Found footage films are like movie jump scares, you opt to step into yourself—real, raw, and unpredictable. Haunted forests to alien attacks, the genre loves putting us in the middle of chaos, fear, and sometimes, a lot of shaky camera work. Some are more traditional horror fare, some try their hand at other genres, all of them drawing us in with that grainy, handheld shot. Whether you’re a seasoned horror fan or just dipping your toes in, here are 10 found footage films that redefined fear and left us side-eyeing our home videos.
10. District 9
While not a pure found footage film, District 9 uses documentary-style storytelling in its early scenes to give a gritty, grounded edge to a sci-fi tale. We track Wikus, the bureaucrat who is in charge of the aliens’ relocation in Johannesburg, through interviews and news coverage. The pseudo-doc style makes the aliens’ plight uncomfortably human, lending depth to the film’s xenophobia and segregation themes. As Collider pointed out, the documentary style makes the aliens’ living conditions even more poignant.
9. End of Watch
Found footage can be more than ghosts and monsters, it seems. End of Watch brings the sheen to the streets of L.A., with body cams, dash cams, and handhelds covering the high-intensity, often humdrum, sometimes downright frightening, lives of two LAPD cops. Played electrifyingly by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, their friendship is the film’s throbbing heart. The immersive format adds a brutal truth to the action that’s both compelling and devastating. Collider refers to the film as providing a not-so-common street-level perspective on law enforcement’s daily disorder.
8. Chronicle
High school angst collides with superpowers in this witty reworking of the superhero genre. Chronicle is about three teenagers who receive telekinetic powers and choose to record their crazy ride. Initially, it’s all cool stuff and floating Legos—until things hit a dark note. The found footage approach of the film lends emotional realism to a genre that typically is all explosions and capes. Collider notes its singular emphasis on alienated youth, which makes it one of the more emotionally stable entries into the superhero universe.
7. Trollhunter
Yes, it’s about real trolls. And yes, it’s awesome. This hidden Norwegian gem tracks a team of student filmmakers who follow a mysterious hunter—chasing trolls across the rural landscape. With its dry humor, snowy vistas, and unexpectedly deep lore, Trollhunter is far from typical found footage horror fare. It teeters between parody and actual suspense, demonstrating that monsters don’t have to be metaphors in order to work. Collider complements its fantasy twist and beautiful Norwegian backdrop.
6. Creep
Horror doesn’t always have to be a monster—sometimes it’s just one really strange man with a camera. In Creep, a videographer responds to a Craigslist ad to record the last words of a dying man. What begins as uncomfortable becomes menacing. Mark Duplass gives a performance that is both charming and spine-tingling. This bare-bones psychological horror relies on tension and the unknown, proving that found footage doesn’t have to involve gore or spirits to crawl under your skin. Nightmare on Film Street praises it as a masterclass in restrained, character-driven horror.
5. Rec
One of the most visceral found footage horrors ever created hails from Spain. Rec plunges a news reporter and her cameraman into an apartment building quarantined—and then hell breaks loose. Residents are infected with a mysterious virus, and the shaky, claustrophobic camera work makes it feel like you’re trapped there too. The tension builds relentlessly, and by the end, you’ll be holding your breath. Number Analytics notes how Rec merges classic horror tropes with the immediacy of found footage to terrifying effect.
4. Cloverfield
A monster movie told from the perspective of a party guest? Sign us up. Cloverfield turns the kaiju genre on its head by maintaining the camera at ground level while New York City is being destroyed. The result is an adrenaline-driven romp through devastation, disorientation, and fright, all viewed through the eyes of a group of twenty-somethings attempting to survive. Nightmare on Film Street applauds its anarchic, street-level perspective on disaster, calling it one of the most iconic movies of its type.
3. Ghostwatch
Well before The Blair Witch Project shattered the net, Ghostwatch frightened a whole country. Shown live on the BBC in 1992 as a special, it presented itself as a genuine paranormal investigation, complete with real newsreaders and television personalities used to keep the illusion real. So realistic was it, thousands of viewers were convinced it was genuine—and some never really forgave the BBC. Nightmare on Film Street points out how its realistic structure confused the issues of fact versus fiction in a manner few movies ever did.
2. Paranormal Activity
On nearly no budget and barely any effects, Paranormal Activity swept the world. Its static camera and real-time tension made each creak and shadow seem like an imminent threat to itself. Focused on a pair of lovers confronted with an unseen force within their dwelling, the movie gradually constructs a feeling of terror that’s practically intolerable. Vocal Media attributes it to revitalizing how fear can be achieved—no hefty budget necessary, only atmosphere, patience, and plenty of guts.
1. The Blair Witch Project
The movie that turned the found footage genre into a full-fledged phenomenon. The Blair Witch Project took three filmmakers into the forest—and left viewers guessing whether they’d ever come back. Handheld cameras and a genius marketing plan lent an aura of authenticity to the film, making many believe that it was real. What frightened us was not what we heard, but what we didn’t. Entertainment Weekly calls it the moment that defined the genre, and decades afterward, it remains the benchmark for how to take low-budget fright and make it a pop culture touchstone.
Found footage isn’t a gimmick—at least, not when done correctly. These movies show that with the proper angle, even the most straightforward setups can be unforgettable nightmares. So the next time you catch someone grabbing a camcorder in a horror movie… perhaps just avoid looking.