Ten Found-Footage Movies Worth Your Time

Hey everyone! With the new horror flick The Gallows hitting theaters this weekend and Creep hitting VOD and Netflix soon and with both of them being "found-footage' movies, i figured I'd compile a little list. "Found-footage" is one of my favorite of the horror sub-genres and I feel it receives a lot of unfair hate in the film community. This is why I have put together a list of ten 'found-footage" films that I think are definitely worth your time (One is even one of my all-time favorite films). I have purposely excluded Chronicle, Cloverfield, The Blair Witch Project and the Paranormal Activity franchise since they are widely popular. If you haven't seen any of those I suggest changing that, they are considered the pinnacle of the sub-genre. So here are ten 'found-footage' films that I have not only seen but that I thoroughly enjoyed, I hope you enjoy some of them as well.


1. Troll Hunter (2010)

I adore this film, it is literally one of my favorite movies of all-time and I want all of you to watch it. It is a Norwegian film centering on a group of college kids filming a short documentary for a film class. They are following a series of illegal Bear killings in the area when they meet a strange man and begin to follow him instead. he claims to be a Troll hunter and they think he is the perfect subject for their film. Little do they know he's not so crazy and that they are in for a wild couple of days. This movie is crazy fun and the effects are incredible. Pop this on anytime and enjoy the hell out of it.  





2. [REC] (2007)

This is quite possibly my favorite, true horror 'found-footage' film. This little Spanish film became the basis for the sub-par American Quarantine remakes. Make no mistake though, this movie is absolutely terrifying and genius horror. A reporter and her cameraman follow emergency workers to a  mysterious apartment building and once they become locked inside things begin getting bloody. The film makes beautiful use of the camera work and lighting and will definitely scare the living hell out of you. 

3. The Bay (2012)

Fun Fact: This movie is directed by Barry Levinson, yes thats the same Barry Levinson who directed Sleepers and The Perfect Storm. This is a film that will literally get under your skin. Its creepy and crawly and pretty terrifying. Watch as a small Maryland town is terrorized by an ecological disaster. Maybe don't eat anything when you watch this one.

4&5. V/H/S (2012)  V/H/S 2 (2013)

This is a two-for, go and watch both of these films. There is even a third but I haven't seen it yet so I didn't include it here. These films are anthology horror featuring a handful of short, 'found-footage' horror films each more inventive and original than the next. They feature some incredible directors such as Ti West and Gareth Evans and are a testament to what can be done with anthology horror. 

6. Afflicted (2013)

A cool twist on a classic horror creature, i won't say too much because it's better as a surprise. This film follows two guys as they make a trip around the world, documenting it on their video blog. When one of them meets a mysterious lady and falls ill however the trip takes unplanned turns for the worse. 

7. Europa Report (2013)

Not necessarily a horror film but definitely a 'found-footage' film, Europa Report takes the genre into space. A crew of international astronauts take a privately funded mission across space in search of potential life on one of Jupiter's moons. The film uses the on-ship security cameras to document the entire trip adding a new original take on the genre. The film stars Sharlto Copley who you would know from District 9 and Elysium, and is not only a cool found-footage film but a pretty damn cool science fiction film. 

8. The Sacrament (2013)

The latest film from horror director Ti West, The Sacrament follows a fictional Vice news crew as they go to investigate a cult and find one of the guys missing sister. When they arrive at the camp however, they find their stay may not be as welcomed as they were led to believe. The film is an interpretation of the real life story of Rev. Jim Jones and his cult who committed a mass suicide together. Ti West has become a modern horror guru, all of his films have become a must see and this one is no different. 

9. The Fourth Kind (2009)

This a bit of a guilty pleasure I must admit, actually these last two are. I love alien conspiracy stories, they are just so damn fun. It's awesome to think about life beyond the stars and alien contact, so what if you take that idea and make it absolutely terrifying? That's exactly what The Fourth Kind does, using the found footage format to document a town plagued by alien abductions was a wonderful idea. This movie is intense, scary and a ton of fun. With Milla Jovovich in the lead this film is definitely worth your time. 

10. The Conspiracy (2012)

This film isn't bad by any standards but it is definitely a guilty pleasure for me and I enjoy it a bit more for personal reasons. I love conspiracy theorists, I think they are moronic, dumb and so damn entertaining. this film is basically a big slap in the face to all of the fools who think everyone and everything is out to get them. The film follows a group of friends as they slowly uncover a large conspiracy and ancient society. They can't believe what they have found and their desire to find out more may lead them into some serious trouble. This movie is intense, funny, fairly scary at times and a great addition to the found-footage family. 


If you haven't seen any of these films, many are easily available on streaming services and the ones that aren't are definitely worth tracking down. let me know which movies you have seen and if you like them. As always thanks for reading and I am Zach Who watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!