The Top Six Best Found Footage Horror Films

Found footage films are the darling of the horror industry. The roots of the style can be traced all the way back to "Cannibal Holocaust"-- a mockumentary (i.e. fake documentary) that featured the real slaying of animals on screen.

In the 1990s the found footage film really started to make its mark with made for TV productions such as BBC's "Ghostwatch" and "Alien Abduction: The Incident in Lake County." Shortly thereafter, "The Blair Witch Project" appeared in theaters, and horror has never been the same since.

With so many found footage films being pumped out by studios nowadays (mainly because they are so cheap to make) we have many examples of movies that are really freaking scary, and ones that are so bad that they're boring to watch.

Here's a list of the best found footage horror films of all times.


The Top Six Best Found Footage Horror Films

6."Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night"

There are two camps of thought when it comes to the Paranormal Activity series. Those who think it's the next best thing since sliced bread, and those that think that it's a boring yawn fest and hate it. I'm one of the latter individuals.

It's no big secret that I don't like the Paranormal Activity series. I think that it is trite and boring. I'd rather go to the zoo and stick my hand in the tiger cage than sit through another PA movie.

That being said, "Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night" is the only PA movie that I like, mainly because it has a different cultural influence than the others, and it's actually scary.

Haruka Yamano has come back home to Tokyo after a disastrous trip in America, where she was hit by a car and had both of her legs broken. Wheelchair bound, she is forced to ask her brother and father for help. After her father leaves for a business trip, Haruka starts to experience strange things.After her wheelchair moves by itself in the middle of the night, her brother investigates her room to ensure that no one has broken in through the windows. When he doesn't find anything, he tells her that a spirit must've moved the wheelchair, so he pours a mound of salt on the floor to ward off any ghosts.

The salt is spread, blown away by an invisible force. As they continue to investigate, strange things keep happening, each one a little more scary than the previous, in a brilliant build up of tension as radios and TVs start turning themselves on, crucifixes are burned with no visible cause and so on. After they call a Shinto priest to purify the house, they believe that the terror is over, but it's just beginning.

This lesser known Paranormal Activity movie by our pals over seas is by far the superior installment of the franchise. A must-see for found footage film lovers, and anyone who likes a good scary ghost story.


5. "The St. Francisville Experiment"

In  "The St. Francisville Experiments" five college kids are hired to go to the haunted mansion of Madam LaLaurie in New Orleans and investigate it.

Madam LaLaurie is an infamous boogeyman of the south. She kept slaves chained in rooms, imprisoned them in dog cage in the attic, and performed wicked vivisection and other types of torture on them. (This of course, is all urban legend and cannot be verified). But that doesn't matter. The cultural weight of the urban legend is palpable in this paranormal investigation movie.

"The St. Francisville Experiments" followed on the heels of "The Blair Witch Project" and went straight to video. While the movie does have a few silly and cheap scares early on, it does a great job of building up the tension by creating  interpersonal conflicts, and forcing the group to split up at crucial moments in the plot.

The best scenes are of course, closest to the end. My favorite, and the most terrifying, is when one of the team members has to go back up to the attic to say a "prayer of cleansing" and he's standing there by himself, shaking as he tries to read it when the ghost attacks.

This found footage film is one of the most underrated horror movies I have ever seen. Watch it in the dark, alone, for the best scares possible.

4. "The Blair Witch Project"

"The Blair Witch Project" is the grand daddy of all modern found footage horror films, from the late 1990s to  the present. The beginning of the movie is rather slow, but it is necessary as it sets up the background of the Blair Witch myth, and ultimately serves to help create terror in the viewer's mind once the shocking ending gets into full swing.

This movie was filmed with the actors being thrown into an environment that they are completely unfamiliar with, and letting them improvise after giving them a slips of paper each day as to what their characters do. It is rather effective, as the terror is raw and genuinely felt by the actors as they are pursued through the woods by the witch.

 Definitely a must see, if not for the horror, than for the fact that it is an important installment in horror movie history.

A little known fact: 
Prior to "The Blair Witch Project" these types of movies were called mockumentaries. Afterward, they became found footage films, thanks to the wording on the poster above. The same text that appears at the beginning of the movie.

3. "Alien Abduction: The Incident in Lake County"

Ah, those poor McPhersons. All they wanted to do was enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. But instead, they have some uninvited guests that totally ruin their holiday plans. Stupid aliens.

"Alien Abduction: The Incident in Lake County" is a made for TV movie was based on "The McPherson Tape;" a video that "mysteriously" disappeared from the Internet shortly after it was discovered.

