{"id":350827,"date":"2021-10-09T15:15:55","date_gmt":"2021-10-09T12:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/"},"modified":"2021-10-09T15:15:55","modified_gmt":"2021-10-09T12:15:55","slug":"10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/","title":{"rendered":"#10 Films That Prove Found Footage Horror Can Be Good, Actually"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3cd1a852dc4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3cd1a852dc4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/#10_The_McPherson_Tape_1989\" >10. The McPherson Tape (1989)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/#9_Grave_Encounters_2011\" >9. Grave Encounters (2011)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/#8_As_Above_So_Below_2014\" >8. As Above, So Below (2014)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/#7_Cloverfield_2008\" >7. Cloverfield (2008)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/10-films-that-prove-found-footage-horror-can-be-good-actually\/#6_Man_Bites_Dog_1992\" >6. Man Bites Dog (1992)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#10 Films That Prove Found Footage Horror Can Be Good, Actually<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<pre><code>     &lt;span class=\"mx-1\"&gt;This list will make you fall in love with horror best\u2019s subgenre: found footage.&lt;\/span&gt;\n&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=\"\"&gt;&lt;figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> \"&gt;&lt;img width=\"800\" height=\"418\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage.jpg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"Horror Lists Found Footage\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage-768x401.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/&gt;&lt;\/figure&gt;&lt;!-- START BYLINE --&gt;&lt;div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\"&gt;\n        By\u00a0Mary Beth McAndrews\u00a0\u00b7 Published on October 9th, 2021 \n        &lt;\/div&gt;\n    &lt;!-- END BYLINE --&gt;\n\n    &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;October is defined in Webster\u2019s Dictionary as \u201c31 days of horror.\u201d Don\u2019t bother looking it up; it\u2019s true. Most people take that to mean highlighting one horror movie a day, but here at FSR, we\u2019ve taken that up a spooky notch or nine by celebrating each day with a top ten list. This article about the best found footage horror <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> is part of our ongoing series &lt;strong&gt;31 Days of Horror Lists&lt;\/strong&gt;.&lt;\/em&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<hr\/>\n<p>I\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again: found footage is good! It\u2019s more than just a shaky cam and the eerie green glow of night vision. It\u2019s an interactive, authentic, and, when done right, terrifying form of horror storytelling. After the release of<em> The Blair Witch Project<\/em> in 1999, there was a boom of found footage horror, which over-saturated the market and resulted in more than a few stinkers that seemed to turn audiences off from the format entirely. But little did they know what they were missing out on.<\/p>\n<p>Found footage can take so many different forms, from the typical handheld camera to Google glass to even webcams. It\u2019s experimental, a place for filmmakers to play with the cinematic form on a shoestring budget. Mainstream horror is catching on, too, with films like\u00a0<em>The Invisible Man<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriating techniques seen in the subgenre, such as long takes of empty hallways to hike up the tension. When given the chance, found footage surprises and awes with what it\u2019s able to accomplish in the realm of fear.<\/p>\n<p>If you still need convincing about found footage horror or need some recommendations on how to get your feet wet in the subgenre, check out some of our favorites as chosen by Brad Gullickson, Chris\u00a0Coffel, Jacob Trussell, Rob\u00a0Hunter, Anna Swanson, Meg Shields, and myself.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_The_McPherson_Tape_1989\"><\/span><b>10. The McPherson Tape (1989)<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-368169 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/1200x0-e1633070337142.jpeg\" alt=\"X\" width=\"800\" height=\"461\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I understand why people don\u2019t like found footage. It quickly became oversaturated, primarily because the low-cost production values allowed anyone with a camera to try their hand at making the next <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blair Witch<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Because of this, the subgenre has been viewed skeptically as the medium for mediocrity, a crutch for a filmmaker without faith in their story to rely on ambiguity and shaky cameras to surface spookiness. But in relegating found footage to such a narrow scope, critics of the subgenre completely miss the potential for unparalleled realism that blurs the lines between reality and fiction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The McPherson Tape<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is so important in the history of the found footage. Not only does this ultra-low-budget shot-on-video film have the unnerving vibe of a home movie you weren\u2019t meant to see, but its simplistic approach was also so effective that for years (and I mean <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">years<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) some ufologists legitimately believed the film was real. They believed it <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so much<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that when the director confirmed that it was only a film, the true believers wouldn\u2019t believe it. Their eyes saw in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The McPherson Tape<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> affirmation of their hopes and dreams about the world beyond the stars. The film itself is short, simple, and utterly effective; but it\u2019s what happened after the film was released that reinforces just why this subgenre is so powerful. There may be a lot of subpar found-footage horror films out there, but when they work? They manage to be more effective than a traditional film: horror, or otherwise. (Jacob Trussell)<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Grave_Encounters_2011\"><\/span><b>9. Grave Encounters (2011)<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-368168 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/grave_encounters_2-e1633070352201.jpeg\" alt=\"Grave Encounters\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All found footage films face the same creative problem: \u201cwhy are these characters filming to begin with?\u201d Exemplary found footage films adopt scenarios that make narrative buy-in a breeze: recovered documentary B-roll, footage from a special interest <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> broadcast, and in this case, un-aired footage from a ghost-hunting television show. <em>Grave Encounters<\/em> is the answer to the question \u201cwhy the heck hasn\u2019t anyone made a found footage film out of a ghost-hunting show?