Tag Archives: Found Footage Horror

Mean Spirited an Amicable Satirical Take on Influencers and Fame

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Here’s yet another indie horror movie poking fun at social media and influencer culture. Released at some point in 2022, Jeff Ryan’s Mean Spirited flew under the radar for most horror fans. It’s a found-footage mix of horror and comedy that blends familiar narratives. On one hand, it’s satirical take on influences that follows on similar recent horror entries including Sissy, Influencer, and Deadstream. But it’s also an adaptation of the Monkey’s Paw ‘be careful what you wish for’ narrative that’s found its way into many horror movies over the years. Only a handful of critics have weighed in on this one, but the response has been positive.

Synopsis

Andy runs a middling YouTube pranks show called Mean Spirited alongside his friends Tom and Joey. But the show’s going nowhere – in his early 30s, Andy still lives at home with his parents. However opportunity knocks when his successful childhood friend Bryce reaches out and invites Andy his crew to visit him in the Poconos. Years ago a childhood prank gone wrong drove a wedge between the two friends. With cameras in tow, Andy plans to document and exploit the reunion for new followers. Bryce has his own secrets and agenda for the weekend and the results could be demonic.

Mean Spirited is Familiar But Still Effective Takedown of Influencers and Social Media

If its premise sounds familiar, Mean Spirited isn’t charting any new ground. Writer and director Jeff Ryan, along with co-writer Joe Adams, melds a familiar Monkey’s Paw tale with a satirical takedown of influencer culture. Will Madden’s (The Wolf of Snow Hollow) ‘Amazing Andy” starts off the movie as something of a loser – host of a failed vlog and still living with his parents. Just how much insight Andy has into his status is never clear. Like the footage itself – and Mean Spirited plays coy with who’s shooting what footage – it’s hard to tell when Madden’s ‘Amazing Andy’ or just ‘Andy’. Though it’s not particularly original, Mean Spirited includes some subtle satirizing of influencers.

Writer and director Jeff Ryan, along with co-writer Joe Adams, melds a familiar Monkey’s Paw tale with a satirical takedown of influencer culture.

Both Andy and Bryce perform in front of the camera. And they’re always in front of a camera of some sort. While many found-footage movies struggle to justify the constant filming of impending doom, Mean Spirited has a built-in justification for its footage. Even when things are at their worst, Andy continues to film as he’s always clinging to the hope that’s just one viral clip away from fame. Though his circumstances change by the movie’s end, Andy remains a constant from start to finish – vapid and self-involved. In this regard, Ryan and Adams do a much better job critiquing influencers than other social media horror movies.

Mean Spirited Leans More on Comedy Than Horror

Though it’s marketed as a horror-comedy, Mean Spirited clearly leans into the humor part of the equation. Yes, demons and and possession cut their way through the story, adding the Monkey’s Paw element to the movie. Something changed Bryce during childhood and now he’s looking to pass it on to the person he blames, Andy. And Ryan doesn’t intend his movie to be scary or suspenseful, which it’s absolutely not. You’ll find some kills and the odd severed appendage or two, but this one’s light on gore as well. It’s always pretty clear that something’s not quite right with Bryce, but most of the uneasiness comes from the sheer awkwardness of the encounters. What’s more quietly uneasy about Mean Spirited is the source of all this found footage material.

And Ryan doesn’t intend his movie to be scary or suspenseful, which it’s absolutely not.

It’s the dark and awkward humor that drives Mean Spirited and, liked many horror-comedy movies, the results are uneven. Most of the playful jabs at Daniel Rashid’s ‘Tom’ hit their mark, and the ‘bro’ humor of Neville Archambault’s (13 Cameras) doesn’t overstay its welcome. In fact, the banter and interactions between the characters lends an overall amicable tone to the movie. Even ‘Amazing Andy’ is more sad and pitiful than someone you loathe over the course of the movie.