While it is not chock-a-block full of special effects, the tension and suspense that  "Alien Abduction: The Incident in Lake County" manages to create is just phenomenal. Even if you're not into alien movies, this found footage film has a lot of really good scares. The scene where the grey aliens enter the kitchen gives me goosebumps every time I see it.

What I really loved about this found footage film is that it really allows the viewers to suspend their disbelief and become fully immersed in the horror that unfolds. Of course, watching the movie at night, alone, helps to increase the fear and paranoia that an alien is about to enter your room and spirit you away to God knows where. Just don't look out your windows after watching this. You'll be glad you didn't.


2. "Atrocious"

This Spanish found footage film is one of those movies that a lot of critics hated, for some strange reason. I'm not sure why. "Atrocious" is brilliant and intensely scary. Maybe those people don't like hedge mazes...

In "Atrocious" Cristian and his sister July are working on a paranormal investigation Internet video series. The movie starts out with them heading over to their family's summer home during Easter vacation, where they are going to investigate the ghost of Melinda, a girl that haunts the nearby woods.

After coming upon a well in the hedge maze, strange things start happening, and Cristian makes sure that they get it all on film. But all is not what it appears to be, and it is soon made apparent that it's not a ghost that is terrorizing their family, but someone close to them.

"Atrocious" builds up incredible suspense and fear, with a believable and stunning conclusion that was absolutely perfect.



1. "[REC]"

When I first saw [REC], I was absolutely blown away. This Spanish found footage film proves just how scary and intense a movie from that genre can be. It holds nothing back for a pulse-pounding, nail-biting thrill ride of a movie going experience.

Angela Vidal is a news reporter for the TV series "While You're Asleep." She is joined by her camera man, Pablo. They are recording the night shift of a local fire station in Barcelona. Angela goofs around a little in the station before the men are called out to help police carry out an old woman who has fallen ill in her apartment. It's a routine call, or at least, it should have been.

At the apartment, you can immediately sense that something is horribly wrong. The firemen join the police that are already on scene and they go up to the apartment and knock down the door. Inside they find the old woman, on the floor.  She is making strange animalistic sounds and attacks a policeman when he gets near her. Panicked, Angela and Pablo run out of the apartment and down to the lobby, where they learn that the apartment building has been sealed off and placed under quarantine by the military.

A disease is rapidly spreading through the complex. The virus turns people into ravenous, blood-thirsty monsters that only have one thing on their minds, to kill whatever is standing before them, and each attack adds another screaming undead person to their ranks.

Angela and Pablo are chased through the building, and wind up in the attic in an attempt to escape. There, Angela encounters the nightmare that started the outbreak, and it's far worse than anyone could've imagined.

"[REC]" gives us not only the best found footage horror film, but one of the most unique takes on the origin of a zombie outbreak, that of demonic possession (and no it's not the same as the Deadites from "Evil Dead.").  It is a must see that is far better than the American version, "Quarantine." If you haven't seen it, you need to go to your local video store and rent it as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

Top 13 Alien Movies

There are alien movies that are strictly in the fuzzy, feel good Sci-Fi Star-Trekkie sickeningly sweet category and then there are alien movies that scare the living crap out of you because the aliens are ALIEN-- their actions motivations that drive them to kill, maim, consume, abduct and experiment upon our fragile flesh are inconceivable and incomprehensible to our logical, pattern seeking human minds.

For horror buffs that are xenophiles, it's the scary alien movies that matter.

So, here's my list of the top 13 scariest alien movies of all time.


13. Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County (1998)

"Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County" aka "Alien Abduction: The McPherson Tape" is a made for TV movie based off the short film "The McPherson Tape" that appeared on the internet in the late 1990's. The movie aired on the now defunct TV channel UPN (United Paramount Network) in 1998. This controversial little film is thought by many to be real footage of an alien abduction.

When this first aired on TV it was called a mockumentary, a type of movie genre that is now called a found footage film. While it is a low budget movie, "Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County" more makes up for it with some very tense scenes that still make me cringe in fear and hold onto my cat like a little girl whenever I see it.

12. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Dr. Miles Bennell's patients are becoming paranoid, and more people are coming to his office, telling him that they believe that their family members or friends are impostors. Is this sweeping mass hysteria, or is something far more sinister actually replacing the townsfolk with duplicates?

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" has been remade several times over the years, but the original is by far the best, with it's ability to create mind numbing paranoia in the viewer. In some ways, it's claustrophobic tone makes it the forefather to the classic alien invasion film "The Thing." This is the movie that invented the term Pod People- you know, the doppelganger copies of people that have all of their memories but just don't act quite right. Those Pod People.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is a classic alien invasion movie and definitely a must see.


