The 20 Best Found Footage / Mockumentary Horror Movies

This Australian effort is surely one of the most interesting of all Mokumentary horror films. Beginning as a down to earth human tragedy tale and then veering in to something very disturbing and ultimately very effecting. The set up never feels false, the actors always come across as sincere & believable and the twists it takes along it's journey are surprising & scary as hell. Excellent!

Yer Yer, of course. As predictable as Donald Trump's tweets, but none can understate how much this movie influenced the format of found footage horror today. What is surprising is how well it has aged. It's bare bones cast and eerie setting could be set at any point in the last 15 years and for this reason it still stands up as one the best. Few learned the trick though that less is better in a FF Horror.

The UK has not produced a huge number of FF Movies but when they do them, they do them very well. This creepy 2013 effort follows a Priest & his tech colleague who are tasked to investigate an apparent miracle in a remote church in an old English village. With shades of Lovecraft & old Tigon movies, this effort rises above many with good pacing & by keeping it's secrets firmly hidden in the catacombs of it's 3rd act. Recommended highly.

By far one of the best recent FF movies is 2014's 'The Taking'. By using the backdrop of an Alzheimers sufferer this opens the door for some great ideas & executes them superbly. Believable Actors help spread the confusion to it's viewers & their responses in the face of the tragic & terrifying circumstances they find themselves in raises the bar above the usual fare & the dark sombre tone only adds more nuance when the scares come along. Superb.

The Reality show format was not a new idea but again execution & performances raise this one way above others of the like & their isn't a haunted asylum in sight. Delivery documents a young couples journey as they await their first baby. Things however are not looking good for the birth. Phoning Rosemary for a playdate may be a good idea. Despite some of the cliches this always remains compelling.

It was with a great sigh of relief when 'Creep' dropped in 2014. FF fans were awaiting something fresh & original & along came this little gem. Mark Duplass plays a terminally ill man who hires a videographer to document, well, everything, as a video diary for his unborn child. However the clue is in the title. This dishes up as many laughs as it has jump scares and blends the psycho drama with traditional FF elements with ease. As horrible the situation this film winds up to by the end you will still find time to laugh uncomfortably with it. Aces!

The world of Science-Fiction Horror was ripe for the taking in this format & 'Banshee Chapter' took it on with open handed glee (Although it is only partially FF) An excellent set-up via it's Mockumentary opening blending real world topics (MK-Ultra Tests) with Lovecraftian under-tones & conspiracy theorist ideas, this movie throws in the kitchen sink and is rewarded with one of, if not the best sci-fi FF to date. All this & Ted Levine also (minus the lotion but definately playing a basket-case)

Hacked, also known as 'The Den' utilised the skype tool a year before the more well known 'Unfriended' took it upon itself to log in. Although be it under a different name (purely for financial reasons i assume) This little cracker definately up's the real world scariness of hacking & the dark web to the point where you'll always remember to turn your camera off before bedtime. Excellent use of all it's premises, good performance from it's lead actress and a final scene that leaves a permanent chill up the spine. Great stuff.

Not regarded by many as a 'classic' of the genre but this tight little Bigfoot yarn directed by stand up comic 'Bobcat Goldthwait' has all that is good about the Bigfoot myth & no baggage. With a couple of really likeable main characters, WC really excels in the idea of caring about the fate of it's protagonists, you know what's coming but your always hoping that maybe they will make it out of the pacific north-west alive. Not something that's common in this genre. No better Bigfoot movie to date than this & if you disagree try & find one.

Eco-Horror gets the FF treatment in this alarming & cautionary tale of toxic waste dumping in a small fishing town which in turn leads to a new breed of parasite that quite literally starts eating the town from the inside out. Using FF & Mockumentary & with copious amounts of different camera's used, it's inventive presentation & impressive editing is a cut above the rest & it's underlying message should serve as a warning to government costcutters everywhere.

A Marked improvement from it's patchy predecessor, the anthology horror franchise peaked with this entry largely thanks to Gareth Evan's incredibly manic & intense 'Safe Haven' probably one the finest half hour's FF ever produced. Although their is fun to be had elsewhere with Zombies & Aliens, it's 'Safe Haven's' crazy cult that will leave the biggest impression & rightly so.

