Love it or hate it, found footage is one of the most popular horror subgenres. Fans love the realism and high-energy, immersive experience that first-person found-footage films provide. The first-person perspective is the most well-known found-footage cinematic technique, but several styles are used, including mockumentary, news reports, surveillance footage, and screenlife, where the action takes place entirely on a computer screen. There are also hybrid styles that combine found-footage elements with traditional filmmaking.
In this first part, I’ll be covering 10 of the 20 films on my list—each a standout in the genre, ranging from mysterious transformations to government conspiracies and eerie haunted locations. All horror fans should find something to enjoy here, even the haters who think the genre is full of clichés and annoying shaky-cam work.
1. Afflicted
Released: 2013
Rating: R
Derek decides to go on a round-the-world trip with his friend Clif when he finds out he has a terminal disease. However, their travel vlog quickly becomes an account of Derek’s mysterious transformation after a one-night stand in Paris. Afflicted skillfully uses the first-person perspective to document Derek’s new superhuman abilities through high-action scenes not typically seen in the genre.
Watch the trailer here.
Afflicted; Image credit: Entertainment One
2. Apollo 18
Released: 2011
Rating: PG-13
Apollo 18 follows a secret NASA moon mission that effectively blends government conspiracy and alien horror. The film is shot in a grainy, 1970s NASA-style tech aesthetic, which adds a realistic touch. The story follows two astronauts who learn the truth about why we never officially went back to the moon.
Watch the trailer here.
Apollo 18; Image credit: Dimension Films
3. As Above, So Below
Released: 2014
Rating: R
Scarlett Marlowe, an archaeologist and alchemy student, leads a group of explorers into the Paris catacombs in search of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. The group must confront their personal demons and past traumas to escape the Circles of Hell experienced in the catacombs. As Above, So Below references intellectual subjects like alchemy, historical puzzles, and Dante’s Inferno, making it a singular found-footage experience.
Watch the trailer here.
As Above, So Below; Image credit: Universal Pictures
4. Alien Abduction
Released: 2014
Rating: Not Rated
A young autistic boy, who constantly films and views the world through a camcorder, documents his family’s terrifying experience of alien abduction while camping in the North Carolina mountains. Based on the real-world UFO mystery of the Brown Mountain Lights phenomenon, Alien Abduction is among the most unsettling alien-horror entries on this list.
Watch the trailer here.
Alien Abduction; Image credit: IFC Midnight
5. The Blair Witch Project
Released: 1999
Rating: R
The Blair Witch Project was not the first found-footage film, but it popularized the genre and influenced countless others. Three college film students go missing in the woods while filming a documentary about the local Blair Witch legend. Advertised as “real footage” at the time of its release, the film’s creative marketing campaign made it one of the most profitable horror films of all time. It’s worth checking out the companion mockumentary, Curse of the Blair Witch, which aired on the Sci-Fi Channel as part of the film’s original promotional campaign.
Watch the trailer here.
The Blair Witch Project; Image credit: Lionsgate
6. Cloverfield
Released: 2008
Rating: PG-13
One of the most expensive films ever made in this style, Cloverfield follows a group of friends at a farewell party in New York City who must fight for survival when a Godzilla-like monster attacks the city. Another film promoted with unorthodox marketing and teaser trailers, it is directed by Matt Reeves, who focuses on the chaos people experience on the ground rather than the monster itself, which remains mostly unseen until the end.
Watch the trailer here.
Cloverfield; Image credit: Paramount Pictures
7. Devil’s Pass
Released: 2013
Rating: R
Devil’s Pass is based on the true story of nine Russian hikers who died mysteriously in 1959, known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident. The story follows five American college students who travel to the remote mountains of Russia to investigate and document the missing hikers, blending government conspiracies, sci-fi, and horror.
Watch the trailer here.
Devil’s Pass; Image credit: IFC Films
8. Grave Encounters
Released: 2011
Rating: Not Rated
Grave Encounters is undoubtedly the best of the haunted-asylum found-footage films (and there are many). The story follows a group of ghost hunters from a fake paranormal reality show who experience true supernatural horrors while filming an episode at an abandoned asylum. There is a 2012 sequel, Grave Encounters 2, that is worth watching if you like the original, but it is nowhere near as good.
Watch the trailer here.
Grave Encounters; Image credit: Tribeca Film
9. Hell House LLC
Released: 2015
Rating: Not Rated
A documentary-style horror film about the mysterious deaths on the opening night of a haunted house attraction. The story features interviews, news footage, and creepy videotapes shot by the haunted house staff. The franchise has spawned four sequels, and 2023’s Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor is the best, in my opinion. The second and third sequels are worth watching, but 2025’s Hell House LLC: Lineage is the weakest entry and is not shot in the found-footage style.
Watch the trailer here.
Hell House LLC; Image credit: Terror Films
10. Host
Released: 2020
Rating: Not Rated
Host is a screenlife-style found-footage film set entirely during a Zoom call. When a group of friends take part in an online séance during the 2020 lockdown, a thoughtless prank summons a terrifying demonic entity. The film, which runs just under an hour long, is a truly scary and suspenseful ride.
Watch the trailer here.
Host; Image credit: Shudder
That’s the first half of my ultimate found-footage horror list! Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll cover the remaining 10 films, including modern classics and inventive entries that push the genre in new directions. You won’t want to miss it!
See more:
- 8 Spectacular Scary Movies Without Gore
- Timeline of the Highest-Grossing R-Rated Films
- 20 Great ’90s Films You Probably Haven’t Seen
Featured image photo credit: Paramount Pictures
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