Mean Spirited Doesn’t Break Any New Ground, But It’s Fun Enough to Give a Watch

Absolutely nothing about Mean Spirited is fresh or different. Just over the last several years, the horror genre has doled out several movies – including found-footage entries – carving out sub-commentary on social media influencers. Moreover, we’ve had plenty of Monkey’s Paw-themed movies about ‘selling your soul’ for success. In just the last month, Late Night with the Devil and Mind Body Spirit treaded on similar ground. But Mean Spirited is an amicable horror-comedy that emphasizes the comedy with likeable characters and plenty of fun banter. Even if it’s not staking out any new ground, it’s a fun watch that nails its messaging in a quick-plotted story.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B-

Late Night with the Devil Offers a Devil of a Good Time for Horror Fans

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Horror is off to a pretty good start in 2024. Regardless of critical reviews, Night Swim and Imaginary scored moderate box office success for Blumhouse. Meanwhile critics were largely impressed with other early offers like Immaculate, The First Omen, and Abigail. Down the road we still have the long-anticipated Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Robert Egger’s re-imagining of Nosferatu. With an embarrassment of horror riches, it’s particularly impressive that Late Night with the Devil has garnered so much hype. After a brief theatrical release, the Cairnes Brothers’ mix of found-footage, demonic possession, and retro-70s vibe finally debuted on Shudder.

Synopsis

Despite of the success of his late-night talk show Night Owls, Jack Delroy hasn’t been able keep up with Johnny Carson. In the last year Delroy also lost his wife, Madeleine, to lung cancer. Now Night Owls with Jack Delroy is losing ground in the ratings war. Looking to scare a big win on Halloween night, Delroy invites a young girl who claims to be possessed onto the show. Against the advice of a parapsychologist, Delroy encourages a summoning on live television.

Late Night with the Devil Slow Burns Through 70s Kitsch to Devilish Horror

On the surface, Late Night with the Devil sounds like a bit of a dog’s breakfast of a horror movie. Writing and directing duo, Colin and Cameron Cairnes mix two different narratives into one movie – found-footage and demonic possession – wrapped in a retro-70s setting. Its prologue reminding audiences that we’re watching spliced together footage and behind-the-scenes clips from a doomed airing of a talk show episode isn’t necessarily novel. Demonic possession movies are almost a dime a dozen. And plenty of horror movies have embraced the look and feel of a 70s movie. Yet Late Night with the Devil looks and feels fresh as it breathes new life into all of these elements.

When the Cairnes Brothers finally turn things up, they go for the jugular in a rapid and shocking scene of devilish carnage.

From its opening scenes the Cairnes Brothers capture the energy and kitschy entertainment of old talk shows right down to the wacky guests and banter between host and sidekick. Taking a slow burn approach, Late Night with the Devil slowly introduces its horror elements while dropping story breadcrumbs that become important for the final act. Initial scares put you at unease followed by a gross tease of body horror. When the Cairnes Brothers finally turn things up, they go for the jugular in a rapid and shocking scene of devilish carnage. If the effects look a little dated, it’s in keeping with with the retro aesthetics.

Late Night with the Devil Shows David Dastmalchian is a Star

If there’s a complain about Late Night with the Devil, it’s that the anticipated finale ends almost as quickly as it escalates on screen. In the thriller’s closing moments, the Cairnes Brothers opt for a surreal series where Delroy confronts his past through a twisted re-imagining of his own talk show. Unlike the grandiose on-stage summoning, the final moments are focused on a sad and disturbing series of revelations. Though some audiences may be underwhelmed by the abrupt ending, it’s still a punch to the gut that’s unsettling. Like the rest of the movie, the Cairnes Brothers’ aren’t the first writers to weave The Monkey’s Paw into their story of ‘selling one’s soul’. But they use the familiar trope very well.

Though some audiences may be underwhelmed by the abrupt ending, it’s still a punch to the gut that’s unsettling.

And a big part of why everything gels as it does in Late Night with the Devil is courtesy of David Dastmalchian (The Boogeyman, The Last Voyage of the Demeter). To date, Dastmalchian has often quietly been one the best parts of bigger movies, like Suicide Squad, where he’s a supporting character. As Jack Delroy, Dastmalchian gets his opportunity to take the lead and he runs with the ball. He’s equal parts manic and desperate as Delroy while also capturing a subtle sadness and feeling of guilt. And it’s that latter part of the performance that makes the ending work. Delroy is slimy enough to exploit a vulnerable young woman on live television, but maintains enough humanity to feel bad about it.

