10 Great Found Footage Movies

As someone who loves found footage films, I am always on the prowl for a new one that will catch my eye. I’m sure there are a lot of us who go through this, always looking for the next one that will remind us why we love this sub-genre so much. It’s because this style of movie doesn’t have to have a hefty entry fee that there are so many that get made, and in turn, so many poorly made and downright bad ones are out there. 

I don’t fault anyone for giving it a shot to make a found footage movie because they are a great place to cut your teeth or to try something out. They are about ideas and shadows and don’t always require you to show everything. It is this campfire element to them that I love so much. 

It’s not easy finding the good ones, though. 

We get a lot of running around in the dark, in a wooded area or an abandoned building, with actors screaming at nothing and then being dragged off into the night. Somehow, their footage is found. 

Because there are so many of them getting made, it makes it hard to find the really good ones, or even the pretty good ones. Naturally, I keep looking, desperate for the next found footage high. 

Here are my 10 great found footage movies. I am leaving out movies I adore, but am grabbing the movies that have stuck with me and, for various reasons, really exemplify the subgenre for me. These films are the basics, but we have to start somewhere. It is really when you start digging through the virtual crates that you find the little-seen ones that can stand out, but let’s start with the basics. 

TEN GREAT FOUND FOOTAGE FILMS (in no order)

BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

I have made it pretty clear how deeply I love this movie. Part of that is that I was on the ground level of the hype and build-up and saw the film before it went national. The real reason I love the movie, though, is the campfire feel of things and the genuine terror it raises in that dreamy What If of something lurking in the darkness of the woods. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185937/

LAKE MUNGO

A found footage faux-documentary, this one is more about heartbreak and family loss than jump scares, but don’t doubt for a moment that there aren’t moments that will chill the blood. A sad, gripping film that plays like a real documentary. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816556/

REC

Once it gets moving, REC is a freight train of terror that you either hop onboard for or get out of its way. The first two films are brilliant, and it’s a shame that the third and fourth chapters sorta dropped off in storytelling and horror. If someone tells you found footage isn’t scary, then they haven’t seen this movie, or they’re lying. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038988/

CLOVERFIELD

Being able to see a giant monster attack a city at ground level and to have the horror and spectacle captured is amazing. As good as the movie is, the alternate reality game aspect of it took things to a new level if you were interested in more info. The movie itself was a grand spectacle and showed that these types of films could be made to mimic a big Hollywood blockbuster. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1060277/

THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN

Anyone who has cruised horror images or Scariest Videos pages has probably come across a scene from this movie, but it’s much more than just that. With a go-for-broke lead performance and the sad reality of the mental decline of someone we love, the scariest horrors are often what lurks unseen within us, whatever it is. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3387648/

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

When this movie hit, it was a cultural phenomenon, telling you how impactful it was. It’s a simple premise with a modern twist that works for everyone who has ever thought something was watching them from the darkness. While I love the entire series, the more lore they added, the more bloated the concept got until it really had nowhere to go and just sorta petered out. Individual entries of the series, especially the first, are where the power lies. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/

SAVAGELAND

Our third faux-doc (counting Deb Logan, and Lake Mungo), this one is minimalistic in what we see, instead leaning on lo-fi horror and storytelling to make its point. The film wraps the terror into a story of immigrants and reveals itself in still photos and it absolutely chilling. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3899154/

LEAVING D.C.

The really controversial entry here, but one that really worked for me. It’s completely minimalistic with two characters and a focus on one, and the growing fear of what is in the woods around his new home. This film shows what can be done with a compelling story and the right use of tension. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2647078/

NOROI: The Curse

YIKES! This is a chilling movie. If you wanna double this with GONJIAM HAUNTED ASYLUM then you probably won’t sleep much afterward. For me, NOROI is the better of the two, and the terror ratchets up, up, up as we learn more about the curse. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0930083/

THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES

The last of the faux-docs in this list, and one that will appeal to true crime fans. Similar to a movie like MAN BITES DOG, we are seeing the mind of a killer, but in a way that has no black humor. This is the beginning, middle, and mastery of a monster becoming what they are, and it’s horrifying. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010271/

There are scads of other films I could include here. Other found footage movies that I love – AS ABOVE, SO BELOW, anyone? – but, these are great examples of the genre and some favorites. Luckily, a lot of these can be found on streaming services or on YouTube from time to time. Go find your faves!