9. Paper Thin Characters
Because found footage movies usually take place in such a small, confined world, and only span a short running time, the characters that inhabit the films are flimsy and thin. They exist only to push the plot forward, and any backstory we have about them and their relationships with one another typically underdeveloped and weak. Think of Katie and Micah in
Paranormal Activity (or the characters in any of the sequels). We know just enough about them to keep the movie chugging forward, but nothing to really hook us into relating to or caring about them. The characters in
Blair Witch Project function in the same fashion (until Donahues final confessional). Same with almost everyone in
Cloverfield. The list goes on. We dont particularly care for any of them, and while were still frightened by gotcha moments and quick scares, the fact that the characters seem so disposable prevents the many of these films from leaving a truly lasting imprint. There are a few exceptions, of course (Cotton Marcus in
The Last Exorcism comes to mind), but on the whole, the characters in found footage movies leave a lot to be desired.