The Blair Witch Project was first released in cinemas on this day (July 14) in 1999 and to celebrate, I thought it would be a good idea to find some of my favorite found footage movies across the best streaming services.
If you’re a horror fan, there’s plenty for you to dive into this month. Just check out my July horror round-up for seven great movies you shouldn’t miss. Outside of that, I’ve picked out my favorite found footage classics to stream next.
If you’d like to revisit the original Blair Witch Project, the movie is widely available to watch: in the US, you can catch it on one of the best free streaming services Plex as well as Prime Video, where it’s also available on in the UK, and Netflix or Stan in Australia.
Creep
Where to watch: Netflix (worldwide)
RT score: 91%
Director: Patrick Brice
Main cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice
Creep is a masterclass in how you only need a small cast and one location to deliver some serious scares. Sometimes horror is at its best when it’s very minimalist, which Creep illustrates perfectly.
The story is a simple one: a strapped for cash videographer accepts an online job request to travel to a remote cabin, not realizing he’s walking right into a trap.
It’s been so successful that a sequel, Creep 2, is also available to stream on Netflix, and also has a glowing 100% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics, which is a huge feat for a horror movie. And if you want even more, check out the series The Creep Tapes on Shudder.
Paranormal Activity
Where to watch: Hoopla (US); Rakuten (UK, rent or buy); Paramount+ (AU)
RT score: 83%
Director: Oren Peli
Main cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs
Paranormal Activity is the movie to thank for the recent found footage revival. It terrified audiences when it arrived back in 2007, despite being made on a tiny budget, and became a huge box office success.
Hardly surprising, then, that it’s gone on to have numerous sequels and even a stage play in the works, so the found footage phenomenon isn’t going to die down any time soon.
Much like Creep, this has minimal cast and location with excellent results as we follow a couple who are haunted by a supernatural presence inside their home..
Cloverfield
Where to watch: Hoopla (US); Paramount+ (UK; AU)
RT score: 78%
Director: Matt Reeves
Main cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David
From the viral marketing campaign to the finished product, I was hugely invested in Cloverfield from day one, and I love revisiting it often because it’s a tense, gripping tale – it’s a horror and monster movie rolled into one.
Unlike Creep and Paranormal Activity, this one is on a larger scale and follows six friends attempt to flee from a monster which attacks New York City, and it’s as thrilling as it sounds.
It also has a great sequel, called 10 Cloverfield Lane.
V/H/S
Where to watch: Hulu (US); Shudder (UK); Fetch (AU, rent or buy)
RT score: 56%
Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence
Main cast: Calvin Reeder, Adam Wingard, Hannah Fierman, Joe Swanberg, Norma C. Quinones, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
This one is for anthology lovers: V/H/S is a movie I highly recommend, despite its divisive Rotten Tomatoes score. Perhaps it’s a “too many cooks” situation, given that each segment was directed by a different person.
Nevertheless, I’m always happy to bat for V/H/S. The Adam Wingard and Ti West directed segments are my personal favorites, but the beauty of a movie like this is everyone is going to like different things.
So, if you’re in the mood for a group of shorter found footage movies, maybe you’ll find one or two in here that you really enjoy. Even better, maybe you’ll like them all.
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lucy.buglass@futurenet.com (Lucy Buglass)
