(Photo by Artisan Entertainment/courtesy Everett Collection. The Blair Witch Project.)
The Blair Witch Project wasn’t the first found footage movie — those honors belong to the bohemian exposé The Connection (made in 1961!) and The Last Broadcast (beating Blair to the punch by releasing a few months earlier), but Blair Witch‘s marketing campaign that claimed to present the actual final days of a trio of doomed amateur filmmakers was a viral monster before that was even a thing. Grossing over 250 times its less-than-a-million budget, the Project paved the way for hordes of films following in the found footage footsteps.
Naturally, most found footage movies are firmly in the horror camp, as the style gives ample room for dreadful atmosphere and jump scores, frequently presenting the movie as unearthed or forbidden media exposing people at their most up-close and vulnerable. Think Cloverfield, Host, Trollhunter, and Late Night With the Devil. Meanwhile, Paranormal Activity, V/H/S, and [REC] have created entire frachises out of found footage.
And the whole ‘up-close and vulnerable’ thing also works majorly for comedies, like What We Do in the Shadows, Project X, and One Cut of the Dead. Outside of those two major genres, we’ve also seen success with superheroes (Chronicle) and high-stakes dramatic thrillers (End of Watch, Searching).
To sort our guide to the 100 best found footage movies ever, we went by Tomatometer score, with Certified Fresh movies first.
#1
Adjusted Score: 104681%
Critics Consensus: Brainy and bloody in equal measure, One Cut of the Dead reanimates the moribund zombie genre with a refreshing blend of formal daring and clever satire.
#2
Adjusted Score: 104070%
Critics Consensus: Lean, suspenseful, and scary, Host uses its timely premise to deliver a nastily effective treat for horror enthusiasts.
#3
Adjusted Score: 109522%
Critics Consensus: Delightfully dark, Late Night with the Devil proves possession horror isn’t played out — and serves as an outstanding showcase for David Dastmalchian.
#4
Adjusted Score: 104913%
Critics Consensus: Smarter, fresher, and funnier than a modern vampire movie has any right to be, What We Do in the Shadows is bloody good fun.
#5
Adjusted Score: 106412%
Critics Consensus: Searching‘s timely premise and original execution are further bolstered by well-rounded characters brought to life by a talented cast.
#6
Adjusted Score: 92729%
Critics Consensus: V/H/S/94 gets the franchise back on track with a gory buffet of shorts that should delight horror anthology fans.
#7
Adjusted Score: 92570%
Critics Consensus: Proof that there’s still life in the found-footage gimmick, Deadstream is a scarily good bit of B-movie fun.
#8
Adjusted Score: 90868%
Critics Consensus: Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege, [Rec] proves that found footage can still be used as an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.
#9
Adjusted Score: 94848%
Critics Consensus: Full of creepy campfire scares, mock-doc The Blair Witch Project keeps audiences in the dark about its titular villain, proving once more that imagination can be as scary as anything onscreen.
#10
Adjusted Score: 93589%
Critics Consensus: Chronicle transcends its found-footage gimmick with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from the young cast.
#11
Adjusted Score: 93434%
Critics Consensus: End of Watch has the energy, devotion to characters, and charismatic performances to overcome the familiar pitfalls of its genre and handheld format.
#12
Adjusted Score: 91338%
Critics Consensus: Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.
#13
Adjusted Score: 85939%
Critics Consensus: Trollhunter is a mockumentary with an appropriate level of creeping dread, but one that also benefits from generous helpings of dry wit.
#14
Adjusted Score: 84012%
Critics Consensus: The Dirties uses likable characters and a surprisingly twisted story to deconstruct the power of violent revenge — and the audience’s expectations when viewing it.
#15
Adjusted Score: 82967%
Critics Consensus: Writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait’s first foray into horror doesn’t break any new ground, but it does wring fresh terror from a well-worn genre formula — and offers a few nasty laughs in the bargain.
#16
Adjusted Score: 83073%
Critics Consensus: Claustrophobic and stylish, Europa Report is a slow-burning thriller that puts the science back into science fiction.
#17
Adjusted Score: 86773%
Critics Consensus: A sort of Blair Witch Project crossed with Godzilla, Cloverfield is economically paced, stylistically clever, and filled with scares.
#18
Adjusted Score: 79485%
Critics Consensus: Barry Levinson’s eco-horror flick cleverly utilizes familiar found-footage methods in service of a gruesome yet atmospheric chiller.