Late Night with the Devil Sells Its Soul For Genuine Scares

Here’s the rare case of a movie matching the hype. Simply put, Late Night With The Devil mixes dark humor with supreme buildup to a quietly unsettling finale. And David Dastmalchian’s performance is devilishly good elevating what’s already a good movie. Perhaps the final scene feels abrupt and may let down some viewers. But when considered in context with the story told here, it’s the right kind of blunt approach to let things linger with you. In what’s already been a good year for horror, Late Night with the Devil immediately declares itself one of the best genre movies for 2024.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A

Deadstream Trends With a Fun Mix of Gross-Out Horror and Comedy

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Apparently a lot of people don’t like Internet personalities. Just in the last few years, several horror movies have taken shots at various aspects of Internet and social media culture. From last week’s Sissy to The Seed to Tragedy Girls, horror has increased shifted its gaze onto the pitfalls of interactive digital media. To date, however, the results have been pretty mixed. But Shudder’s latest release looks to follow on the critical success Sissy found just last week. After premiering at the South by Southwest Festival earlier this year, found-footage horror Deadstream makes it streaming debut and the critical response has been glowing.

Synopsis

Disgraced Internet personality and streamer Shawn Ruddy finally has his platform back and is monetized again. But Shawn needs to win back fans and sponsors. His plan to win back viewers is to spend a night locked inside a dilapidated abandoned house known as ‘Death Manor’. And Ruddy’s rules are simple – he has to investigate anything that remotely is paranormal. But once he’s locked himself inside ‘Death Manor’ things quickly escalate far past anything Shawn could have imagined. With no way out, Shawn’s desperation for Internet fame may come with an unimaginable price.

Deadstream Channels the Spirit of 80s Horror-Comedies with a Social Media Twist

There’s two different movies in Deadstream. And maybe it’s not fair to say they’re two very different movies. From its opening scene, co-writer and directors Joseph and Vanessa Winter have a lot of fun with their movie’s premise, poking fun at both the format and the subject. The movie opens with a title card reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project before the camera pulls back and reveals Shawn holding up the card himself. That scene is pretty indicative of everything that follows. And for the next 30 minutes or so, Deadstream plays like a silly light horror comedy that’s comfortable riffing on found footage and haunted house tropes.

And there’s plenty of bodily fluids spilling out across the screen.

Once the horror elements more fully kick in, however, Deadstream goes full over-the-top horror comedy. While there’s plenty of jump scares, the Winters focus on a high-octane giddy approach to the subject that most recalls The Evil Dead franchise. And there’s plenty of bodily fluids spilling out across the screen. By and large, Deadstream is only a mildly scary movie. But it’s a fun movie that revels in pushing boundaries and rarely conforms to expectations. Sometimes the jokes fall flat or feel garishly stretched. However, this is often just the nature of this sort of movie. Overall, Deadstorm feels like the sort of horror movie that fans will increasingly appreciate.

Deadstream Mostly Overcomes the Limitations of an Unlikable Protagonist

Like other social media horror movies, Deadstream has something of an uphill battle. No offence to influencers and Internet personalities, but they’re not nearly as relatable to audiences as they may hope. So this is a movie that has to get audiences to care a bit about a character who isn’t particularly likable. As disgraced streamer Shawn Ruddy, Winter – who’s pulling triple duty here – manages to invest some likably goofy charm into the character. Unlike another recent social media-infused horror movie, Dashcam, our ‘Wrath of Shawn’ protagonist isn’t completely reprehensible. Though he’s shallow and often oblivious, Winter plays the character as more an idiot than an outright bad person.

So this is a movie that has to get audiences to care a bit about a character who isn’t particularly likable.

Though it’s mostly a one-person show, Melanie Stone brings a lot of fun energy to the movie. Astute horror fans will figure out her role pretty fast. Nevertheless, Stone’s a treat to watch on screen. While Deadstream also does a good job dunking on Internet personalities, it doesn’t have much to say. This isn’t necessarily a complaint or limitation. Not every horror movie needs to have a cutting subtext. And Deadstream is clearly having fun and wants audiences to have fun. But the movie and Shawn Ruddy as a character so perfectly encapsulate many of the problems with influencers and social media personalities. One can’t help but feel there was a bit of a missed opportunity here.

