As a storytelling instrument, discovered footage filmmaking has not solely added new ranges of intimacy and concern to the horror and thriller genres — it additionally launched a brand new medium for indie creators to interrupt right into a beforehand cost-prohibitive trade. From sudden cult hits like The Blair Witch Undertaking to the masterclass of tense low-budget blockbusters like Paranormal Exercise, creators have been using a voyeuristic lens to tug audiences deeper into their tales for many years. A giant piece of the effectiveness of the subgenre is how a lot of our lives we spend on-line, so it’s solely becoming that we offer you our suggestions on one of many largest on-line streamers.
For extra suggestions, take a look at our lists of The Greatest Korean Thriller Motion pictures and The Greatest Japanese Horror Motion pictures.
Disclaimer: These titles can be found within the US.
‘Creep’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 6.3/10

Creep
- Launch Date
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June 23, 2014
- Runtime
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82 minutes
- Director
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Patrick Brice
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Patrick Brice
Aaron Franklin
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Katie Aselton
Angela (voice)
An appropriately creepy showcase of how the discovered footage medium locations the viewer within the POV of a harrowing encounter that appears like watching the house motion pictures of a madman, Creep is a darkish thriller that can have you ever screaming pink flags on the display screen. Patrick Brice makes his directorial debut as he stars on this function he co-wrote with Mark Duplass, who’s the second lead within the movie. Duplass, usually identified for his comedy roles, steps out of his consolation zone to ship an unsettling efficiency as a mysterious man who hires a videographer to chronicle his life for his unborn youngster. Sadly, his actual intentions are decidedly extra sinister. The movie is a little bit of a gradual burn however undoubtedly definitely worth the wait earlier than the insanity unfolds.
Watch on Netflix
‘Creep 2’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 6.4/10

Creep 2
- Launch Date
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October 14, 2017
- Runtime
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80 minutes
- Director
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Patrick Brice
Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass are again at it once more with this sequel to their cult basic that takes the uneasy cringe and eccentricity to a brand new stage. Creep 2 brings again Duplass because the oddball assassin who retailers for victims on Craigslist — however this time, he meets his match in a younger YouTube documentarian performed by Desiree Akhavan. This installment makes the fascinating option to stray from a basic slasher thriller and as an alternative creates a personality examine that dives into the psyche of a killer who’s shedding his spark. Regardless of his ‘artwork’ being homicide, it serves as an exploration of ardour that acts as a counterbalance to the protagonist’s fixed must feed an algorithm with content material to outlive.
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‘Incantation’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 77% | IMDb: 6.2/10

Incantation
- Launch Date
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July 8, 2022
- Runtime
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110 Minutes
- Director
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Kevin Ko
- Writers
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Che-Wei Chang, Kevin Ko
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Hsuan-yen Tsai
Li Ruo-nan
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Ying-Hsuan Kao
Hsieh Chi-ming
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Director and co-writer Kevin Ko raises the bar on discovered footage horror with this visually beautiful supernatural folklore movie impressed by a real story. Incantation is a Taiwanese movie that doesn’t maintain the viewer’s hand because it leads them by the haunting of a mom and her daughter by a cursed deity referred to as Mom Buddha. Whereas it is a fictional entity created for the movie, the Mom Buddha and the rituals are steeped in Buddhist and Hindu custom, which lends the creation a layer of authenticity. The story is intentionally informed out of order to present hints and clues to the origins and practices of the mysterious deity that threatens to destroy this household over generations, which solely serves to make the movie really really feel just like the viewers stumbled upon one thing they shouldn’t be watching whereas being unable to take your eyes off the display screen.
Watch on Netflix
‘CTRL’ (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 44% | IMDb: 6.2/10

CTRL
- Launch Date
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October 4, 2024
- Runtime
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99 Minutes
- Director
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Vikramaditya Motwane
- Writers
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Vikramaditya Motwane, Avinash Sampath
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Ananya Panday
Nella Awasthi
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Vihaan Samat
Joe Mascarenhas
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-
Capturing the sensation of a feature-length episode of Black Mirror, director and co-writer Vikramaditya Motwane makes use of screenlife filming methods to touch upon the fashionable state of social media relationships, AI, and predatory information mining. CTRL is a Hindi-language thrill journey that follows Ananya Panday as an influencer who turns over management of her social media presence to a brand new AI assistant after her public breakup along with her boyfriend. However when she tells it to erase him from her life, this system takes it a step too far. Past the baseline premise, there are some fascinating twists and revelations because the origins of the AI Assistant unfold.
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‘The Bridge Curse’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 32% | IMDb: 5.3/10

The Bridge Curse
- Launch Date
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August 27, 2020
- Runtime
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88 Minutes
- Director
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Lester Hsi
- Writers
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Keng-Ming Chang, Po-Hsiang Hao
- Producers
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Greenback Li, Po-Hsiang Hao, Chi-Hsiang Chuang
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Cheng Ko
De Cyuan Ji / Wen De Ji
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Summer time Meng
Hsin Chiao Chao
Combining discovered footage with a conventional omniscient digital camera taking pictures fashion, this Taiwanese thriller horror crafts an interesting narrative round a college city legend. The Bridge Curse is a story set throughout twenty years that surrounds the haunting of a bridge the place victims are killed by the ghost of a lady who seems each bissextile year. The primary through-line of the story comes from a journalist, performed by Summer time Meng, looking for the reality behind the deaths, which permits the viewers to place collectively clues to the mysterious murders alongside her and her crew. Followers of supernatural horror and enjoyable superstitions are going to leap out of their seats with each scare this movie has to supply.
Watch on Netflix