Fewhorrorsubgenres are as intimately unnerving as found footage. These are the films that place viewers directly in the space of those being terrified, with the unique filming styles allowing for a realism that horror can sometimes lack. At least, they used to. Because this medium has unfortunatelybeen a part of the wave of bad CGI that horror has faced in recent years, with the old-school appearance of classics likeRECbeing traded out for special effects that invalidate the authenticity it is built upon. It’s unfortunate how few “retro” found footage movies there are today, andit’s why Fernando Barreda Luna’sAtrociousis so particularly unnerving.Following young siblings as they set out to investigate the secrets of their summer home, theforeign filmutilizes the classic handheld cameras that made its predecessors so unnerving. It capitalizes on this classic format to portray one of the most subversive stories that viewers have seen, breaking genre normsby constantly shocking viewers with the indiscriminate horrors on display.It’s a hidden gem and a further testament to why modern found footage movies need to ditch lackluster CGI and return to their old-school roots.
‘Rec’ Represents the Best of What Found Footage Horror Has to Offer
While some scary movies likeAtrociousrecognize the benefit of practical effects, far too many trade these out for CGI, with often disastrous results. It’s an unfortunate trend in this subgenre; while found footage was once defined by the simplistic-yet-horrifying imagery ofThe Blair Witch Project, it has devolved into nonstop moments of strange special effects that look laughable through the handheld style. It’s always smart to benefit from technology, but too many creators fail to recognize that it’s the practicality of found footagethat makes the subgenre so horrific. Audiences are supposed to believe that this is the real account of someone facing an unbelievable horror, with their camera beingthe only lifeline they have in hopefully escaping whatever is trying to murder them.The move to digital effects diminishes this resonant fear, forcing viewers to look back at classics to enjoy what this unnerving format of found footage is missing today.
While there are many scary movies that embody what makes classic found footage so great, few do this as expertly asPaco PlazaandJaume Balagueró’sREC. It focuses on Angela (Manuela Velasco), a newscaster whose film crew becomes stuck inside an apartment complex after it is suddenly quarantined. Marooned with all of its terrified inhabitants, the reporter begins to explore the ancient building’s secrets, learning just what the armed men outside are afraid of getting out —and just what this unseen monster will do to the people trapped within.
By focusing on a realistic setting filled with grounded personalities,RECimbues each scene with a unique kind of empathy, making viewers understand the people onscreen more than they would your typical horror protagonist…which is what makes it so much scarier seeing them get torn apart.RECepitomizes classic found footageby using the chilling intimacy that this style allows to make viewers really feel the horrors unfolding onscreen. It’s an ingenious approach that most modern films trade out for unimpressive special effects, which is what makesRECand its spiritual successor,Atrocious, all the more special.
‘Atrocious’ Really Lives up to Its Name
Atrociousimmediately sets high stakes and puts viewers on edge when it introduces he film’s protagonists:a brother and sister who are just young kids.Cristian (Cristian Valencia) and July (Clara Moraleda) are a pair of teenagers desperate to get their fledgling web show off the ground. The film’s early scenes are nostalgically endearing; these wannabe paranormal investigatorsdevote an immense amount of effort into their show, not only striving for online fame but finding joy in the technological wonder of early handheld cameras. With their focus on supernatural events and urban legends, it seems like fate when their family goes to a supposedly haunted vacation home —until they learn just how real this house’s horrors are. Their search for a malicious entity that supposedly murdered a young girl years before yields more and more unnerving revelations, crescendoing in a night of pure terror where our youthful heroes face a monster that is far too real. It’s an unnerving premise executed disturbingly well, andits horror is only possible because of the movie’s classic found footage format.
If You Love ‘REC,’ You Have To See This Equally Chilling Found Footage Horror
Ghosts on film!
Young characters investigating scary events isn’t a unique plot, butit’s howAtrociousutilizes its found footage elements that make it truly stand out (and utterly terrifying). The movie plays on viewers' nostalgia for early YouTube, with Cristian and July’s constant bickering and childish hopes of internet stardom harkening back to a simpler time many watchers will know well. The handheld cameras they use to document this all grant audiences an extra closeness to their unique personalities and the family around them — a closeness that only persists as this group is subjected to a night of nonstop bloodshed and gore.Atrocious’plot subverts typical horror norms by making it clearthat literally everyone in this cast should be afraid,with scenes of charred corpses and blood-soaked cabinets being all the more unsettling because audiences have grown to like the characters. It is all portrayed expertly in the classic format of handheld found footage, not only making every scene visually disconcerting, but creating a kind of multi-faceted horror that lingers after the movie’s horrific finale.
‘Atrocious’ Shows the Horrific Potential of Classic Found Footage
WhileAtrociousexemplifies just how amazing the classic found footage style is, that’s not to say every attempt at special effects in this subgenre is bad. Many movies likeThe Taking of Deborah Loganincorporate VFX shockingly well, somehowmerging these surreal elements with the straightforward handheld format. Yet even these good attempts pale in comparison to the classics, withAtrociousshowing bloodily well how the simpler format creates a realistic fear thatwill unnerve audiences more than any special effects ever could. It’s a style that makes viewers feel connected to the main characters in each film, with a vulnerability that makes it all the more horrific when they’re confronted with the atrocities playing out onscreen.