Again no surprises with this one. This low budget spanish gem was a breakout hit in 2007 and spawned an American Remake & a franchise of it's own which unfortunately quickly dipped in quality by it's 3rd entry. The original however has stood the test of time. An intense ride with strong performances & rocket pacing. The 3rd act of Rec still manages to have you reaching for the pillow or the duvet but always manages to get you to look up just when you thought it was safe to do so. A Bona-Fide classic indeed.

Probably a controversial choice as it's rather minor league compared to some. However if you give it a chance & the right setting, this little gem from the UK can leave a mark. My bias out the way (I live down the road from where the actual mirror used to reside) the film delivers some likable everyday characters & lets them descend in to another lovecraftian nightmare via a haunted mirror that seems to have a particular dislike of eyeballs. The atmosphere of this movie makes it rise above it's meager setting and the use of the common household object leaves you never wanting to stare into one for too long ever again. Rather good.

Another great little UK entry. 'Hollow' has less likable characters than some but an extremely eerie setting and an ambigious conclusion that stays with you long after the film finishes. Although the plot is thin, it's use of the English countryside at night and the Tree the story is based around is superb. The Set ups early on for the later set pieces again hit the mark with terror aplomb. Who knew a rain jacket could be so scary. Worth watching alone & at night.

If you have a love of Halloween, then this one is for you. Based around a groups road trip across America to find the scariest Halloween Haunted House. The lead characters desperation to find the biggest & best thrill leads them to a group of underground psychopaths. Interspersed with real footage & interviews from haunted house owners & workers, THOB is a real joy for fans of the scare buzz but also serves as a nice warning that although it's nice to have a cool story to tell, it's not really worth dying for.

A Superb mix of real world hearsay & speculation packaged in to a FF movie that really excels in thought provoking topics & conspiracy theory ramblings. A Documentary team investigating the dissapearence of a conspiracy theorist are led to a supposed underground cult of world leaders & CEO's who may or may not practice the sport of hunting longpig. Another movie that utilises peoples fears of power & government and leaves you firmly on the side of thinking you may actually know much much less than you thought.

Although Parts 1 & 2 seem to be most people's favourite entries in this franchise, for me the third installment has all the best moments & the most likable leads. PA3 moves in to prequel territory & is all the better for it. Their are some inspired moments in this movie from 'Bloody Mary' to The Babysitter scene, the film is littered with subtle scares and more outright ones. An excellent movie that doesn't deserve some of the critism that has come it's way. I say Boo to the haters.

Adam Green really knows his target audience. And if there's any doubt then watch 'Digging Up The Marrow'. Green plays himself making a documentary about a man who claims to have found real Monsters in a place he calls 'The Marrow'. The always excellent Ray Wise gives another inspired performance as the likable but flawed monster hunter & Green also comes across as a likable & charming guy who just wants to believe a little too much. Of course it's not just played for scares, it's as much black comedy as it is horror but the story is excellent & the idea of monsters living underground is something all horror fans secretly wish was true.

Another partial FF movie but really the grandaddy of them all. Deodato's gut muncher is now as legendary as any film that graces any Horror lovers Blu-Ray/DVD/VHS collection. So little is not known about this film amongst FF lovers but it deserves a place in all top FF lists due to it's ground breaking work in the 2nd & 3rd acts. That still doesn't stop people from debating including it in lists for fear of being too obvious. Of course the animal violence is bad and should not be excused but that aside this movie really delivers what it promises and still has the power to repel & amaze audiences in equal measure. An Italian masterpiece.

It was only a matter of time before FF got the 'Scream' treatment & Found Footage 3D really does tick all the boxes. Made with the love & attention of a bunch of film makers who obviously have a love of the genre but have spent far too much time exploring haunted asylums & hospitals that they felt the need to parody aswell as provide the jump scares needed for this type of movie to work. Their are laughs aplenty but at times it feels like they are falling into the traps their own film is laughing at but the good far outweighs the bad and this is 90 minutes of a film you won't want to take back ('The Tapes' anyone)