Halloween is almost here, and with the season of spooks already here, it's time to break out more than just candy for trick or treat and Halloween costumes for the jumpscares.
If you and your group of friends are looking to scare each other out, here are our picks for the scariest found footage movies you may want to watch in time for Halloween.
'Cannibal Holocaust'
Widely considered to be the first film in the found footage genre of horror films, per Video Maker, "Cannibal Holocaust" is one Italian film that will leave you sweating bullets in fear.
The film, as the title suggests, is a found footage cannibal horror directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Gianfranco Clerici, per Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie features the recorded footage of a camera found in the Amazon rainforest that once belonged to an American film crew that went missing within the great forest. However, the camera captured more than just the crew's footage for their documentary on local cannibal tribes.
The movie was so shocking, graphic, and believable that Deodato was charged with murder and obscenity, per Yard Barker. Once the cast was proven to be alive, however, the charges were dropped.
The movie can be streamed on Shudder and bought/rented on Google Play and Amazon, per TV Guide.
'The Blair Witch Project'
If "Cannibal Holocaust" introduced the found footage genre, then "The Blair Witch Project" brought it to the modern world and popularized it.
The indie film, released in 1999, features the "found footage" of a group of three cinematography students who set out to Burkittsville, Maryland to produce a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch, per IMDb.
However, things for the group slowly but surely turned out for the worse.
The film earned $248.6 million at the global box office, per the New York Times, largely in part due to the online campaign that preceded it, making viewers believe that the movie may have actually happened.
"The Blair Witch Project" can be streamed online on Peacock, Hulu, and HBO Max.
'Rec'
Whether you subscribe to the idea that zombies are the product of a viral infection or paranormal phenomenon, "Rec" will make you believe it could be both simultaneously.
The film, which was adaption in the US as "Quarantine," follows the efforts of a reporter and her cameraman for a television series when they got caught up in a nightmare scenario, per Paste Magazine.
Rotten Tomatoes rated the film 90% fresh and an audience score of 82%. Its American adaptation, however, didn't fare as well despite having a similar plotline.
The film can be bought/rented on iTunes and Vudu, per TV Guide.
'Paranormal Activity'
From the dubiously supernatural to being full of it, "Paranormal Activity" is similar to "The Blair Witch Project" in terms of believability and just as terrifying, per Screen Rant.
The film documents the everyday life of Micah and Katie, a couple that recently moved into a new home to start a new life, but a familiar but invasive presence prevents them from enjoying a happy life.
Creepy Catalog mentioned that the film only had a budget of $15,000, but its success at the box office made it one of the most profitable movies in the movie industry.
"Paranormal Activity" can be streamed online on Roku and Amazon Prime.
'The Taking of Deborah Logan'
"The Taking of Deborah Logan" is as similar to "The Blair Witch Project" as it can be, but instead of finding the source of paranormal activity, it is the focus of the movie.
The film follows the efforts of a documentary crew consisting of three young students who wish to record the daily lives of Deborah Logan, an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease, and her daughter, Sarah, as part of their thesis.
However, things involving Deborah are not as they seem, and sometimes, curiosity can kill the cat.
CBR says that the movie will "forever haunt the dreams of those who saw it" - a sign of how terrifying the film can be at a time when found footage films are no longer unique.
The movie can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Shudder.