Deadstream Fun Enough To Overcome Any Minor Quibbles

Here’s a horror movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. What Deadstream delivers is just pure horror fun that comes close – though slightly misses – Evil Dead and other 80s B-movie classics. Plenty of bodily fluids are expelled, there’s several decent scares, and practical effects abound. Though there isn’t necessarily a clever subtext, like other recent horror movies, Deadstream takes a clear shot across the bow at Internet personalities. And Winter may do too good of a job playing the obnoxious influencer as he’s occasionally a bit much to take. Nonetheless, Shudder has once again platformed a wildly entertaining alternative to what you’ll find in theaters.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE B+

The Last Exorcism Casts Out Decent Demonic Scares From Found-Footage Format

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When it hit theatres in 2010, The Last Exorcism was riding the peak of the found-footage horror wave. Three years earlier, Paranormal Activity solidified found-footage as a viable subgenre. Cloverfield, [REC] and its American remake, Quarantine, The Fourth Kind, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, among others, flooded the cineplexes. But The Last Exorcism was a something of a surprising box office hit. It grossed over $40 million on a budget that was just shy of $2 million. That kind of box office money inevitably leads to a sequel, which failed to find either the same financial or critical success.

Synopsis

Evangelical preacher Marcus Cotton has been performing exorcisms since was a young boy. But those exorcisms have all been elaborate hoaxes. Disturbed by a new story about an accident death caused by an overzealous exorcist, Cotton agrees to participate in a documentary to expose the exorcism industry. After he receives a handwritten letter pleading for help, Cotton decides to perform a last exorcism for the film crew to pull back the curtain. When he meets a troubled young woman, Nell, Marcus may discover that evil is very real.

The Last Exorcism Drags in the Middle, But Mostly Offers Consistent Scares

With so many exorcism movies, The Last Exorcism deserves credit for injecting fresh scares into a tired story. Director Daniel Stamm makes the most of the pseudo-documentary approach to craft genuine scares and suspense. Some of those scares are visceral images courtesy of actress Ashley Bells contortions during an exorcism. Yet Stamm effectively builds tension and earns a few edge-of-your seat moments as Cotton and his film crew search for Nell in a dark farmhouse. The story twists enough to keep old tropes from dragging things down. And the movie’s final twist feels earned. Besides it’s an unsettling moment that calls back to 70s Satanic Panic thriller, Race With The Devil.

Unfortunately, like most found-footage movies, The Last Exorcism fails to offer up a convincing reason why someone would hold to a camera while running for their life.

Not everything here works as intended. Consider it the bane of the found-footage subgenre. Every one of these movies needs to establish two things – why are people filming things and why don’t they stop when awful things start happening. Writers Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland spin up a better-than-average reason for the film crew. Most importantly, the use of the format feels central to the thriller’s premise of a disillusioned man confronting his faith. Unfortunately, like most found-footage movies, The Last Exorcism fails to offer up a convincing reason why someone would hold to a camera while running for their life. In addition, The Last Exorcism can’t help but drag in its middle act despite running at just under 90 minutes.

The Last Exorcism Has a Couple of Good Performances Amidst Familiar Religious Horror Narrative

Most audiences familiar with The Last Exorcism will likely remember two things – the UK poster controversy and Ashley Bell’s contortionist performance. Over 10 years removed, British citizen complaints about one of the promotional posters was much ado about nothing. And Bell won’t blow anyone away as the naïve Nell. She’s merely passable in the role, perhaps overselling the character’s innocence. Nonetheless, her contortions are suitability creepy and lend the movie something unique. On the other hand, its story of a disillusioned preacher who must inevitably regain their faith to confront evil is pretty standard for religious horror.

Whether the found-footage format really allows Stamm to craft a genuine character arc for Cotton remains questionable.

For obvious reasons, the ‘film crew’ following Cotton are largely non-factors for most of the most. As the disenfranchised Marcus Cotton, Patrick Fabian makes for a much more likable protagonist than one would expect. This is due in large part to Fabian’s charismatic performance and emotional range. One can’t help but believe that his ‘banana pie recipe sermon’ would actually fly in some parishes. Whether the found-footage format really allows Stamm to craft a genuine character arc for Cotton remains questionable. But Fabian makes you believe he’s ready to fight evil by the final scene.

