- 6 weeks ago
Sleep with the lights on tonight! Join us as we count down the most skin-crawling found footage films ever made. From shaky handheld cameras that capture raw terror to mockumentaries so convincing you'll think they're real, these movies blur the line between fiction and reality in the most frightening ways possible.
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00:00This video is brought to you by DreamEater, terrorizing theaters October 24th.
00:08You must admit it's exceptional footage. I didn't expect such impact, such authenticity.
00:14Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the scariest found footage movies ever made.
00:20Did you go get the camera first?
00:22Yeah, well I thought it was a ghost or something like real scary.
00:27There's a brand new nightmare waiting to claim a spot on this list.
00:31DreamEater. Set in a remote Laurentian cabin, a filmmaker captures her boyfriend's violent sleepwalking,
00:38only to uncover a decades-old evil that feeds on more than dreams.
00:43It's the same nerve-shredding realism that made these classics unforgettable, only darker, deeper, and even harder to shake.
00:50DreamEater will be terrorizing theaters on October 24th.
00:54Get your tickets now, and find out who you're really sleeping next to.
01:00Number 20. Found Footage 3D.
01:03The title of this one may throw you off, as we would expect a C-grade cash grab of a film taking advantage of the format.
01:09It's most likely why it didn't garner enough viewers.
01:22That, and because a lot of people are not on board with 3D in general.
01:26What we actually have is a smart and original take on the genre.
01:30You're essentially watching a movie being made within a movie, which is all very meta.
01:37And the actors inside the film ask the same questions an audience would while watching it.
01:42That's not a thing. It is now.
01:43The movie generates a lot of laughs before it expectedly transforms into a full-fledged horror experience.
01:49But that's what we came to see in the first place.
01:58Number 19. The Conspiracy.
02:00The fake documentary or mockumentary style of filmmaking adds another level of realism to the movie that acts as a barrier for the audience,
02:07separating themselves from the fiction to make it less scary.
02:10And it immerses them into the story that's being told.
02:13The Conspiracy explores the notion that conspiracy theorists, deemed crazy by many, may have been right all along.
02:19What is it? What is it you're looking at? What is it you're piecing together?
02:23I don't know yet! I don't know what it is!
02:25It's unfortunate that this only has a handful of critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
02:29There are many movies with the title The Conspiracy, which is maybe why this one was lost among the crowd.
02:35You've joined a circle that can never be broken. Brotherhood. A family, in a way. No less than, say, a wife or a small child.
02:54What starts as a tame exploration into a conspiracy theorist's psyche slowly develops into an incredibly tense, scary movie with a chilling final act.
03:03Number 18. Grave Encounters.
03:06Alright, everyone. If you're ready, it's time to have some Grave Encounters!
03:12We can almost guarantee that this film would have been talked about by millions worldwide if it had just come out a few years earlier.
03:19Just because the market was becoming saturated with found footage cinema doesn't mean the quality took a dip.
03:25Grave Encounters is a nail-biting escape adventure that doesn't take too long getting into the crux of the matter.
03:40Terrifying ghosts, a never-ending night, and a constant change to the hospital's layout make it a challenge for our heroes to escape.
03:47And it means that no matter who's watching, they're going to be scared of something.
03:51Number 17. Afflicted.
03:58It's hard to remember vampires are monstrous, horrible, terrifying, blood-sucking creatures when Twilight and their sparkling vampires are so ingrained into our minds.
04:06But, if you watch Afflicted, you definitely won't forget.
04:09I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to hold out.
04:15The film is a compelling mystery thriller, as we try to work out what strange illness Derek has contracted after he spends a night with a mysterious girl.
04:22We shouldn't be taking you to the hospital, right? Like, given your condition?
04:29No, I don't think so.
04:30However, when we do find out, it becomes an engaging study on how someone would react if they have contracted vampirism and the steps they take to survive it.
04:39If Audrey is right, and I can't die, then what I am, and the things I have to do, you can't be around.
04:52While audience reception was mixed due to the number of cliches Afflicted leans into, we still highly recommend it.
04:58Number 16. The Poughkeepsie Tapes.
05:01Do you mind if I film this? I'm making a little movie about my trip.
05:04This mockumentary is more disturbing than scary. A serial killer has led police to where he keeps videotapes of him tormenting and murdering his victims.
05:14That's why I did it! I did it because of you!
05:19Thank you, Pastor! Thank you!
05:22While the film touches on the psychology of what would bring a man to do such things, it focuses instead on what someone like this is capable of doing.
05:30Where are you going?
05:32You'll see.
05:33Once we see, it sends shivers down our spines.
05:36It's what we don't see, however, that scares us more.
05:40The film would've met a larger audience had MGM not removed it from their release schedule.
