Looking at all the horror genres we have, one that stands out is found footage. Ever since Cannibal Holocaust, which many consider the first film of this type, we’ve seen these movies taking the mainstream by storm and delivering harrowing experiences for cinephiles. Even if some of these films look low-budget and can be a bit too samey at times, they’ve come a long way and evolved into one of the most beloved genres out there. Therefore, we’ve prepared a list of the best 10 found footage horror movies you should watch.
10. Cannibal Holocaust
Since it kicked off the genre, we thought it would be worth putting at the tenth spot for that and a few other reasons. Many out there consider Cannibal Holocaust the first found footage film. Or at least the one that reached a bigger audience. However, it’s in the last spot because you need a strong stomach to push through it.
This film touches upon many disturbing topics, such as sexual assaults, genuine animal slaying, and a lot of explicit gore. For that reason, Cannibal Holocaust is more of a cult classic and a very niche film. We don’t recommend it that much for the faint of heart. But if you want to see the movie that everyone considers the first of the genre, by all means, have at it!
9. Late Night with the Devil
One of the most recent found footage horror movies is Late Night with the Devil. It premiered in 2024 and features a top-notch cast and excellent spin on late-night shows. The plot is presented as a documentary of the show’s episode that aired on Halloween. In it, the host invites a girl allegedly possessed by a demon and, well, a lot of things happen, but I won’t spoil that for you.
While it has a few weak points, Late Night with the Devil is an excellent film that is carried by its cast more than anything else. However, it is a more modern film, and the fact that it takes place on a late-night show makes it even better, as not a lot of films tend to explore this setting.
8. V/H/S (2012)
The V/H/S franchise is now as famous as Paranormal Activity. The quality of the two is up for debate, but the first V/H/S film deserves a spot on this list as it kicked off the series in a top-notch anthology with several scary mini-films.
Instead of having a full-length found footage horror movie, you get five short, self-contained anthology films, each directed by different people and taking on a variety of topics. For instance, one features a sex worker who turns into a monster; another one is a thriller story between a couple, and so on. It’s a suspenseful buffet with a lot of unique settings that, while it isn’t the greatest in terms of production values, offers five different found footage horror short films for people to enjoy. Plus, the franchise has seven total V/H/S movies, so you’re just opening an interesting can of horror by starting with this one.
7. Grave Encounters
This will be my most biased entry and one that many might not like, but it is the first found footage film I watched, and at the time, it was quite scary. It follows a crew that is all about staging and filming “paranormal” situations. Their most recent project takes them to an asylum where they thought everything would go as planned. Stage the scary stuff, say some cheesy lines, and get some footage for people to watch.
However, they quickly discover they can’t escape this location and start dealing with time-traveling shenanigans, dimensional hazards, spirits, demons, and every horror staple you can think of. It isn’t the best out there, but it is a film that feels like the harrowing child of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity.
6. Unfriended
Social media is already scary, but Unfriended takes it up a notch. While many categorize this film as one of the new “screen life” movies, such as Host, it still counts as found footage, so it deserves a spot here.
Without spoiling much, the movie is told through Skype calls and other “face-time-like” platforms. We see a group of teenagers who are haunted by a spirit who was wronged while she was alive. Unfriended isn’t the best out there, but it is memorable, and most importantly, it illustrates the dangers and harms of social media with a supernatural spin on it. Beware, though. The movie touches upon self-harm topics.
5. Troll Hunter
One of the most original found footage horror movies comes from Norway and is Troll Hunter. Instead of spirits and demons, we have a group of people trying to hunt a bear poacher, only to discover Trolls are behind it all.
It features excellent visual effects, but the real kicker is how the filmmakers play with the scale of the Trolls and the locations. There are fantastic shots of Trolls appearing behind a lush forest or reaching the height of a mountain. For a found footage film, this is commendable. The story might not be the best, but the production aspect is unmatched and refreshing. If you’re not fond of ghosts, demons, and spectral things, Trollhunter is an excellent palate cleanser.
4. Paranormal Activity
If The Blair Witch Project made the found footage horror famous, Paranormal Activity made it more mainstream, although the quality between the two is vastly different. As you know, Paranormal Activity has become a beast of its own with several movies, most of them interconnected and following a larger, overarching plot. Still, the first entry is the one that started it all, and everyone should watch it at least once.
It follows the story of a couple who get haunted in their new house. The husband installs cameras all around the residence to record the strange happenings. Many thought the horror aspect of this film was cheap at the time. It had the audience looking closely at the pantry and getting scared after a door opened. Still, it worked perfectly, and this technique improved in subsequent films. So, if you want to watch the one that started it all, I fully recommend it.
3. REC
Many might’ve heard of the movie Quarantine, but what if I told you the original film is REC and comes from Spain? Yes, this is, hands down, one of the best found footage horror movies of the 2000s. It follows a reporter as she enters a building with a group of firefighters to cover the story of an infection. However, things take a turn when they discover there are zombies involved.
The story might sound simple, but the execution is masterful. You have excellent shots despite the “handheld” camera approach, and the acting is superb. There are three other films that were born after this one, but they missed the mark by a lot. The original REC film is among the best of the genre and one that exploits all the found footage staples and elevates them throughout the movie.
2. Cloverfield
Back in 2008, prior to the film’s release, Cloverfield started one of the best marketing campaigns to unveil the movie. It had a dedicated website that featured many puzzles and scary footage that confused people about what it was all about. Eventually, Cloverfield landed (no pun intended) and became a cult classic and one of the greatest found footage movies of the early 2000s.
The plot follows Rob and his group of friends after they try to find Rob’s girlfriend. What’s the catch? Well, a huge creature landed outside of New York, and it’s wreaking havoc and spawning smaller creatures that attack everything on sight. The film’s presentation, camera work, and acting is terrific, and the fact that it touches upon a more “alien” topic instead of supernatural was great. This movie spawned two more films with a bit of a convoluted chronology, but equally great. However, this is the only one that fits the found footage genre and one that is a must-watch for horror fans.
1. The Blair Witch Project
Last but not least, we have the movie that opened the found footage gates. Yes, Cannibal Holocaust and a few others premiered first. But to this day, nothing will ever reach the quality, storytelling, acting, and presentation of The Blair Witch Project. The original, by the way, not the sequel.
The plot shows three film students as they attempt to make a documentary of the famous and titular Blair Witch. While it doesn’t feature a towering monster or wild special effects, it’s the nail-biting atmosphere and realism that make the film so iconic. It plays perfectly with the natural approach found footage films are known for and delivers horror at its finest, thanks to the improvised dialogue and grounded approach. Even if the genre has grown considerably, nothing has been able to surpass this 1999 sleeper hit.