The Last Exorcism Holds Up to Repeat Viewings

Though The Last Exorcism doesn’t quite escape all the demons of the subgenre, it more than holds up to multiple viewings. Like most found-footage movies, Stamm and his writers can’t cook up enough reasons why someone would keep filming. Moreover, the middle act drags a bit even when the movie comes in under 90 minutes. Nevertheless, The Last Exorcism has plenty of scares along with uncomfortable moments and a disturbing finale. Both Fabian and Bell are much better than what you’d usually find in this sort of the movie. After over a decade, The Last Exorcism remains a chilling edition to religious horror and the found-footage subgenre.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B

Paranormal Activity: Ranking the Found-Footage Franchise

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Cannibal Holocaust introduced grindhouse fans to the found-footage format. Two decades later, The Blair Witch Project took the format mainstream with its pre-viral marketing campaign and pseudo-documentary approach. A handful of found-footage horror movies would surface in the early 2000’s. Yet Paranormal Activity was the true follow-up box office hit that cemented the approach as a legitimate horror sub-genre. For several Halloween seasons, the Saw franchise dominated October. But then writer and director Oren Peli’s little found-footage thriller dethroned Jigsaw in 2007. From that point onwards, Paranormal Activity became the new ‘King of Halloween.’ The low-budget series was box office gold for Paramount Studios. But with six films in the franchise – and now a reboot – the quality has been uneven at best. Which of The Paranormal Activity movies are worth your time?

7 – Paranormal Activity 4

Paranormal Activity 4 is the point in the franchise where the ‘law of diminishing’ returns hit hard. And the box office decline was steep. Despite the obvious grand (and growing) plans for the franchise, this was the instalment that tanked the series. Each successive sequel took home roughly half in total box office receipts. Make a list of every problem that inevitably arise with successive horror sequels. Now play this movie and watch as it lazily checks every box. If you were hoping for a sequel that would explore what happened to Katie and nephew Hunter, forget about it. Paranormal Activity 4 is basically a 90-minute commercial for the next two movies in the series. Little happens for the first hour and 20 minutes.

Paranormal Activity 4 is basically a 90-minute commercial for the next two films in the series.

Aside from a clever scene with a kitchen knife and a cheap gimmick involving Xbox Kinect, Paranormal Activity 4 lets its narrative sit in a holding pattern. While it’s final 10 minutes scare up some fun tension, the conclusion is like an ‘80’s television cliffhanger. Frankly, this sequel isn’t just bad, it’s insulting.

6 – Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

To be honest, it’s probably a toss-up between The Ghost Dimension and Paranormal Activity 4 for worst in the series. At least this sequel makes an effort to introduce some narrative momentum. Unfortunately, The Ghost Dimension is weighed down by too may problems to make it worth watching. By this point, the franchise’s mythology was so convoluted as to be almost incomprehensible. The addition of ‘time travel’ and a ‘ghost dimension’ evokes a ‘kitchen sink’ feeling . In addition, The Ghost Dimension was clearly out of ideas. The sequel has no new fun and innovative scares. It’s the sixth film in the franchise and you’ve seen it all before. The few new ideas introduced, including a tricked-out camera, are more likely to induce eye-rolling than jumps. The sequel’s resolution to the series is not only disappointing but introduces several glaring plot holes.

5 – Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

Arguably, The Marked Ones was a much better movie than it had any right to be. It’s the fifth film in the series, and the story initially takes you away from the series’ overall narrative. Most viewers wanted some resolution to Katie and Hunter’s saga. Instead, The Marked Ones gave us an entirely new set of characters in what amounted to a side story. Nonetheless, The Marked Ones manages to deliver just enough scares to compensate for all of its weaknesses. The biggest problem for The Paranormal Activity franchise by its fourth film was the scope of the story it was trying to tell. Found-footage films work best with simple, stripped down concepts.

4 – Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin

Don’t go into Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin expecting any connection to the series. This is a pure reboot looking to attract a new audience by cashing in on name recognition. Aside from the found-footage format and demons, Next of Kin shares little in common with the other movies in the series. Nevertheless, director William Eubank (Underwater) and writer Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U) weave a pretty engrossing mystery. Throw in some good mounting scares and a solid roller-coaster of a final act and Next of Kin is better than expected. It probably didn’t need to be called ‘Paranormal Activity‘, but it’s still better than the bottom three movies on this list.

