Analog Horror is experiencing a renaissance right now. YouTube is full of creators using the aesthetic of Analog Horror to create scary tales that pull in millions of viewers per week. But don’t think Analog Horror is restricted to the internet — many horror films use the same themes and capture the same vibe as many of these popular Analog Horror projects. In fact, many popular YouTube Analog Horror series were heavily influenced by these legendary horror films.
So if you’re looking for some new films to scare yourself with. Here are 10 movies that Analog Horror fans will love.
10. The Blair Witch Project
While it may seem quaint today, the Blair Witch Project was a massive film when it came out, with people gathering around their office water coolers to debate if the picture was genuine or scripted. The film presents itself as found footage, following film students Heather, Mike, and Josh, as they venture into the woods in Burkittsville, Maryland, to record a documentary about the legendary Blair Witch. But, this is a horror film, so things don’t go as planned, and events quickly take a turn for the dark.
9. The Last Broadcast
Considered one of the first Found Footage movies and the first movie to be edited on consumer-level digital equipment, The Last Broadcast is often overshadowed by movies released after it.
The film follows David Leigh, a documentary filmmaker investigating the mysterious deaths of two public-access television hosts. However, to work out what happened, Leigh will need to look through old footage to find out exactly what happened on the deadly trip. But this mystery is much more confusing than it seems on the surface.
8. The Poughkeepsie Tapes
The Poughkeepsie Tapes is known for its scares and messy release history, as the film was meant to be released by MGM before they dropped the picture.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes is presented as a series of tapes found at the house of serial killer Edward Carver. These tapes show what he did to many of his victims, forcing the police to try and piece together the mystery and find him before he kills again. Taking the VHS aesthetic to its logical conclusion, The Poughkeepsie Tapes is very dark and brutal, and it presents a found footage film with a worryingly realistic atmosphere.
7. Broadcast Signal Intrusion
Broadcast intrusions are a staple of Analog Horror, and Broadcast Signal Intrusion captures the feeling of digging into something you shouldn’t. Released in 2021 but set in 1999, it follows James, a man who is archiving tapes for a Chicago television station. James finds a broadcast intrusion featuring some very suspicious activity on one of these tapes. James investigates this, only to be pulled into a conspiracy that might be connected to his wife’s disappearance.
Packed full of tension and suspense, Broadcast Signal Intrusion delivers the uneasy feeling of Analog Horror while pulling it into a more traditional thriller format. It will leave you on edge for hours after watching it.
6. Be My Cat: A Film for Anne
One of the most disturbing found footage films in history, Be My Cat: A Film for Anne, captures the feeling of a regular production going wrong. It follows a Romanian filmmaker who is obsessed with the actress Anne Hathaway. The film is presented as a series of pitch tapes the creator has made for the actress, with the hope of getting her to appear in his upcoming movie. However, as things progress, the footage becomes increasingly unhinged, and the line between person and actor becomes more blurred, leading to a disturbing film that will leave you feeling very uncomfortable.
5. Cam
The internet or media going wrong or becoming corrupted is a common theme in Analog Horror, and Cam presents a unique and modern take on the idea. It follows Alice Ackerman, a woman who makes money by working as a cam girl. She dreams of becoming the best cam girl on her site. However, things become strange when an identical copy of her starts streaming on the same website, making Alice question her identity while also forcing her to get to the bottom of the mystery. A deliciously surreal take on the horror format, Cam uses its premise to its full effect and delivers a movie that will keep you guessing until the end credits.
4. Noroi: The Curse
Directed by legendary director Kōji Shiraishi, Noroi: The Curse is presented as the final unfinished documentary of paranormal researcher Masafumi Kobayashi. What starts as a regular investigation of some strange noises in the woods quickly pulls Kobayashi into a mystery that involves a town’s very dark past. However, as he studies, he soon becomes the target of this mystery and must try to find a solution before it’s too late.
Full of tension and clever scares, Noroi: The Curse is one of Japan’s best-found footage films, and with good reason. Several of the more intense sequences from Noroi: The Curse will leave you shaken for weeks.
3. Ring
Corrupted and possessed media is a common thread in Analog Horror series, and no film does that better than Ring. While many are familiar with The Ring, the American remake from 2002, the original Japanese version handles the concept better, leading to a much more terrifying film.
The movie follows Reiko Asakawa, a journalist investigating an urban legend about a cursed videotape that kills anyone who dares watch it. However, when Reiko accidentally watches the tape, she must quickly find a way to break the curse before she is killed by the vengeful ghost, while also learning the true origin of this terrible curse.
2. Ghostwatch
A stone-cold cult classic, Ghostwatch stands out from the crowd by emulating the look and feel of an early 90s British BBC show. It even features British television legends Michael Parkinson and Craig Charles playing themselves, further adding to the immersion.
The film sees a group of presenters host a show about a house in Northolt, Greater London. This house is rumored to be full of ghostly activity because of horrific events that happened in the past. While this goes on, an outside broadcast crew explores the house and talks to its occupants. However, the ghost, nicknamed Pipes, soon makes himself known. A masterclass in creating tension and suspense, Ghostwatch is a fantastic piece of cinema that every horror fan should watch.
1. WNUF Halloween Special
WNUF Halloween Special is a very unique comedy horror film. Presented as a home off-air recording of local TV channel WNUF’s Halloween show from 1987, the film works hard to create a sense of time and place. It even includes several fake commercials for local businesses in the area!
The core part of the film focuses on reporter Frank Stewart as he investigates the Webber House, a place where a violent murder occurred many years prior and is now believed to be haunted. Of course, Frank thinks this is nonsense, but he and his guests are soon proven wrong. A fun mix of horror and comedy, WNUF Halloween Special perfectly captures the Analog Horror vibe while presenting a unique take on the horror and found footage genres.