05:45It was largely unavailable for many years, which is a shame given its undeniable quality as a disturbing piece of work.
05:53Unlike MGM, you won't soon forget it.
05:55This film explores the effects Alzheimer's has on the one suffering from it and its impact on their family, and respects that that can be enough horror on its own before it delves into the supernatural.
06:16Just the looks Debra Logan gives to the other characters, and by extension us, are enough to make us uncomfortable.
06:30Still, it's what she does as her possession becomes more and more powerful that will genuinely make us look away.
06:34A few critics commented that the film was unoriginal, and couple that with the fact that this was Adam Robitel's directorial debut could be the reason the film didn't receive the attention it deserved.
06:53Number 14. The Visit.
06:56Would you mind getting inside the oven to clean it?
07:02I'm sorry?
07:04Welcome back M. Night Shyamalan.
07:05After a string of, well, let's face it, awful movies, Shyamalan scaled back the spectacle and returned to his roots with The Visit.
07:13The found-footage style of the film feels intimate and real, as we become physically trapped with the children,
07:18as they document the increasingly strange behavior from their supposed grandparents.
07:24The film builds fear slowly, starting with odd but seemingly innocent behavior before escalating into full-on disturbing and almost inhuman moments.
07:33The scares are rooted in everyday anxieties, aging, distrust, domestic disturbance, which is a welcome change of pace in the often fantastical found-footage genre.
07:43By mixing humor, tension, and a chillingly grounded threat, The Visit becomes both entertaining and deeply frightening.
08:02Number 13. As Above, So Below.
08:05If the concept of Lara Croft stuck in a haunted tomb doesn't excite you, it should at least get you intrigued.
08:10Granted, this isn't actually Lara Croft, but it is an English archaeologist exploring the catacombs under Paris with her crew for lost treasure.
08:28By now, we'd seen found-footage films releasing so fast that audiences had grown tired of them, which is why this film didn't receive the praise it deserved.
08:45But it is a chillingly fun experience, and the ending is a mind-bending revelation that has to be watched.
08:51Number 12. Lake Mungo.
08:58This is a mockumentary so convincing that you could show it to anyone and they would think it was real.
09:03You know, we were just having a good time, and I just thought she had gotten a bit upset.
09:07The performances are as natural as they get, and the concepts and visuals are so subtle that we wouldn't blame anyone for thinking so.
09:13Its execution in bringing attention to the ghost haunting the family in the corners of the frame makes us go white.
09:20There was something inexplicable in our house that was beyond death.
09:26Not only scary, but the film is also emotionally scarring, as the tragedy that has befallen the family, and how it has affected them, is devastating to witness.
09:34Australian movies have a hard time reaching international audiences, and we haven't seen anything else from director Joel Anderson, but we hope he comes back soon.
09:43I'm… not quite so sure about his reasons.
09:48Number 11. Creep.
09:50It's like they… they push up.
09:53What do you do?
09:55Okay.
09:56Okay.
09:57Okay.
09:58This one will make you feel a myriad of emotions.
10:01Any movie that can make you laugh, question what the hell's going on, feel fear, feel at ease, and empathize with both protagonist and antagonist,
10:10all with each element being equally engaging, deserves merit.
10:14As the film isn't supernatural horror or a gorefest, we can understand no one talking about it.
10:19Are you… are you just trying to scare me?
10:21Or…
10:22Okay.
10:23Well…
10:24I'm terrified.
10:25Okay?
10:26You won.
10:27You won.
10:28It's just a man unsettling another with his weird, slightly off behavior.
10:33Until things totally unravel, of course.
10:35Great.
10:36Great.
10:37Well…
10:38I… I look forward to meeting you.
10:40Okay.
10:41All right.
10:42See you tomorrow, buddy.
10:43Mark Duplass is sublime, and if you like his work here, then be sure to also check out the sequel.
10:49Number 10, VHS 94.
10:52And in local news, a number of Westerville residents have come forward with stories of a mysterious figure they're calling the Ratman.
11:00It's hard to pick the best VHS movie.
11:03The second was a huge improvement on the first, and Beyond was excellent as well.
11:07But for our money, it has to be VHS 94.
11:10Set against that beautifully nostalgic and grungy 90s backdrop, the fourth installment delivers a great mix of inventive segments.
11:18From creepy funeral home footage to cybernetic body horror, courtesy of Indonesian maestro Timo Jayanto.
11:25And as the franchise continues to prove, that grimy VHS aesthetic is just inherently creepy, making the scares feel like forbidden tapes you shouldn't be watching.
11:35VHS 94 revitalized the series after the awful viral, and reminded audiences that it could still thrive when it leaned into creativity, chaos, and sheer WTF energy.
11:48We deal in contraband content, strictly VHS, definitely illegal.
11:53Number 9, Hell House LLC.
