Favorite Found-Footage Film

Found Footage != Found Footage Horror

Look at two defitions from RYM:

Watch Lyrical Nitrate for a real found footage film.

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[REC], [REC 2], The Bay, V/H/S, The Blair Witch Project, Megan is Missing.

Great picks from all of you and the obvious choices are the correct choices so I can't really argue with any of them but the two movies that stand out for and have stood the test of time in terms of special effects are: Terminator 2 and The Matrix.

Let's start with T2, this was actually the first Terminator movie I watched and had yet to experience the far more chilling T1 (T12 is still the superior film though). Anyway, back on track, T2 showed on TV and my dad recorded, since it was shown past my bed time, I must have been 8 or so at the time and when I finally got to watch it, it totally blew my mind. The action was so visceral and the visuals were slicker than anything I had ever seen.

CGI wasn't the beast it is now and I think summer blockbusters have become diluted due to it's consistent and often unnecessary use but back then it was a novelty. The subtlety of use was also exceptional, giving the audiences just enough to make a world cyborgs seem realistic. The SWs prequels that followed can take a cue from Cameron and T2.

With The Matrix, I have the exact same feelings, clever and subtle use of CGI, crafting quite possibly the most stylish action movie of them all. Bullet time was given a major face lift and the fight scenes were dramatic and visually stunning. The sequels fell apart with the overuse of CGI, some of which just hasn't stood the test of time.

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I think you've posted that in the wrong thread Watch Tower.

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Troll Hunter was good, the FX were absolutely fantastic, but the acting stunk and there were a number of unintentional laughs.


I didn't get the love for Paranormal Activity either.
They edited in a low tone rumble before something scary happens.
Surely to have it "found footage" then having a backing track defeats the object. It also removes all the tension. If they'd removed the edited-in rumble and got some decent actors on board, it would have been a lot better.
I rated the first two at 5% and 15%.




Best one I've seen is Blair Witch. Ok, it has a few faults but as a found-footage movie, it's on the money.
Next best, definitely Cloverfield. Although, like with Paranormal Activity, there is one scene in Cloverfield that has a backing track, which removes you from the scene.
It's the scene underground when they're walking through the subway tunnels, there's a quiet but high pitched tone that gradually gets louder.

oops I did

Can we have one of the mods delete it? I just posted in the correct thread

You can delete it yourself.

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For me, that's an easy one: Blair witch proj. That's also one of my favorite horror movies ever.

Rec 1, 2 and Cloverfield are also great, but beyond these, i haven't watch many found footage movies.

Creep (2015)

Yay! I was worried that nobody else was going to mention the V/H/S series. None of it is A-tier, but it's great 'popcorn horror', that often has many unique and surprising twists.


Yeah, a lot of it is hit or miss, but I'll go to bat for the series as a whole. V/H/S 94 and V/H/S 1985 are probably my picks for the best, despite them being late entries in the series.


I also think the first Blair Witch Project deserves more love. Yes, every attempt to make a sequel or video game has paled in comparison, but the original still works for me.


Finally, As Above So Below is a favorite of mine. I think it's an underrated gem.

Paranormal Activity is good, but overrated. I definitely like the alternate ending better.


Does Host (2020) count? Because that movie was fantastic, and was not ashamed to clock in at a tight 60 minutes.

I loved it, and of course that's why they had to cancel it, but I had no problem with the way the story ended.

Grave Encounters

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The Blair Witch Project

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I'd have to go with The Blair Witch Project too. Was extremely suspenseful.

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My favorite is the OG, The Blair Witch Project. I had the privilege to interview co-creator Eduardo Sánchez for my podcast last year. If anyone is interested, here is the link. We talked a lot about the film, his work, and we end up sharing our Top 5 Found Footage films.

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