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The film is \u201ccomprised\u201d of recovered footage from the un-aired sixth and final episode of a fictional paranormal reality television show. The footage (edited for our viewing pleasure) shows host Lance Preston (<strong>Sean Rogerson<\/strong>) and his small crew setting up for an overnight stay at the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital. While the hospital\u2019s reputation initially fails to deliver, Preston and company soon find themselves in the middle of the supposed object of their search: a bonafide haunting. For all its of-a-time low-budget trappings (jump scares galore), <em>Grave Encounters<\/em>\u2019 depiction of impossible spaces and lost time is truly unnerving, more than earning this little Canadian chiller a spot on this list. (Meg Shields)<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_As_Above_So_Below_2014\"><\/span><strong>8. As Above, So Below (2014)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-368167\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/as-above-so-below-02-wtf-watch-the-film-saint-pauly-e1633070390784.jpeg\" alt=\"Medieval Simon\" width=\"800\" height=\"433\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn\u2019t happen often, but sometimes I watch a film, dislike it, and then discover years later I was a putz. <strong>John Erick Dowdle<\/strong>\u2019s underground thrill ride is one such example. It didn\u2019t work for me on release, but subsequent rewatches have seen me appreciate its world and execution far more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That world is just one of its charms \u2014 spelunkers go exploring the very real catacombs beneath the streets of Paris \u2014 as it\u2019s a setting we\u2019re wholly unused to. Most found footage films unfold in houses or forests, places we\u2019ve been and seen, but this one finds its life in a place we can hardly believe is even real. It only grows from there to build a mythology that\u2019s again atypical, and it works to deliver memorable set-pieces and visuals. The logic can still be a bit wonky and some found footage sins still occur, but if you give yourself over to the journey it\u2019s a thrilling nightmare that not everyone will wake from. (Rob Hunter)<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Cloverfield_2008\"><\/span><strong>7. Cloverfield (2008)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-364243 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Cloverfield-Monster.jpeg\" alt=\"Cloverfield Found Footage Movie Monsters\" width=\"800\" height=\"467\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When <em>Cloverfield<\/em> was unleashed in 2008, it might not have reinvented the wheel of found footage, but it did effectively shift how the genre was perceived. From the start of the pre-release viral marketing up to the post-credit easter eggs, it was clear that <em>Cloverfield<\/em> was building a larger universe and a thorny mystery. While a lot of sleeper-hit found footage films relied on word-of-mouth speculation that this could be real, <em>Cloverfield<\/em> leaned in the opposite direction. Obviously, New York wasn\u2019t destroyed by a giant monster, but with breadcrumbs dropped around the movie\u2019s release and within the film itself, fans quickly started building a narrative of what it all means and what the clues are pointing to. <em>Cloverfield<\/em> was a truly unique mainstream sensation. And though it wasn\u2019t the first to beguile audiences by promising a mystery that goes far beyond just the 85-minute run time, it is a major example of how well found footage horror stylings can work when used effectively. (Anna Swanson)<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Man_Bites_Dog_1992\"><\/span>6. Man Bites Dog (1992)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-368166 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/download-e1633070369186.jpeg\" alt=\"Download\" width=\"800\" height=\"520\"\/><\/p>\n<p><em>Man Bites Dog<\/em> is one of the first examples of found footage, and it is incredibly brutal. The film\u2019s conceit is that a documentary crew are following renowned serial killer Ben (<strong>Beno\u00eet Poelvoorde<\/strong>) as he tortures and kills random people on the street. He waxes poetic about life, death, and violence while the camera keeps rolling, capturing his atrocities frame by frame. The longer the crew films Ben, the more involved they become in his violent dealings. At one point they even begin to participate in the violence, calling into question the responsibility of the filmmaker in the depiction of truth and their own relationships with their subjects. Not only is it an early example of the subgenre, but also an early example of how the genre calls into question the subject position of the viewer. They are made uncomfortably aware of what they are watching and their own relationship to the cruelty on screen. <i>Man Bites Dog <\/i>is nauseating, yet it is a crucial piece of horror history. (Mary Beth McAndrews)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-361222\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/next-page.jpg\" alt=\"Next Page\" width=\"364\" height=\"99\"\/><\/p>\n<pre><code>    Related Topics: 31 Days of Horror Lists\n    &lt;!-- AUTHOR BOX --&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<div class=\"gray-bg p-4 border small mb-5\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center text-md-center\">\n<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/marybeth.jpg\" class=\"circle img-fluid\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\">\n            Mary Beth McAndrews thinks found footage is good and will fight you if you say otherwise. When she&#8217;s not writing, she&#8217;s searching for Mothman with her two cats. Follow her on Twitter <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mbmcandrews\">@mbmcandrews<\/a>. (She\/Her)        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<pre><code>    &lt;!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 --&gt;\n                                &lt;section class=\"recommended py-5\"&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Recommended Reading&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\n\n        &lt;\/section&gt;&lt;!-- END RECOMMENDED READING --&gt;\n\n\n&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/best-found-footage-horror\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=best-found-footage-horror\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#10 Films That Prove Found Footage Horror Can Be Good, Actually&#8221; &lt;span class=&#8221;mx-1&#8243;&gt;This list will make you fall in love with horror best\u2019s subgenre: found footage.&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;&lt;figure class=&#8221;sf-entry-featured-media &#8220;&gt;&lt;img width=&#8221;800&#8243; height=&#8221;418&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage.jpg&#8221; class=&#8221;articlethumb wp-post-image&#8221; alt=&#8221;Horror Lists Found Footage&#8221; loading=&#8221;lazy&#8221; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage-768&#215;401.jpg 768w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px&#8221;\/&gt;&lt;\/figure&gt;&lt;!&#8211; START BYLINE &#8211;&gt;&lt;div class=&#8221;row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":350828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/horror-lists-found-footage.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-350827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}