3 – Paranormal Activity 3

Essentially an origin film, Paranormal Activity 3 is the last good film of the original series. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman tell the story only hinted at in the first two movies. This time around, Paranormal Activity 3 shows us ‘Toby’s’ original haunting of sisters Katie and Kristi. Set in the late 1980’s, ‘stepdad’ Dennis is the latest guy obsessed with capturing supernatural phenomenon.

Scares are much more liberally parcelled out in this sequel.

Surprisingly, Paranormal Activity 3 proved that the series still had some life left in it. In fact, Joost and Schulman arguably delivered the best paced Paranormal Activity movie. Scares are much more liberally parceled out in this sequel. There’s also some wonderful inventiveness on display. A camera mounted to an oscillating fan offers one of the best scares in the franchise. We probably get a few too many additions to the series’ overarching mythology, but Paranormal Activity 3 is too much fun to complain. If the series had ended here, we would have had a pretty decent horror trilogy.

2 – Paranormal Activity

I’m going to court controversy and go with my heart on these final two placements. Paranormal Activity is an excellent found-footage horror film. It studiously follows the playbook that The Blair Witch Project wrote years earlier. This is a found-footage ‘slow burn’ with each successive night delivering increasing threats and tension. Series creator Oren Peli understood what makes found-footage horror work. As a result, he gives us under-stated horror that could almost convince you this really happened. Katie being pulled from her bed by an unseen entity still terrifies. If the original film has one major problem, it’s that it may be a little too lackadaisical with its pacing.

Paranormal Activity 2

Yes, I think Paranormal Activity 2 is the best film in the series. To a large extent, the first sequel suffers from the same pacing problems. Director Tod Williams takes his time, but the end destination makes it worthwhile. Family home security cameras allow for much more elaborately staged scares. Like the first movie, the quiet build-up becomes increasingly unbearable. Where Paranormal Activity 2 stands out is with its suspenseful final act. Intermittent reinforcement forces you to watch the screen intently to pick up where the next scares is likely to emerge. In addition to its genuine frights, Paranormal Activity 2 opens up the series’ world in a simple way. I’ve watched this sequel a few times and, of all the series entries, it holds up the best.

V/H/S Horror Series Ranked From Worst to Best

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At the peak of the format’s popularity, the found-footage subgenre produced a handful of successful horror franchises. Arguably, The Paranormal Activity franchise – which also has a belated sequel surfacing soon – was the most lucrative. Though much smaller in scale, the Hell House LLC trilogy produced decent, but diminishing, scares. With four movies and a spin-off, the V/H/S series has gotten some unexpected mileage out of its mix of found-footage and the anthology format. In addition to mixing anthology and found-footage storytelling, the series has wisely assembled different, up-and-coming directors for each individual segment. Below is a ranking of the four movies comprising the V/H/S series, excluding its feature-length spinoff, Siren.

4 – V/H/S Viral (2014)

Despite a wraparound story that seems better-suite to a viral social media world, V/H/S Viral is widely considered to be the weakest entry of the series. None of the individual segments are terrible – there’s nothing here that would qualify as outright bad. In fact, V/H/S Viral is a remarkably watchable movie from start to finish. But the three segments – as well as the wraparound story – won’t leave much of an impression on you. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s (The Endless) tale of skateboarders vs death cultists, Bonestorm, promises a bit of anarchy. And the segment comes close but feels like it lacks the substance to justify its length.

3 – V/H/S (2012)

A great collection of directors, a unique premise for an anthology movie, and mostly consistent segments alongside a creepy wraparound story, V/H/S is much better than its Rotten Tomatoes’ tomato-meter score. David Bruckner’s (The Ritual) story of a succubus turning the tables on predatory young men is the kind of wickedly dark fun you expect from anthology horror. In a surprising developing, Ti West’s (House of the Devil) Second Honeymoon is a bit underwhelming as is Joe Swanberg’s The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger. Neither of these segments is bad, or even weak. But they feel more like momentary diversions. Fortunately, Tuesday the 17th and 10/31/98 are both scary and innovative examples of horror.

