10 Found Footage Movies You Should Watch Before The New Blair Witch (2016)
The Bay
The Bay is one of those films that you hear exclusively about from a friend and end up watching without knowing anything about, and it really shines in that scenario and can stand with some of the best films of the sub-genre. What makes it different is its unique approach to multiple found footage sources and its ability to take on a very large ensemble story.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctkkn1qSYKw]
Set in a fictional coastal town in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, the plot revolves around multiple stories taking place during the city’s July 4th celebrations. The horror element is revealed to be a disease that causes human hosts to become breeding grounds for parasitic isopods. Putting a twist on the overly saturated zombie craze, the movie really focuses on its cast and using creative ways all over town and even in the bay itself to show their survival or lack thereof. That means surveillance tapes, laptop cameras, police car recordings, etc., are all used in conjunction to tell the same story of this town’s descent into chaos. Easily one of the most interesting films on this list.
The Visit
M. Night Shyamalan doesn’t have a lot of critics in his corner nowadays, but this film made some of them look up when it was released in 2015. The Visit is a found footage film made by a cinematography-obsessed director, and it shows. Shots are steady and well-composed, even though we’re to believe that a teenage girl is behind the camera the whole time. This is explained in the movie by the character being obsessed with becoming a filmmaker, but either way, you won’t think too much about it once things start getting a little creepy.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCsULFGldi8]
Following two children visiting their grandparents – whom they’ve never met – on vacation, the film is actually pretty funny in between the legitimate scares. This is largely due to the casting of child actors who don’t immediately get on your nerves and are cleverly written to be both the protagonists and the comic relief. Throughout the film, you’re rooting for them openly and waiting for the tell-tale twist because that’s what we’ve come to expect from M. Night. What’s great is that the movie doesn’t rely on the secretive big reveal to carry the plot and holds up on re-watches because of it. With the new knowledge you’ve gained by the end, watching again really adds to the earlier scenes and enhances them, making this one of the best Shyamalan films in recent memory.
What We Do in the Shadows
Okay, I’ll admit that this choice isn’t the best film to put you in the mood for the new Blair Witch, but it is such a hilarious and fun mockumentary that it deserves any reason to be discovered regardless. Another Sundance darling, What We Do in the Shadows takes an intimate knowledge of classic vampire lore and brings it into a modern setting. The comedy is front and center in the film, but there are so many horror movie references throughout that make this a must-watch for any fan of the genre.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAZEWtyhpes]
Starring Jemaine Clement from “Flight of the Conchords” fame, the story revolves around four vampires in New Zealand who share a flat and all the mundane chores, problems, and lifestyle choices that come with it. Once a new creature of the night is forced into their lives, they have to cope with a young vampire who understands twenty-first century technology and culture but couldn’t care less about their history and traditions. While trying to figure out how to handle this new addition to the house, they end up confronted by werewolves, vampire hunters, and the troubles of modern dating. Now that they’ve announced a sequel following the hilarious, previously mentioned werewolves, you have every reason to check this movie out as soon as inhumanly possible.
