Top 10 Found Footage Horror Films.

Top 10 Found Footage Horror Films

In the wake of all the found footage craze, (and hate), I have seen more than my fair share. Now I know the majority of horror fans are sick of this subgenre, but I honestly cannot get enough. For some reason the shaky cam brings a special dimension to my favorite genre that I adore. Whether you're a lover or a hater, I have compiled a list of my ten favorites for you. Enjoy!

10. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

               I have to admit,this film made me feel quite uncomfortable. A lot of the films on this list follow the supernatural or mythical monsters, this follows a monster in the form of a human. The film brings us the story of an abandoned house in Poughkeepsie, NY which is searched and over 800 video tapes are found chronicling a serial killer's collection of murders.

9. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

                The Third installment of the well known franchise is the second best in the series, and arguably the only other good one besides the original. We follow Katie from the first film and her sister Kristi as children and their adventures befriending a malevolent spirit.

8. Troll Hunter (2010)

               When I first heard about this film, I couldn't wait to see it. The only thing I was worried about was that the CGI was going to turn an awesome idea into another SYFY channel piece of shit. Luckily I was wrong. The story follows a group of students as they travel to Norway to investigate a string of mysterious bear deaths when they stumble upon a much larger mystery being kept by a secret government agency.

7. Monsters (2010)

                This slow burner monster movie directed by the same guy that is bringing us Godzilla later this year is a very underrated film. The cinematography in this is absolutely amazing, and the limited amount of screen time of the monsters makes it all the more mysterious and intriguing. We follow a couple in Mexico following an alien invasion, as they make their way towards The United States, where safety lies.

6. Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006)

                    This tongue-in-cheek film uses the documentary style to give homage to horror with laughs and some shockingly disturbing content. Behind the Mask is a very unique idea turned into an amazing final product, and a must see for all die hard horror fans. A documentary crew is given the permission to follow Leslie Vernon, the next great horror icon, and film the behind-the-scenes of a serial killer.

5. [Rec] (2007) / Quarantine (2008)

                   I am kind if cheating here by putting both these films as my number five. I also am going to get some flack from true horror fans because [Rec] is almost unanimously viewed as the better film. For those of you who do not know, Quarantine is the English re-make of [Rec], which is a Spanish horror film. Now I do like [Rec] quite a bit better, but Quarantine is a very competent and terrifying re-make. Both films follow a reporter and her camera crew inside a building where they end up being trapped alongside the unthinkable.

4. Paranormal Activity (2007)

                   I remember back in 2007 when this movie was making noise all over the internet. I probably watched the trailer a hundred times and prayed that during it's initial limited release, that it would come to my town; And it did. I went and saw this with a half-full theater and it scared the living shit out of me. After I saw it, I came back to the same theater less than a week later and brought someone that had no idea what we were seeing. The film was now being played in the large theater and it was completely sold out. The girl I brought along basically told me she hated me halfway through the film as she was literally jumping out of her seat every five minutes. What an amazing experience. I hadn't seen a film do this to a crowd of people in a long long time, and I loved every minute of it. Now like I said earlier with number Three, this franchise definitely draws a large following of haters, and I don't understand. Maybe they didn't go see it in a packed theater, maybe they watched it in the middle of the day while sharing the experience with their Facebook app on their cell phone, MAYBE it just didn't work for them. Either way, I loved it and the experience it brought. If you don't know the plot by now... well, don't look it up and just watch...with the lights off.

3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

                   I remember driving my mom crazy when this came out. I was fifteen and just one year away from getting my driver's license. I NEEDED to see this, and I NEEDED to see it the Friday it came out. After hours of begging and promises of the completion of many chores, she buckled and drove me to the theater. This was something I had never experienced before. My first found footage film, and at the time, I had no idea it was fake. This film began my love with the subgenre and I have never looked back. Hopefully most all of you have seen this, but I must say, the final shot in this film is one of the most terrifying moments in cinema history in my opinion. I still get the chills when I think about it..

2. V/H/S (2012) / V/H/S/2 (2013)

                       Yep, I'm cheating again. There is just no way to choose between these two films. I love the first one for it's originality, the payoff I got after impatiently waiting for what seemed like forever to see, and for the stories it told. The second one I loved for it's polished up look, for it's no holds barred approach, and again, for it's stories. I hold these films very highly when it not only comes to my favorite found footage films, but as two of my favorite horror films of all time. With the reports that these are going to keep coming, I hope they don't get lazy and  instead stay true to the awesomeness that these ended up becoming. My favorites are "Amateur Night" and "10/31/98" from the First, and "Safe Haven" and "Slumber Party Alien Abduction" from the Second.

1. Cloverfield (2008)

                         My favorite found footage film of all time (so far) is Cloverfield. This one had it all folks. First of all, the advertising for this film was ingenious. From the mysterious poster, to the extremely frustrating website, to the amazing job keeping the identity of the creature from the public, ultimately raising interest to an unheard of level. After all the hype and the anticipation, I could only be let down right? Wrong. This film in my opinion is near perfect. The characters were cast perfectly, the visuals were downright astonishing, and the monster was everything you could ask for. At this point, as much as I'd like to see a sequel or a prequel, I wouldn't be horribly bummed if it didn't happen. No need to taint the reputation of this film and give the haters a reason to bash it on social media. Cloverfield is the model for what found footage directors should strive towards, and it will be revered as a classic until a monster takes over our planet.