12 Underrated Found-Footage Horror Movies
1. Lake Mungo (2008)
The term "elevated horror" refers to a scary flick that focuses on telling a nuanced, thematic story with dramatic elements, rather than just wall-to-wall jump scares and violence. Examples include The Witch, Hereditary, The Lighthouse and more. But there's a movie that deserves to be entered into that discussion, and guess what? It happens to be found footage.
Lake Mungo is a sombre and complex film that depicts a grieving family dealing with the recent drowning of their daughter. It's designed as a mockumentary, splitting between docufilm and home video as the family begins to suspect they are experiencing supernatural events.
This movie is a compelling case study of how horror (and, by extent, found footage) can be a vessel for telling a tragic and emotionally profound tale. While there are plenty of scares, it's more a macabre exploration of grief and loss than a clear-cut fright fest. That may deter some, but those who stay will get a thought-provoking and unique experience.
Many popular found-footage movies (like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project) will freak you out, but this one will make you think.