The trolls themselves aren't overtly scary, due both to the limited special effects and the fact that trolls simply aren't as ingrained into American folklore as they are in Norway. Nonetheless, the tension is palpable as the intrepid hunters find themselves deep in troll country and in over their heads.Found footage and superhero movies are two of the most popular genres in Hollywood these days, so it was only a matter of time before someone decided to combine the two. Not that there's anything terribly heroic about the stars of Chronicle. The movie presents amateur footage of a group of high school teens as they encounter a mysterious object and gain telekinetic powers. After the initial rush wears off, one of the teens begins using his powers for increasingly sinister purposes. Though the movie's careful, grounded tone slips away in the final act, Chronicle managed to breathe new life into the superhero genre. It also paved the way for director Josh Trank to helm Fox's Fantastic Four reboot.Paranormal Activity helped further popularize the growing found footage craze when it finally saw wide release in 2009. The concept is simple. A young California couple (Katie Featherstone and Micah Sloat) notice a series of unexplained disturbances in their household. Micah's attempts to document the disturbances on camera only exacerbate the situation, and soon the pair realize they're being hounded by a demon that wants Katie for itself.
Paranormal Activity has quickly grown into an annual franchise, which is no surprise given that the original is estimated to be the most profitable film ever made. Each new sequel is tied to the original in some way and offers inventive new camera tricks to spook viewers. But none of these sequels have managed to fully recreate the simple terror of the original.Far more creatively successful and entertaining than the 1997 Americanized Godzilla movie, Cloverfield is a glimpse of what might happen if a gigantic monster started rampaging through Manhattan. The entire film is framed from the perspective of a group of young Manhattan friends who dutifully document the unfolding chaos even as they fall victim one by one. The found footage format works well, and for much of the movie, viewers only see the evidence of the monster's destruction, not the beast itself. The cryptic marketing campaign also lent the movie an aura of mystery leading up to its 2008 release.The Blair Witch Project didn't invent the found footage formula, but it certainly popularized the genre. It arrived a decade before annual Paranormal Activity sequels were the norm, and thanks to a clever marketing campaign, many viewers were convinced the movie actually was compiled from real footage of three teens lost in the Maryland wilderness while being pursued by a murderous recluse.
Another element working in the movie's favor was the authenticity of the performances. The three actors were stranded in the woods with little in the way of food or directions while they filmed their travels. By the end, the screams of terror and the general sense of desperate fear were no longer being faked.[REC] is the standard by which all found footage horror movies are judged. This Spanish horror movie presents footage from a news reporter who accompanies a fire crew into an apartment building.That supposedly routine call quickly degenerates when it becomes clear something in the building is turning the residents into rabid killers. With the protagonists trapped inside, the result is a nonstop wave of terror and bloodshed. The sense of isolation and impending doom really adds a lot to the overall impact of the movie.
[REC] offered a simple but very effective formula. To date, it's inspired two sequels (with a third on the way in 2013) and a slavishly faithful American remake in Quarantine.