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Welcome to Dread Central Unearthed 2024, where we’re sharing our favorite films, moments, kills, scares, and more from this year in horror. Today, Mary Beth McAndrews is sharing our top ten found footage films from 2024.
Another year, another stellar lineup of found footage films unleashed onto the public through YouTube, Screambox, Tubi, and more. It was yet another banner year for found footage, especially when expanding what the genre looks like and who is making these films. This year, I finally have more than one female-directed found footage to discuss and there are even a few queer titles here, too. Once again, the genre is growing and expanding into something so incredibly exciting and terrifying. So, without further ado, here are Dread Central’s top ten found footage horror films from 2024.
10. Invoking Yell (dir. Patricio Valladares)
I caught Invoking Yell in 2023 as part of the Unnamed Footage Festival (a must-attend festival, by the way, if you’re a found footage head) and was entranced by Patricio Valladares’ portrayal of Chile’s only black metal band made up entirely of women. While the story isn’t necessarily groundbreaking as three women head into the woods only to face disaster, it’s a perspective on that story we’ve never seen before. Plus, it’s unabashedly queer and downright weird at the end at Valladares plays with sound, visual distortion, and the filmmaking form itself.
9. Milk & Serial (dir. Curry Baker)
This 62-minute found footage horror film went viral on YouTube and earned over 1.3 million views with its story about two influencers and a birthday party prank that evolves into something much more sinister. I was late to this one as I worried the hype machine simply created a momentary monster that feels like every other found footage movie. However, Curry Baker crafts something much twistier and creepier than expected as his character, Milk, pulls strings from behind the scenes. It’s a simple story supported by some harrowing performances and clever editing. Milk & Serial is a testament to truly independent filmmaking where the finished product is simply uploaded to YouTube and shared among the masses. It’s a fascinating take on the influencer story and a perfect encapsulation of white male toxicity taken to its most terrifying extreme.
8. V/H/S/Beyond (dir. Kate Siegel, Justin Long, Christian Long, Virat Pal, Jordan Downey, Jay Cheel, and Justin Martinez)
The seventh installment of the found footage franchise took a turn into sci-fi this year and each segment was weirder and grander than the last. I feel like I say this with every V/H/S/ film, but this one is bigger than what came before it with a seemingly much larger budget to accomplish a segment that involves skydiving during an active alien invasion. Each segment played with special effects in a way that isn’t often seen in found footage. The result is a gnarly anthology that isn’t afraid to spill plenty of blood. It also marked Kate Siegel’s directorial debut with her harrowing segment about a woman chasing UFOs and some confused nanobots.
7. Frogman (dir. Anthony Cousins)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: making good cryptid found footage is nearly impossible. Too often, these films become silly rather than spooky as iffy effects make these monsters seem campy. But Anthony Cousins understood the assignment with his feature film debut Frogman, which chronicles a trio of friends trying to prove the existence of Loveland, Ohio’s Frogman. This real cryptid is a man-sized frog that wields a wand and wanders through the forests of Ohio. It’s silly, but somehow Cousins is able to work with that inherent silliness to craft an overall chilling film about obsession, cults, and trying to prove yourself in a world that only wants to crush you.
6. Mind Body Spirit (dir. Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda)
Writers and directors Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda took the idea of influencer horror in a very different direction with their found footage horror Mind Body Spirit. This film is focused almost entirely on Anya (Sarah J. Bartholomew), a young woman trying to navigate life post-graduation. Part of her tranisition is moving into her late grandmother’s house, which was left to Anya. From there, she decides to start a YouTube channel centered on yoga but as she tries to build her following, something else seems to be watching her…
Bartholomew’s performance never wavers as she crafts a convincing descent into madness and possession at the hands of her deceased grandmother. As I said in my review of the film, this is like a found footage take on Hereditary and a perfect look at millennial ennui in the face of a crumbling world.
5. The Creep Tapes (dir. Patrick Brice)
Creep is back, baby, but this time as a six-episode television series on Shudder. And what an inspired choice for this still-growing found footage franchise. Instead of once again watching Mark Duplass’ chilling serial killer manipulate a single victim, we’re shown short vignettes into his past murders that also grant us some information about Peachfuzz… Duplass once again proves he was born to play this character and that he may just BE this character with how easily he slips into the killer’s skin. And getting to see Duplass’ range in the series is a treat, especially with one episode involving a bathtub.
The future is bright for Creep and I can’t wait to see what Duplass and Patrick Brice make next. It can only get weirder from here.
4. Livescreamers (dir. Michelle Iannantuono)
Following her 2018 livestream horror film Livescream, director and game developer Michelle Iannantuono expands the scope of this universe in her new film, Livescreamers. Instead of just one streamer, her latest now follows an entire gaming channel during a live stream with one of their biggest fans. Iannantuono didn’t just direct the livestream portion, but she also developed the game they play in-world, as well. In expanding the film’s scope, Iannantuono is able to discuss a litany of issues within the gaming sphere, particularly when it comes to misogyny, homophobia, and racism. It’s both traditionally scary and scary in terms of its honest portrayal of the gaming industry.
3. The Coldness (dir. Gustavo Sampaio)
If you watch any movie on this list, please let it be The Coldness. This was another title I caught at Unnamed Footage Fest and it blew me away with its story about a retired cop falling down a hole of the occult while researching a series of strange murders. Paul Parducci plays the lead role and makes everything happening on screen feel real. His performance is utterly convincing, which is what helps make a rather bizarre premise almost real. This is truly a hidden gem that deserves way more accolades for what it accomplishes with the found footage format.
2. Haunted Ulster Live (dir. Dominic O’Neill)
I’m not alone in thinking that Lesley Manning’s Ghostwatch is a found footage horror masterpiece. So when I heard about Haunted Ulster Live, Irish director Dominic O’Neill’s homage to Ghostwatch, I knew immediately that I’d love it. And it is truly one of the most delightful films of 2024. O’Neill captures both the excitement of Halloween and the awkward hilarity of a live broadcast to craft a perfectly balanced horror comedy. Plus, Mark Claney’s performance as veteran newscaster Gerry steals the show with his comedic timing and deadpan delivery.
1. Horror In The High Desert 3: Firewatch (dir. Dutch Marich)
Dutch Marich is on fire (pun intended) as he just keeps creating horrific bangers with his Horror In The High Desert series. The second film in the series topped last year’s list, and of course, Marich did it again with Firewatch, which picks up after the first film as Oscar (Marco Antonio Parra) tries to find out what happened to Gary in Nevada’s high desert. Once again framed like a true crime special you’d watch on Investigation Discovery, Marich continues to build the lore for whatever lurks in the desert and calls it home…
Marich knows how to craft a scare in a style he dubs “horror edging”, meaning he simply loves to hold onto tension until the viewer can no longer breathe. And he just gets better at it with each film. The next film is said to involve a series of old VHS tapes and I can’t wait to see what hell awaits us when we get to revisit the high desert.
It’s hard to place this one on the list because it’s only going to be shown in theaters: Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf’s It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This, which has been touring festivals for most of 2024. Please catch this one if it plays near you because the filmmaking duo won’t ever release it online! Toti and Kempf blend reality with fiction in this story about their newly purchased duplex and what dark forces may lurk in its corners. It’s more than just a haunted house movie—it’s a truly bizarre and haunting experience that feels like a recorded manic episode. I promise that’s a good thing.
What were your favorite found footage movies of 2024? Let us know over on X, Bluesky, or Instagram @DreadCentral.
Categorized:Editorials
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