2 – V/H/S/94 (2021)

Courtesy of Bloody Disgusting and Shudder, the V/H/S franchise found itself revived this Halloween season. In spite of its belated status, V/H/S/94 is a surprisingly edgy entry to the franchise. On one had, V/H/S/94 saddles itself with the weakest wraparound story of the bunch. It barely serves much purpose. As a result, the segments feel like there’s less holding them together. Dark humor and wickedly transgressive imagery propel the sequel past V/H/S and V/H/S Viral. LIke V/H/S 2, there’s more consistency in quality across the story segments. But it’s Tjahjanto’s insane The Subject that pushes the limits and, ultimately, stands head and shoulders above everything else in the sequel.

1 – V/H/S 2 (2013)

Head and shoulders above the other movies in the series, V/H/S 2 is a case of bringing together the right mix of talent and settling into the concept. As compared to most horror anthology movies, you won’t find a weak segment among the bunch. Here, each story feels fresh, frightening, and compelling. Adam Wingard’s (Godzilla vs Kong) Phase I Clinical Trials is jam-packed with effective jump scares, while Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project) and Gregg Hale’s A Ride in the Park puts a refreshing spin on zombies. Perhaps Jason Eisener’s Slumber Party Alien Abduction is the sequel’s weakest bit, and it’s still wickedly fun. And V/H/S 2 has the series’ best segment – Safe Haven. When Timo Tjahjanto (May the Devil Take You) and Gareth Evans (Apostle) join forces you wouldn’t expect less than this wildly bloody tale of a demon-worshiping cult.

Blair Witch Can’t Catch Lightning In A Bottle

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To date, The Blair Witch Project remains one of the biggest indie horror movie successes of all time. Love it or hate it, the shaky-cam found-footage kicked off an entire horror sub-genre. So you can’t blame Hollywood for trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice. What followed was the disappointing sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. A rushed sequel that ignored everything that made the original movie work, Book of Shadows bombed with critics and audiences alike. So when Adam Wingard (You’re Next, Godzilla vs Kong) revealed his next project, The Woods, was actually a Blair Witch sequel, there was genuine interest. Time had passed and Wingard had a strong track record. Except Blair Witch fared only slightly better than Book of Shadows. So how did a project with so much potential fall so short of expectations?

Synopsis

It’s been 17 years since James Donahue’s sister, Heather disappeared in Black Hills Forest. But when he sees a YouTube video with an image that looks like his sister, James and his friends decide to brave the legend of the ‘Blair Witch’ and return to the woods. With two local resident acting as guides, the group treks deep into the woods to film their own documentary. Things quickly take a disturbing turn as the group find themselves lost and surrounded by an ominous presence. Just like his sister, James and his friends are about to learn that the legends are all too true.

Blair Witch Fails To Conjure Up Enough New Twists To Distinguish Itself

In many ways, The Blair Witch suffered from the same problem as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. After Book of Shadows deviated too much from a winning formula, Wingard and writer Simon Barrett hedged their bets. Instead, what The Blair Witch offered was more of a ‘re-quel’ than an actual sequel. Part reboot, part sequel, The Blair Witch technically continues the original movie’s story in the thinnest possible way. A younger sibling desperately searching for answer’s to his sister’s disappearance at least places the movie within some continuity. But Wingard and Barrett spend way too much time recycling what worked in The Blair Witch Project. Much of the sequel’s first two-thirds largely feels like a redux.

While The Blair Witch Project could slow burn with these story developments, Blair Witch doesn’t have the same luxury.

Here and there, The Blair Witch does tweak a few things. There’s a a cool bit with a drone, though Wingard doesn’t milk it for quite as much as one might have hoped. And Barrett’s screenplay introduces a nice twist with time loops that actually works within the context set by the original movie. Still Blair Witch re-introduces too many plot points with little new to add to the formula. We’ve already seen campers wake up to stick figures hanging from trees. While The Blair Witch Project could slow burn with these story developments, Blair Witch doesn’t have the same luxury. There’s no more surprises and less unknown for Wingard and Barrett to navigate. Yet they make the mistake of offering up too much of the same.

Blair Witch Almost Casts A Spell in its Final Act

Once Blair Witch dares to chart out some unfamiliar territory, the sequel markedly improves. Like some of the best horror movies, The Blair Witch Project thrived on what it didn’t show you rather than what it put on the screen. Wingard opts to go in the opposite direction for better or worse. With a bigger budget, Blair Witch doles out a couple of shocking moments including one scene where a character is bent in half. Though it’s something you would never have seen in the original it actually works here. What’s missing is that slow-burn buildup in tension. Too much familiarity early in the movie undercuts any real sense of danger or tension.