11:56Whenever people ask me what happened in Hell House, I tell them, you watch the video, you tell me.
12:02Haunted houses are scary, but they're ultimately harmless.
12:05Hell House LLC asks, what if they weren't?
12:09This little indie gem is shot in the style of a documentary, and puts viewers inside a Halloween haunted house tour that went tragically wrong.
12:17Its strength lies in subtle scares.
12:20Shadowy figures in the background, mannequins that maybe aren't really mannequins, and a palpable sense of dread that builds and builds before exploding in a refreshingly brisk 93 minutes.
12:32The movie's shoestring budget yielded sky-high creativity, and it became a modern cult classic, proving that there was still some gas in the old found footage tank yet.
12:42It's cliche to say, but we'll never look at a haunted house the same way again.
12:46I came down, and I came down the stairs from the attic, and when I got to the front door, the police were arriving.
12:59I was just happy to be alive.
13:02Number 8.
13:03Noroï, The Curse.
13:04Japan knows a thing or two about scaring audiences, and Noroï, The Curse might just be its found footage crown jewel.
13:24Jewel.
13:25Presented as a documentary unraveling a cursed ritual, the film slowly entangles viewers
13:30in a web of unsettling folklore, spooky paranormal happenings, and total cosmic dread.
13:36What sets Noroi apart is its meticulous realism.
13:39Unlike some other found footage movies, which feel more cinematic, Noroi is authentic.
13:45This thing looks like an actual investigative report, complete with grainy news clips and
13:50talking heads.
13:51It successfully infused found footage with a creeping Lovecraftian scope, proving that
13:56hand-held horror wasn't just limited to shaky cams, whispers, and cheap jump-scares.
14:02What happened?
14:04It was so sad.
14:11Number 7.
14:12Cloverfield.
14:13Excuse me.
14:14Listen.
14:15We need your help, our friend.
14:16She's hurt.
14:17She's trapped in her building.
14:18Right by here at Columbus Circle.
14:19Yeah, that is not what you want to be right now.
14:20You guys know what it is?
14:21Out there?
14:22Do you know what that thing is?
14:23I said no, they ain't telling me.
14:24Whatever it is, it's winning.
14:25Take a kaiju movie and some hand-held cameras, and sprinkle in J.J. Abrams' mystery box shenanigans,
14:32and you've got Cloverfield.
14:33This monster flick reimagined the disaster movie through the eyes of terrified twenty-somethings
14:39trying to survive a monster attack in New York City.
14:41The shaky cam gimmick may have divided audiences, but the film's sense of immediacy was undeniable.
14:47By combining Godzilla-sized spectacle with intimate human POV, Cloverfield proved found
14:53footage could handle big stories.
14:56And unlike other monster invasion movies, which typically have big budgets and big scales,
15:01Cloverfield kept it personal.
15:03This allowed viewers to experience the attack alongside its characters, creating a palpable
15:08sense of panic, confusion, and chaos.
15:11There is no other found-footage movie like it.
15:26Number six, Late Night with the Devil.
15:30What you are about to see is the recently discovered master tape of what went to air that night,
15:35as well as previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage.
15:39Maybe it's not found footage in the traditional sense, but Late Night with the Devil technically
15:47presents footage that was supposedly found.
15:50So, you know, it counts.
15:52Set during a 1970s late-night Halloween special gone wrong, Late Night with the Devil cleverly
15:57fuses old-school TV aesthetics with supernatural horror.
16:01The retro talk show format is absolutely brilliant in its authenticity, and the horror shocks with
16:06the unique combination of human tragedy, demonic possession, creepy ghost goings-on, and nightmarish
16:13surrealism.
16:14The film was widely praised for revitalizing the genre with new ideas and a fresh presentation.
16:20By disguising terror as entertainment, it reminds us why found footage is so effective.
16:25When the fake feels real, it's impossible to look away.
16:29So, aside from a couple of people in the audience, it looks like you have made fools of us all once again, Carl.
16:38All in a day's work.
16:39Number five, Cannibal Holocaust.
16:42Four youngsters who never came back.
16:44But let's have a look at them at the beginning of their incredible adventure.
16:47As a granddaddy of controversy, Cannibal Holocaust is one of the earliest, if not the earliest,
16:53examples of found footage horror.
16:55And even amongst horror aficionados and gorehounds, Cannibal Holocaust remains, to this day, an excruciating
17:02watch.
17:03Its brutality was so convincing that the filmmakers were convicted of obscenity in their native
17:08Italy.
17:09The gore is revolting and shockingly realistic, and the movie remains notorious for showing real
17:15animal killings, including an infamous scene where the characters butcher a turtle.
17:20This is one of those movies you just feel gross after watching.
17:23While its graphic content remains polarizing, its legacy is undeniable.