11. Signs (2002)

"Signs" is the only M. Night Shyamalan movie that I like. And it has a great soundtrack to boot.

"Signs" is several movies wrapped up into one-- it's a parable about a priest who lost his faith when his wife dies and manages to regain it, and it's about what happens to a small town in the middle of farm country when aliens invade.

Between the quirky (and at times hilariously funny) characters and the pulse pounding, nail biting climax where the aliens enter the Hess' homestead, this movie covers everything from aliens making mysterious crop circles as a form of communication, to UFO sightings and contact with mysterious alien invaders.

The filming style is breathtaking and clever with the alien's never quite fully coming into view until the very end. Which I just absolutely love, because it heightens the suspense and doesn't ruin the movie with terrible over-done CG.

10. Aliens (1986)

James Cameron's 1986 masterpiece "Aliens" is one of my favorite horror movies of all times.

What makes "Aliens" so great is that it takes the spooky atmosphere of a desolate planet wracked with storms and the panic inducing claustrophobic setting of the terraformer's colony to create one heck of a scary ride. Even better, "Aliens" started the whole concept of space marines in pop-culture, which has been the darling of Sci-Fi video games for many years now.

"Aliens" has a strong female lead character, Ellen Ripley, who manages to find her own place among ;a rag-tag crew of misfit marines and survive yet another encounter with the xenomorphs. This time, Ripley takes on the big momma of the aliens herself, the Queen.


9. Prince of Darkness (1987)

John Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness" is a gem of a Lovecraftian Horror film that covers everything from the nature of evil to the existence of alternate dimensions, atomic theory and theoretical physics.

After the last of an ancient secret order of Catholic priests dies, Father Loomis discovers that they had kept an ancient alien artifact locked up in the basement of an old abandoned church. Concerned with what he has found, he contacts Professor Birack and convinces him to bring some of his graduate students over to the church to investigate it. While staying at the church the students start sharing the same dream; a vision of the future and a dire warning of things to come.

During their investigations, the mysterious neon green protoplasmic substance that is swirling ominously in the artifact begins infecting and possessing them. It is soon revealed that the cylinder contains a dark slumbering alien god that has awoken and is going to bring about the end of the world.

While they may call the evil entity "Satan" or the "Anti-God," the themes present in this film are taken directly from pages of H.P. Lovecraft's stories. There are prophetic dreams of a looming disaster, mirrors used as portals to other dimensions and ancient alien artifacts that drive people mad and turns them into monstrous zombies that collapse into insects. The imagery in "Prince of Darkness" is so surreal and alien, if you haven't given John Carpenter's most under-rated horror movie a try, you certainly should.

8. Super 8 (2011) 

"Super 8" is one of those kid's growing up over summer vacation movies that is sort of in the same vein of "Stand By Me" and "ET," except a lot darker. It's an alien invasion film full of action and suspense, and at the same time a movie about kids that are learning about life and each other. It's also the first movie in quite a while that I've seen that has actually had kids cast to play kids, as opposed to 20 year olds posing at high school students.

It's the summer of 1979 and a group of kids have gotten together to make their own zombie movie, called "The Case" on Super 8 film. While filming on location at a train station, they witness a train crash caused by their science teacher. Scattered all over the ground are weird white cubes, which later are revealed to be sections of an alien spacecraft. Unfortunately, the cubes weren't the only thing that escaped the train during the crash, and now a giant alien is out to recapture the parts of its spaceship in a desperate effort to return home.

The alien in "Super 8" is both menacing and sympathetic at the same time. All it wants to do is go home, but the evil government refuses to let it leave.

This movie not only smartly deals with the movie being filmed within a movie motif, it also has characters that  are well fleshed out and very believable. 

7. Fire in the Sky (1993)

"Fire in the Sky" is based on a novel of the same name by Travis Walton.  

Travis and his logger buddies are working in the forest, cutting trees to clear the area for development. One night while driving home from a long day of work, a strange fiery glow appears in the sky. Travis, compelled by the sight of it, steps out of the truck and is hit by a beam of bright white light. His friends, terrified, drive off, leaving him for dead. 

They report the incident to the local authorities but no one believes them and they are suspected of murdering Travis and dumping his body in the woods.

Five days later, Travis appears at a gas station-- he is naked, deyhydrated and out of his mind with fear. 

The flashbacks to Travis' alien abduction are pretty intense, and there is an awful eye-scare in one of the scenes that to this day makes me cringe. 