#19
Adjusted Score: 78160%
Critics Consensus: Like most anthologies, V/H/S/99 has its ups and downs — but more often than not, this collection of shorts continues the franchise’s recent creative rebound.
#20
Adjusted Score: 78037%
Critics Consensus: The Outwaters may strike some viewers as frustratingly withholding, but it remains an ambitious — and overall effective — slice of found-footage horror.
#21
Adjusted Score: 100581%
Critics Consensus: Creep 2 has everything that made the original work and more — more laughs, more awkwardness, more unsettling terror.
#22
Adjusted Score: 27828%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#23
Adjusted Score: 96940%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#24
Adjusted Score: 94124%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#25
Adjusted Score: 70081%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#26
Adjusted Score: 56713%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#27
Adjusted Score: 91798%
Critics Consensus: A smart, oddball take on found-footage horror, Creep is clever and well-acted enough to keep viewers on the edges of their seats.
#28
Adjusted Score: 52714%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#29
Adjusted Score: 52654%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#30
Adjusted Score: 88026%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#31
Adjusted Score: 36296%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#32
Adjusted Score: 83458%
Critics Consensus: It isn’t without its share of clichés, but Afflicted proves there’s still life in the found-footage horror genre.
#33
Adjusted Score: 26025%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#34
Adjusted Score: 48763%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#35
Adjusted Score: 43256%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#36
Adjusted Score: 23425%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#37
Adjusted Score: 35951%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Adjusted Score: 76283%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 76465%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#40
Adjusted Score: 70315%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 36790%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#42
Adjusted Score: 74914%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#43
Adjusted Score: 75139%
Critics Consensus: One of the franchise’s stronger entries, V/H/S/85 largely avoids the quality control issues common to anthologies, with consistently creepy results.
#44
Adjusted Score: 41966%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#45
Adjusted Score: 77364%
Critics Consensus: It doesn’t fully deliver on the chilly promise of its Blair Witch-style premise, but The Last Exorcism offers a surprising number of clever thrills.
#46
Adjusted Score: 73420%
Critics Consensus: It’s as scattershot as its predecessor, but V/H/S/2 rounds up enough horror filmmaking talent to deliver a satisfyingly nasty — albeit uneven — dose of gore.
#47
Adjusted Score: 71328%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Adjusted Score: 79020%
Critics Consensus: The Visit provides horror fans with a satisfying blend of thrills and laughs — and also signals a welcome return to form for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan.
#49
Adjusted Score: 68632%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#50
Adjusted Score: 68116%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#51
Adjusted Score: 41296%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#52
Adjusted Score: 70550%
Critics Consensus: While the jolts and thrills are undeniably subject to the diminishing returns that plague most horror sequels, Paranormal Activity 3 is a surprisingly spine-tingling treat.
#53
Adjusted Score: 69905%
Critics Consensus: Joe Keery’s magnetic screen presence can’t disguise Spree‘s shallow critique of social media culture — although that lack of depth may be precisely the point.
#54
Adjusted Score: 68165%
Critics Consensus: It lacks the surprising jolt of the first installment, but [REC] 2 almost maintains the original’s chilling momentum — and proves not all horror sequels were made equal.
#55
Adjusted Score: 49622%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#56
Adjusted Score: 66620%
Critics Consensus: While it may be a bit too slow for some, The Sacrament offers enough tense atmosphere and intriguing ideas to satisfy discerning horror buffs.
#57
Adjusted Score: 70554%
Critics Consensus: Unfriended subverts found-footage horror clichés to deliver a surprisingly scary entry in the teen slasher genre with a technological twist.
#58
Adjusted Score: 65825%
Critics Consensus: As Diary of the Dead proves, time hasn’t subdued George A. Romero’s affection for mixing politics with gore, nor has it given him cinematic grace or subtlety.
#59
Adjusted Score: 61202%
Critics Consensus: An artsy horror flick, Wendigo effectively creates an eerie atmosphere.
#60
Adjusted Score: 60557%
Critics Consensus: Though Adam Rifkin’s voyeuristic film sometimes feels like only a clever gimmick, it’s for the most part a compelling thriller with political overtones.
