7 Indie Found Footage Horror Films to Check Out

Whether you’re craving for more after watching Obsession or Backrooms, looking for a good horror movie to watch on streaming, or merely curious about the genre, there are plenty of frightening chills out there. Let’s start with indie found footage horror films.

Both a film technique and genre, found footage involves a video recording that is later found. The people who made the recording are usually dead if not missing. This genre was popularized by films like The Blair Witch Project (1999), Paranormal Activity (2007), Cloverfield (2008), Trollhunter (2010), and the V/H/S series (2012-2025/present). The genre conventions and style can be traced back to the epistolary and found manuscript forms in classic literature like Heroides and Frankenstein.

Aside from supernatural encounters, found footage horror films in recent years have explored human survival and connection, isolationism, and the fear of the unknown. However, this genre has also navigated the obsession with social media fame and reputation, the desire to leave a digital mark, and the strive to capture and present the unknown. Some of the found footage films listed below share those latter themes.

Obsession and Backrooms aren’t found footage films (even though the latter does contain found footage scenes), but their box office success and critical acclaim show an increasing interest in the horror genre, particularly among older teens and adults under 35. While horror has already been capturing audiences’ attention with movies like Weapons and Sinners, Obsession and Backrooms were directed by YouTubers .

So why recommend found footage horror films? Most horror films (indie and mainstream) available on streaming services fall into the found footage style. And because Obsession and Backrooms are indie films, why not start with the popular category of found footage?

Spree (2020)

Starring Joe Keery (Steve Harrington from Stranger Things), Spree conveys the desire to make a mark in the social media world. Keery’s character, Kurt Kunkle, works as a rideshare driver who livestreams sessions called “The Lesson.” What starts out as a how-to on being successful on social media becomes a horrifying killing spree.

Kurt’s desperation truly takes a dark turn in this film. He envies his best friend for his popularity and high number of followers, and then fixates on social media stars. Spree is definitely a ride (no pun intended) that will make you uncomfortable but hooked at the same time.

Spree is available on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

Deadstream (2022)

Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter), a content creator, seeks to redeem himself by doing something absurd: livestream himself spending the night at a haunted house. The history of this haunted house, also known as Death Manor, involves the death of the poet Mildred Pratt. Several people in the house mysteriously died afterward. His night takes a sinister turn when Chrissy, a proclaimed huge fan of him, appears.

Shawn’s a problematic character desperate to redeem himself and gain back his following. But him struggling to survive the night makes this a worthwhile watch. Also, there are plenty of YouTubers out there who would act like Shawn in order to resurrect/maintain their fame.

Deadstream is available on Shudder and Netflix.

Host (2020)

A seance taking place during a Zoom call summons a demonic spirit that pursues Haley and her friends. They assume that the demon is gone after closing the seance. But then the incidents continue, threatening the life of the group of friends while still on the call.

The fact that the director, Rob Savage, used Zoom to film Host is impressive. The film itself excels in conjuring frights, even with its jump scares which wouldn’t have engaged its audience otherwise.

Host is available on Shudder and Netflix.

Grave Encounters (2011)

A reality TV ghost hunting show recorded an episode about a haunted psychiatric hospital in 2003. They were never seen again after that night.

It’s best not to explain the plot so as to avoid spoiling anything. Grave Encounters is a must-see for the thrills and twists alone.

Grave Encounters is available on Netflix and Tubi.

Hell House LLC (2015)

A tragic event at a haunted house attraction leads to rumors of demonic activity rather than a “severe malfunction.” An investigative team intends to film a documentary of what happened and interviews Sara Havel, the only survivor of that fateful Halloween night, who provides them with never-before-seen footage of what occurred inside that house.

The film maintains its suspense surrounding the preparation and opening of the attraction. Through interviews and previously unseen recorded videos, the audience learns little by little the chain of events leading to the attraction’s opening night.

Hell House LLC is available on Shudder, Tubi, and Amazon Prime Video.

Bodycam (2025)

A call regarding a domestic disturbance leads to an incident. One of the two policemen tries to get that recorded event deleted, but they instead find themselves flung into a supernatural situation.

Bodycam is a film about complicity. Jackson, a Black police officer, is eventually confronted by his family about his involvement in the criminalization of the poor and homeless.

Bodycam is available on Shudder.

[REC] (2007)

Based in Barcelona, Spain, a television news broadcast called “While You Were Sleeping” has its reporter and crew encountering the beginnings of the zombie apocalypse while trapped inside an apartment complex.

[REC] does a fantastic job of being more than yet another zombie movie. Whatever information is given to the audience via characters or what’s occurring in and out of the apartment complex makes it seem like there’s something more than just zombies.

[REC] is available on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video.

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Are there any indie found footage horror films not listed here that you’d like to recommend? Comment below!

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