I’ve always found it curious how the Found Footage genre’s greatest weakness is also its greatest strength, with the same realistic formatting that allows for deeply immersive thrills also being responsible for the massive sea of low-effort cash-grabs that gives POV filmmaking a bad name. That’s why it’s so hard for Found Footage flicks to stand out these days, as it can be hard for viewers to justify paying for what will likely be just another Paranormal Activity rip-off.
However, there are some clever filmmakers who have managed to circumvent this issue by making their movies available online for free, trusting that the quality of their work will eventually lead to more lucrative endeavors. And with Curry Barker’s surprisingly effective Milk & Serial going viral on YouTube, we’ve decided to make a list celebrating six other Found Footage flicks that you can check out on YouTube for free!
For the purposes of this list, we’ll only be considering films that were legally and intentionally made available on YouTube by the original filmmakers. That means no sketchy uploads monetizing someone else’s hard work.
With that out of the way, don’t forget to comment below with your own free-to-watch favorites if you think we missed a particularly fun Found Footage movie.
Now, onto the list…
6. Windigo (2011)
The Slender Man craze spawned an impressive collection of horror media created by fans who wanted to add their own personal touch to the ever-expanding mythos, and while not all of these projects hold up as cinematic bangers, some are certainly more entertaining than others. One example of an underrated Slender Man story is James Hardiment’s Windigo, a 2011 indie film that attempts to tie the monster’s origins to Native American folklore.
While this low-budget Found Footage endeavor suffers from some sub-par acting and questionable production value, it’s still one of the better Slender Man projects out there – and definitely more respectful of the source material than Sony’s big budget adaptation (though I still think there’s more to that movie than meets the eye).
And if you like Windigo, I’d also recommend checking out both Marble Hornets (the Found Footage Slender Man series that started it all), as well as Alexa Hera’s 3-part Slenderverse documentary.
5. The Museum Project (2016)
One of my favorite aspects of Found Footage is how the genre allows for indie filmmakers to highlight local legends and curiosities from their particular neck of the woods. This is one of the main reasons why I appreciate Dion Cavallaro and Paul Evans Thomas’s brief yet memorable The Museum Project, a mockumentary following a group of students investigating the ghostly legends that haunt a railway museum in southern Australia.
The flick may not re-invent the Found Footage wheel, relying on empty dark corridors and spooky noises from offscreen to scare viewers, but the unique location and genuine enthusiasm for the art-form make it one of the most entertaining and well-crafted examples of POV filmmaking on YouTube.
4. The Rake (2011)
Another blast from the ARG-obsessed past, this short little creepypasta adaptation made quite the commotion when it first popped up on YouTube back in 2011. Directed by Kenny Collins and uploaded to the Enter Viral Media channel, The Rake presents itself as a compilation of footage shot by high school graduates who went missing in the Pacific Northwest. Naturally, we soon learn that this disappearance had something to do with the monstrous entity known only as “The Rake.”
While the inexistent budget and low production value (not to mention the grammatical errors in the opening text) make this one of the least professional entries on the list, I think The Rake makes up for its amateurish presentation by featuring some genuinely disconcerting frights. From hidden background scares to a general sense of impending doom, you get the feeling that these filmmakers could have delivered one hell of a mainstream hit if given the proper resources.
3. Rorschach (2015)
While the title of “Scariest Film Online” is a little too clickbait-y for my taste, there’s no denying that C.A. Smith’s Rorschach is one hell of a spooky production. Presented as a down-to-earth documentary about two researchers investigating an alleged haunting, this grounded production forgoes jump-scares in favor of slow-burn suspense and atmosphere.
Much more cerebral than your average ghost movie, Rorschach stands out by feeling more like a genuine documentary about the paranormal than an over-the-top horror film with supernatural special effects. Featuring a believable cast and extremely subtle scares, this is a must-watch for Found Footage fans who don’t mind quieter thrills.
2. Savageland (2015)
I’ve already written about how much I admire Phil Guidry, Simon Herbert and David Whelan’s photography-based mockumentary Savageland, but I’ll take any opportunity I can get to direct more eyes towards one of my personal favorite scary movies. While it’s hard to describe this one without giving away the disturbing surprise, suffice to say that no other film has ever made still photography this terrifying.
In fact, my only gripe with the experience is the fact that we still haven’t seen a sequel, which is why I’m glad that I can finally share Savageland with my friends for free. After all, if enough fans ask for it, we may yet see a follow-up to one of the most disturbing entries on this list.
1. The Tunnel (2011)
Another Australian production featuring abandoned railways (which leads me to believe that something spooky might actually be going on with the trains in the Land Down Under), Carlo Ledesma’s The Tunnel is a criminally underrated monster movie that makes the most of its lo-fi presentation. Originally released as a crowd-funded experiment in shareware filmmaking (with the creators even making the flick available for free on BitTorrent), it’s only natural that the film would eventually make its way over to YouTube.
Of course, regardless of the film’s unique distribution process, it’s the genuine terror present in these man-made caverns that makes The Tunnel such a memorable experience. While I won’t spoil anything for first-time viewers, there’s a monstrous reason why this flick takes the number one spot on this list, as I still can’t believe that Ledesma and his crew were willing to release this one for free.
That being said, while the film is still available on YouTube at a low resolution, I’d recommend seeking out a high-definition copy on streaming services like Tubi.
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