Popularized in the late 1990s with the release of “The Blair Witch Project”, the found footage technique in horror movies has flourished in the 21st century. With social media and live-streaming media rapidly developing, found footage movies continue to stay relevant and evolve alongside the technology of the time. 

While not the first use of the found footage technique, “The Blair Witch Project” is often heralded as the creator of the genre. Premiering in 1999 and claiming to be the discovered footage of three missing college students, “The Blair Witch Project” thrived on the use of a fledgling internet. 

The marketing of the film was largely attributed to the film’s official website. Capitalizing on the naivety of early internet users, the website insisted it was a documentary and that the people in the footage continued to be labeled as missing persons. The website led many to believe the footage was real and consequently “The Blair Witch Project” essentially went viral before viral media. 

The film not only introduced the novel way of filming and presenting a story, but also showed how the integration of new media could magnify the reach and impact. Following “The Blair Witch Project” the found footage technique became a staple in the horror genre. 

“Spree” is potentially the most famous found footage film of the current wave of the internet. A modern cult classic and a commentary on influencer fame, “Spree” incorporates the use of live-streaming as well as ride sharing apps. 

Starring Joe Kerry in a massive departure from his well-loved character of Steve Harrington in “Stranger Things”. Kerry stars as a greasy-haired, desperate for fame, content creator, Kurt Kunkle. After months of trying to go viral on his channel kurtsworld96, he turns to a night of live-streamed rideshare driving in which the passengers never make it to their destination.

With the use of hidden cameras, security footage, and live-stream comments, “Spree” follows Kurt alongside his successful, sociopathic attempt to go viral. Subverting the concept of “The Blair Witch Project”, “Spree” sees the in-movie comments speculating if the events are really happening or just a hoax. 

While some critics found this to be an overly on the nose criticism of influencer media, it’s an entertaining parody of social media stunts. Free of the typical ‘boring’ exposition that found footage movies usually fall victim to, “Spree” is blood-soaked chaos from beginning to end. 

While the incorporation of the always changing internet can make a found footage movie both culturally relevant and more appealing to a modern audience, it’s not always necessary. A faux-documentary style take is often a more suiting vehicle for these types of stories. Lulling the audience into a false sense of security with fact-based exposition can give the finale extra impact. 

The 2014 movie “The Taking of Deborah Logan” begins as a documentary centering around Deborah Logan and her experience with Alzheimer’s disease. As the movie progresses, Deborah becomes increasingly disturbed and the documentation of supernatural occurrences becomes the focus of the film. 

Starting with a relatively dry first thirty minutes, “The Taking of Deborah Logan” ends with one of the most startling final scenes in a horror movie. A feat of both stylistic choices and VFX use, it wouldn’t be nearly as effective without the slow burn of the found footage technique. 

“Hell House LLC” is one of the most underrated additions to the genre, with the first movie blending the found footage of an ill-fated haunted house and a documentary investigating the disastrous opening night. 

With three movies following, the “Hell House” franchise follows the curse of the Abaddon Hotel as it terrorizes several different groups. The found footage style lends itself to the eerie setting and the use of relatively unknown actors builds on the feeling of it being discovered footage.

The technique is almost exclusively confined to the horror genre but “Paranormal Activity” director Christopher Landon has long believed that it’ll soon be used in other genres. The mystery genre is another one that can benefit from the unique vehicle that found footage can provide in terms of storytelling. 

Director Aneesh Chaganty uses a variation of the technique in his thriller/mystery movies “Searching” and “Missing” both of which take place on the screen of the protagonists’ laptops. The PG-13 thrillers are not technically ‘found’ footage but it falls into the category because of the novel camera work used. 

The movies each center around the search for a missing person. It’s a plotline that has been seen many times, but Chaganty’s use of the internet and personal device screens make it a novel concept. These movies not only engage the audience with this approach but also proves that the found footage technique can enhance and revolutionize a stale genre or plot line. 

While found footage is one of the most engaging tropes in terms of audience attention, it has its fair share of limitations. “The Blair Witch Project” regularly receives criticisms for being boring, with the majority of the movie acting as set-up for the final thirty minutes. As the ‘blueprint’ of the found footage technique, many of the following movies have received the same complaint. 

To build the realism factor that makes found footage movies so effectively eerie, these movies have to start with mundane scenes to juxtapose the inevitable thrills of the finale. While necessary, these introductions often create a disinterested audience and can make found footage movies feel like too much of a commitment for many. 

Even when these ‘boring’ scenes are bypassed, a common pitfall of the technique can still remain. Why don’t they just put down the camera? This question can be asked of many of these movies, “The Taking of Deborah Logan” being one of them.

 As the events of the movies become increasingly scary, the cameraperson continuing to film can become an unrealistic annoyance. As the internet evolves, found footage movies have found ways to bypass this criticism through the use of live-streaming cameras or security footage. 

“Late Night with the Devil” is an upcoming found footage release starring David Dastmalchian, of “Prisoners” and “The Suicide Squad”. Claiming to be previously unseen footage of a late-night host attempting to interview the devil, it’s a highly anticipated release for horror buffs and promises to be a solid addition to the genre. 

Using the vehicle of a late-night talk show as a new approach to found footage, “Late Night with the Devil” has the ability to use multi-camera angles as well as a live audience to accentuate the events. 

Anticipated because of the use of the found footage technique, the retro stylistic influences of the ’70s and presence of the ghoulish David Dastmalchian, “Late Night with the Devil” premieres March 22.