#61
Adjusted Score: 60028%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#62
Adjusted Score: 46197%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#63
Adjusted Score: 15671%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#64
Adjusted Score: 13214%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#65
Adjusted Score: 65032%
Critics Consensus: Unfriended: Dark Web is more interested in chills than an exploration of its timely themes, but horror fans should still find this sequel to be steadily, undeniably effective.
#66
Adjusted Score: 58308%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#67
Adjusted Score: 62152%
Critics Consensus: Paranormal Activity 2 doesn’t cover any new ground, but its premise is still scary — and in some respects, it’s a better film than the original.
#68
Adjusted Score: 60568%
Critics Consensus: An uneven collection of found-footage horror films, V/H/S has some inventive scares but its execution is hit-and-miss.
#69
Adjusted Score: 58873%
Critics Consensus: Quarantine uses effective atmosphere and consistent scares to stand above the crop of recent horror films.
#70
Adjusted Score: 45264%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#71
Adjusted Score: 57630%
Critics Consensus: Hardcore Henry seems poised to reinvent the action flick, but without a story or characters worth caring about, its first-person gimmick quickly loses its thrill.
#72
Adjusted Score: 55472%
Critics Consensus: Earth to Echo doesn’t do itself any favors by beggaring comparison to E.T., but for younger viewers, it should prove a reasonably entertaining diversion.
#73
Adjusted Score: 50171%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#74
Adjusted Score: 50260%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#75
Adjusted Score: 20905%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#76
Adjusted Score: 18395%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#77
Adjusted Score: 13345%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#78
Adjusted Score: 50702%
Critics Consensus: DASHCAM is visually and thematically provocative, although the film’s grating protagonist undercuts its effectiveness.
#79
Adjusted Score: 40913%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#80
Adjusted Score: 47804%
Critics Consensus: Despite DePalma’s obvious commitment to the material and passion for the issues at hand, Redacted suffers from stereotypical characters and a forced faux-doc style.
#81
Adjusted Score: 43263%
Critics Consensus: A change of setting breathes some new life into the franchise, but Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones fails to provide enough consistent thrills to justify a fifth film in the series.
#82
Adjusted Score: 26428%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#83
Adjusted Score: 42174%
Critics Consensus: Project Almanac isn’t without wit or originality, but its thin story and irritating found-footage camerawork ultimately make it difficult to recommend.
#84
Adjusted Score: 36284%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#85
Adjusted Score: 34644%
Critics Consensus: V/H/S/: Viral is hardly a sensation as it cycles through the franchise’s least frightening vignettes yet.
#86
Adjusted Score: 15208%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#87
Adjusted Score: 31209%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#88
Adjusted Score: 31540%
Critics Consensus: Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin gives the long-running found-footage franchise a new level of visual polish; unfortunately, effective scares are few and far between.
#89
Adjusted Score: 35373%
Critics Consensus: Unoriginal, unfunny, and all-around unattractive, Project X mines the depths of the teen movie and found-footage genres for 87 minutes of predictably mean-spirited debauchery.
#90
Adjusted Score: 31656%
Critics Consensus: The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) attempts to weave in social commentary but as the movie wears on, it loses its ability to repulse and shock and ends up obnoxious and annoying.
#91
Adjusted Score: 31058%
Critics Consensus: After an intriguing setup that threatens to claw its way out of found-footage overkill, As Above/So Below plummets into clichéd mediocrity.
#92
Adjusted Score: 25887%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#93
Adjusted Score: 28155%
Critics Consensus: A found footage farce without any trace of believability, The Virginity Hit is a painfully unfunny sex comedy that is even more amateurish than its hapless protagonist.
#94
Adjusted Score: 11714%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#95
Adjusted Score: 26348%
Critics Consensus: A boring, suspense-free Paranormal Activity rip-off that feels long even at just 90 minutes.
#96
Adjusted Score: 27825%
Critics Consensus: While it does manage to wring a few more screams out of the franchise’s surprisingly durable premise, Paranormal Activity 4 provides fans of the series with dismayingly diminishing returns.
#97
Adjusted Score: 28167%
Critics Consensus: Clumsily scripted and populated with forgettable characters, Into the Storm has little to offer beyond its admittedly thrilling special effects.
#98
Adjusted Score: 22979%
Critics Consensus: Derivative and mostly uninspired, Devil’s Due adds little to either the found-footage or horror genres that it’s content to mimic.
#99
Adjusted Score: 21250%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#100
Adjusted Score: 10517%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.