6. Alien (1979)

The Nostromo, a commercial towing spaceship, is heading home to Earth with a nice haul of ore. The ship picks up an emergency transmission from a nearby planet, which causes the computer to wake up the crew and bring them out of stasis. 

They land on the desolate planet and several crew members head out to investigate the signal. Before long they find themselves walking up to a long abandoned alien space ship with a chamber full of eggs. As they walk through the chamber, one of the eggs hatches and a face-hugger leaps out and attaches itself to crewman Kane, who passes out. Attempts to remove the face-hugger from Kane reveal that the creature has corrosive acid for blood. Yikes.

Soon, it's revealed that the face-hugger implanted an alien larvae into his chest- well, the alien actually reveals itself when it bursts through Kane's chest and kills him. The alien runs off, and the Nostromo crew is stuck fighting an alien creature without any real weaponry. 

"Alien" is a brilliantly filmed Sci-Fi horror film that uses light and shadow to great effect to build up suspense and dread in the viewer while the xenomorph picks off the crew one by one. 

5. Undead (2003)

"Undead" takes place in the Australian fishing village of Berkley. The sleepy village suffers a barrage of meteors that turn people into the hungry undead. A group of survivors is left to fend for themselves as the ravenous zombies attack them at every turn.

While "Undead" is a zombie movie at heart (and a pretty scary, yet hilarious, movie at that) it is, ultimately, an alien invasion movie. Yep. The aliens made the zombies. Way to go E.T. 

This movie apparently recieved terrible reviews, but I think that it is a wonderfully campy gore fest that has both zombies and aliens in the same film. The characters are stereotypes, but the kick-ass fisherman steals the show, providing both John Wayne-like swagger and highly inventive weapons to two genres that are over-run with trite weapon cliches.

4. The Blob (1988)

Ah yes, "The Blob." Never before has strawberry jello been so terrifying.

This alien creature feature starts out with a meteor crashing near a small town in California. An old old hobo comes across the crash site and finds a strange smoking rocky sphere. The sphere cracks open and a thick pink slime engulfs his hand. Terrified, he runs for help and encounters three college students, who take him to the local hospital. Unfortunately, it's too late for the man and the pink slime grows over him and dissolves his body as it consumes him.

The giant amboa from hell then goes on a killing spree/eating binge as it begins to devour the entire town's enhabitants, growing larger with each person it consumes.

Walking Dead fans will find it interesting to learn that Frank Darabont co-wrote the screenplay for "The Blob" and that Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale) plays Sheriff Herb Geller in the movie. How about that? (Of course, now I have watch "The Blob" again so that I can spot DeMunn in action.)

3. Communion (1989)

"Communion" is based on a book of the same name by Whitley Strieber. 

Whitley Strieber is played by Chrisopher Walken, whose family experiences run ins with aliens during their vacation in the woods. Whitley is abducted from the cabin by aliens and his life changes forever. Tramatized by the events, he goes to a psychiatrist and undergoes hypnotic regression where he has flash-backs of his abduction that are absolutely horrific. 

"Communion" is one of the most trippy, and at the same time terrifying, alien movies I have ever seen. 

2. Altered (2006)

"Altered" was directed by Eduardo Sanchez, the co-director of "The Blair Witch Project."

15 years ago, five teenage boys went on a hunting trip that they would never forget. While in the woods, the boys were abducted by aliens and became the subjects of cruel experiments that killed one of the boys.

Wyatt distanced himself from his friends and now lives in constant fear and paranoia away from civilization. Unfortunately for him, two of his friends have taken it upon themselves to hunt down the aliens that tortured them, and they've just caught one.

"Altered" is a suspenseful, scary horror movie that does well with a small budget. This movie is definately a sleeper hit that will one day be a cult classic.


1. The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is a remake of "The Thing From Another World" that was based on the novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell. And is a more faithful interpretation of the pulp fiction alien story than "The Thing From Another World."

"The Thing" is a movie that is just oozing paranoia and dread. Between the desolate Antarctic landscape, the eery minimalistic soundtrack, and the utterly alien Thing that transforms into creatures that Should Not Be, this movie is one of the best alien movies ever made.

Although it was filmed in 1982, "The Thing" has aged quite well, and the recent Blu-Ray release has brought new features on the Thing back to life. There are details on the monsters that were lost in the low resolution VHS and DVD versions of the movie (such as all of the eyes that open up on the Thing after it assimilates the dogs and becomes that towering monstrosity in the kennel. I didn't even know they were there until I saw it on Blu-Ray), and the new HD digitally remastered version of the movie on Blu-Ray reveals the monster in all it's unearthly glory. If you get a chance to watch "The Thing" on Blu-Ray, you really should.