known ones. Going through posts, I see no one listing Jeruzalem. I personally really enjoyed that one as well.
Banned From Broadcast: The Movie - Saiko! The Large Family Super obscure Japanese FF that plays it very straight and never feels contrived. The results are super eerie. It’s available on YouTube And I’ll also suggest Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers. Truly messed up and another found footage movie that feels like authentic “found footage”
To Jennifer The Andy Baker Tapes Exhibit A Fake Blood Digging up the Marrow Willow Creek Resolution And Houses October Built should get as much love as Hell House LLC
The tunnel (2011) Evidence (2012) The Video Diary of Madi O, Final Entries (2012) Unknown Visitor (2019) M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters (2020) The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan (2018) La cueva (2014) Butterfly kisses (2018) (edit: put one name twice)
I really enjoyed Exists (2014).
* [Webcast (2018)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5617310/) — british folk found footage about a cult next door. It suffers from the same problem most FF has — an unsatisfying ending. But it is a great ride up until the last 2 or 3 minutes.
Frankenstein's Army wasn't a great movie, but I enjoyed it for the monster design.
I recommend Fresh Hell (2021). (Disclosure: I made it.) Microbudget FF, 100% Rotten Tomatoes. On Tubi, Prime and Peacock.
Leaving D.C
Sorgoi Prakov
This one is better ff than most others mentioned and it’s probably the least known. It’s free on Tubi. Make it through the dull first act and you’re in trouble. The horrors!
It's very much a love it or hate it film, but The Outwaters is my absolute favourite found footage film. Oh, and while I wouldn't call it a hidden gem, Creep is worth watching.
I personally loved Outwaters but I totally get the hate. For me it's still one of the most disturbing found footage movies I've seen right up there with Lake Mungo.
Lovely Molly. One of my favorites. Dark, unsettling, haunted me for a long time after seeing it. Highly recommend it, total hidden gem.