8 Criminally Underrated Found Footage Horror Movies

Found footage horror films are a dime a dozen, especially with today’s technology making it practically impossible for anyone to NOT make their own film. The horror streaming platform Shudder alone takes on dozens of found footage horror films monthly, so when you include the bigger streaming platforms, or however you consume your horror media, it makes it difficult to separate the cheap thrills from the genuine gems.

Yes, everybody knows The Blair Witch Project is a staple within the subgenre, and yes, everybody knows to steer clear of its sequels, but what about the lesser-known, legitimately enjoyable and scare-inducing flicks that seem to hide in the shadows? Well, look no further for your guide through some of the most severely underrated found footage horror films known to man!

8- The Bay

Sitting on the throne of the found footage/body horror niche subgenre is The Bay, a 2012 documentary-style film that follows a parasitic outbreak on July 4th in a small seaside town. Introduced to a journalist who previously was advised not to run the story of what she witnessed that weekend, the film comprises ‘actual’ footage from the event as it unfolded, CCTV, dash cam, police-body footage, and Skype calls make up just a fragment of the media utilised to create this stellar piece.

It ultimately lands itself on this list as an outlier in a pool of found-footage flicks that rely on jumpscares and eerie occurrences in the background. The horror with this movie is full-frontal and does not shy away from its own grotesque content, leaving

audiences wincing and wriggling in their seats at the discomfort of their onscreen counterparts. This film should never be missed when talking about the subgenre, and offers a refreshing Cronenberg-esq take on an otherwise samey collection of films.

7- The Taking of Deborah Logan

When talking about The Taking, or The Taking of Deborah Logan, many people tend to focus on the ending of the film's shock factor. The structure of the film follows the similar trend of found-footage horror films in that it resembles a documentary. In this particular ill-fated instance, the documentary-maker’s own reason for embarking on this journey is to examine Deborah’s Alezheimer’s disease diagnosis, and how her family navigates living alongside her given the circumstances.

As is to be expected, not all is as it seems with Deborah, and her Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis eventually spirals into something much worse, posing the question of if it was even that to begin with. Harkening back to the ending, it does have a great pay-off when the film reaches its climax, however a word to the wise when watching this movie, as it does have a remarkably uncanny depiction of Alzheimer’s disease- something often uncommon in films of the genre- and therefore may be upsetting for some viewers.

6 - Jeruzalem

Finding itself centred in the holy land of Jerusalem, Jeruzalem depicts the rapture coming forth while two American women are on a tour of the holy sites within the city. The footage comes directly from the glasses worn by the women which ultimately gives a unique POV filmic technique reminiscent of the classic The Blair Witch Project, and when paired with the religious undertones and dark visuals the 2014 film As Above, So Below comes to mind.

Despite following the usual trend of plot points within a true ‘found-footage’ found-footage horror film, the way in which these narrative points are targeted is unique to this movie. The vampiric ‘angels’ that spawn across the city are a sight to behold in themselves, and so this film definitely deserves your time- so long as you can battle through all the screaming!

5- Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

Undoubtedly the strangest film on this list, Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made certainly is an intriguing watch. Half documentary, half ‘original’ movie footage, the film succeeded in its marketing plight of fear-mongering. The documentary section of the film examines the deaths and other strange occurrences linked to the production of the ‘original’ footage, and subsequent peculiarities that arose from its distribution.

The actual content of the ‘film’ focuses on two siblings who attempt to dig their way to hell, all while being set against the backdrop of the 1970s in a woodland near their home. The grainy footage gives the authenticity of a 1970s film, and because of this rightly caused some confusion upon the overall mockumentary’s release. In terms of its pacing it misses occasionally with plot beats, but the originality of the film’s release and marketing makes it worth a watch for those looking for a hidden gem within the subgenre.

4- The Borderlands

A true gem on this list, The Borderlands will strike fear into the heart of anyone who has a specific phobia of churches, organised religion, and ancient pagan deities. Sitting snugly within the folk horror/found footage subgenre crossover, this film uses mainly GoPro POV roll to execute its premise, but also boasts a handful of other filming methods to help keep the pacing flow in a successful manner.

The primary takeaway from the brilliance of this film is its atmosphere. At its best the English countryside is a mystical place, densely populated with folklore that extends far beyond just the classic Green Man or Piskies, and The Borderlands goes to various lengths to instil atmospheric terror into its audience.

3- Devil’s Pass

Devil’s Pass is a 2013 documentary-style found footage horror film that sees its main group attempt to retrace the steps of the real-life group of 1950s hikers who lost their lives in strange circumstances on the pass. Despite holding an average rating on IMDb, the actual content of the film itself is accurate to the point where it can be clearly identified as a point of interest for the creators.

It pays homage to the original group in a way that raises awareness for their unexplained deaths and the subsequent dealing of it by the Russian authorities who ultimately sought to cover-up the entire situation. The ending certainly splits those upon reception, but either way builds up to it in a truly intriguing and original way.

2- Hell House LLC

Arguably one of the most terrifying films of the genre, Hell House LLC is no stranger to most avid found-footage horror film fans. For a wider audience, however, the movie is practically unknown. It should be experienced by everyone at least once, as the level of sheer terror and anxiety that it evokes is astonishing.

Filmed in a documentary-style, it follows an unfolding of events that lead to the deaths of 15 staff and customers of a Haunted House 5 years earlier. Splicing between present day and the night of the tragedy, it depicts the demise of the team who acted to put the attraction together, as well as many of its audience members that night. Worth the watch by anyone interested in a good spook, Hell House LLC holds a special play in many horror film fans hearts.

1- Creep 2

Unfairly overshadowed by its predecessor, Creep 2 takes pride of place as the most criminally underrated found footage horror film on this list! Upon watching this film, audiences cannot seem to help comparing it to the first film in the double-bill. However, when examined as a stand-alone piece, it is understandable to see why it tops all other films on this list.

Holding all of the atmospheric terror and stellar acting of a high-budget found footage-flick, Creep 2 achieves what only a few found footage horror films have in recent years: re-watchability factor. Due to its seamless formulation, it can be rewatched multiple times without losing much, if any, of its first-time-watch impact which can range from physical discomfort due to Mark Duplass’ stellar acting, all the way to biting a cushion because all you want to do is to shout ‘get out of there!’

So, there we have it. A microcosm of the sheer vastness of found-footage horror films that are just so good, you probably will want to watch them twice. What other unsung gems would you like to see on this list? Let me know!