17:28It's the unsettling, gross, messy, but ultimately brilliant blueprint for decades of shaky cam
17:34scares to come.
17:35No, they just want to show us they are brave warriors, and they want us to follow them
17:40to the village.
17:41Follow them?
17:42Yeah, to return the prisoner, to talk.
17:44Hey, listen, I don't know about this, I think they want us for dinner tonight.
17:48Number four, Wreck.
17:51Combine the screechy, fast-moving zombies of 28 days later with the intimacy of found footage,
18:04and you have the wonderfully scary Wreck.
18:19Zombies have been shuffling their way through horror films for decades, but Wreck managed to
18:23put a new spin on the age old formula.
18:26Filmed through the lens of a news crew trapped in a quarantine department building, it turned
18:30claustrophobia into an art form.
18:33The frenetic camerawork and real-time pacing made audiences feel like they were right there
18:38with the characters, panicked, confused, and scrambling for survival.
18:42The zombies are terrifying, the pace is relentless, and some of its visuals, including that iconic
18:48ending, are simply unforgettable.
18:51In a brisk 78 minutes, Wreck does what most horror movies can only dream of.
18:56Tranquila, eh?
19:00Dame la manita.
19:03Ten cuidado.
19:04Dame la manita.
19:06Eh?
19:07Dame vas a los ojos.
19:09Number three, Ghostwatch.
19:11So, Kim, aren't you a little bit afraid?
19:14Sometimes.
19:15Why?
19:16Do you think Mr. Pipes has come to hurt you?
19:18I think he's come to hurt everybody.
19:20I think he wants to do nasty things.
19:23This BBC special fooled an entire nation into thinking a paranormal investigation was being
19:28broadcast live on TV.
19:30That's how dang scary it is.
19:33Basically a modern-day war of the worlds, Ghostwatch was presented as a real documentary,
19:38and slowly descended into chaos as malevolent forces took over a family's home.
19:43The result?
19:44Horrified viewers flooded the BBC with complaints, questions, and concerns, with many people believing
19:50that the footage was real.
19:52Its impact was enormous, foreshadowing both reality TV and the immersive potential of
19:57found footage.
19:58But even to this day, divorced from its release and with the knowledge that everything is fake,
20:04Ghostwatch is still incredibly unsettling.
20:07That's the power of great filmmaking.
20:09Studio's completely dark.
20:11Just blackness now, all the lights are filled, the power's gone off.
20:17Number 2.
20:18Paranormal Activity.
20:19Well, whatever it is that's following me, it doesn't feel, uh, it doesn't feel human.
20:26It feels like it's, feels like a monster.
20:29I mean, like it wants to hurt me.
20:31Shot for pennies inside the director's own house, Paranormal Activity turned simple bedroom cameras
20:37into box office gold, grossing nearly $200 million worldwide and launching a hugely popular franchise.
20:45Its minimalism was the secret weapon.
20:47The movie didn't force big concepts or silly visuals, but relied on slow-burn dread, creepy
20:53sounds in the dark, and moving items that shouldn't be moving.
20:57It's classic.
20:58It's timeless.
20:59Oren Peli knew that what makes a good ghost story isn't the outlandish and the far-fetched,
21:04which is a trap that later installments easily fell in.
21:07It's the sounds you hear while you're trying to sleep, the shadow you see out of the corner
21:11of your eye.
21:12In that regard, Paranormal Activity succeeds unlike any other.
21:16Mika!
21:17Mika!
21:18Mika!
21:19Mika!
21:20Mika!
21:21Mika!
21:22Mika!
21:23Mika!
21:24Mika!
21:25Mika!
21:26Mika!
21:27Katie!
21:28Help!
21:29Number 1.
21:30The Blair Witch Project.
21:32And here we come to it… the ultimate found footage phenomenon.
21:44The Blair Witch Project didn't just scare audiences, it tricked them.
21:48Marketed with missing persons flyers and a revolutionarily viral website, the film convinced
21:53many that the footage was real.
21:56Shot with shaky handheld cameras and mostly improvised dialogue, it captured raw fear better
22:02than almost anything before or since.
22:05It knows what scares people on a primal level, and utilizes it to perfection.
22:09The unexplained, the woods, the dark, being hunted, being lost, and yes, the knowledge that
22:16you're about to die.
22:17And its impact?
22:18Astronomical.
22:19Not only did it redefine low-budget filmmaking, but it also catapulted found footage into mainstream
22:24culture.
22:25Never have the sounds of laughing children been so blood-curdling.
22:29I'm scared to close my eyes.
22:30I'm scared to open them.
22:31I'm scared to open them.
22:36I'm gonna die out of here.
22:48This video is brought to you by DreamEater, terrorizing theaters October 24th.
22:52.
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