With a bigger budget, Blair Witch doles out a couple of shocking moments …

As Blair Witch hits its third act, however, Wingard ratchets up the tension. Despite taking us to the same endpoint as The Blair Witch Project, Wingard actually diverts from the source material. A chase through a tight underground tunnel conjures up some excellent claustrophobic horror. Some horror fans will take issue with showing the actual witch. Granted, it does go against everything that made the first movie work. Nonetheless, Wingard never shows much – what he gives you is enough to sufficiently creep you out. No creature design was ever going to approximate what fans could imagine. But Blair Witch does a good job in this regard. And even if the climax relies on some pretty illogical character choices, it’s still tense and bleak. It does help that both James Allen McCune and Callie Hernandez (The Endless) sell the moment.

Blair Witch More Underwhelming Than Bad

To some extent, critical response to Blair Witch has been unfair. By no measure is it a ‘bad’ movie’. Certainly, Wingard makes significantly improvements over Book of Shadows. Nonetheless, Blair Witch errs too far on the side of caution. As the saying goes, it really is hard to catch lighting in a bottle. The Blair Witch Project worked because everything it did was so new for the genre. Even younger fans will be familiar with Blair Witch’s long set-up. By 2016 found-footage horror movies had already lost steam. The whole format was too familiar. Where this sequel fails is in finding a balance between what fans liked in 1999 and carving out some fresh territory.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B-

[REC]: Ranking the Spanish Found-Footage Series

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Spain has given us some memorable horror movies. In just the last few years, Veronica, The Platform, La Llorona and Tigers Are Not Afraid how impressed critics and audiences alike. Legendary director Guillermo del Toro is responsible for genre classics Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone, and Pan’s Labyrinth. As the found-footage subgenre was gaining traction, Spanish horror movie [REC] helped prove the shaky cam format wasn’t just a gimmick. Directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza’s mixing of zombie and supernatural elements was good enough to warrant three sequels and an American remake. Where does each movie in the [REC] franchise rank? And we’re not counting, the remake, Quarantine, though it’s quite good as well.

4 – [REC]3 Genesis (2012)

If [REC]3: Genesis wasn’t a [REC] movie it likely would have gone over better with horror fans. In spite of its bottom ranking here, this ‘sort of’ sequel is actually a lot of fun. Unfortunately, [REC]3: Genesis is the third movie in a franchise with an established mythology and tone. Setting its action at a large wedding reception, Genesis’ story unfolds parallel to the first two movies, with only a tangential connection. Instead, the sequel follows newlyweds separated during a viral zombie outbreak. In addition to shifting locations, [REC]3: Genesis abandons the found-footage approach about 15 minutes into the movie. However, the sequel’s biggest mistake is its inexplicable decision to switch up the franchise’s intense and frenetic tone for laughs. But if you watch it as a standalone movie with no connection to the [REC] franchise, Genesis has manic energy and its central couple are compelling protagonists.

3. [REC]4: Apocalypse (2014)

Technically, [REC]4: Apocalypse is a better [REC] movie than Genesis. Though it completely abandons the franchise’s found-footage roots, [REC]4: Apocalypse brings back one of the original directors, Jaume Balaguero, alongside Manuella Velasco’s ‘Angela Vidal’. As such, it feels like a proper sequel. Moreover, the movie’s setting on a quarantined ship in the ocean almost recaptures the series’ claustrophobic tension. Still this final entry feels like it ends things on a whimper rather than a bang. Even as Bealaguero picks things up immediately following [REC]2’s ending, this sequel still feels tonally disconnected. Nothing here approaches the intensity level of [REC]. Fortunately, Apocalypse still has some shocks and wild gore.

2 – [REC]2 (2009)

As far as sequels go, [REC]2 comes close to re-capturing the original movie’s frightening magic. For a a good 40 minutes or so, Balaguero and Plaza maintain the same level of near-constant tension that defined [REC]. In fact, the only thing going against [REC]2 is the lack of surprise and shock value going into the sequel. This time audiences know what to expect. Unfortunately, [REC]2 loses some momentum when it introduces a group of errant teens to the mix. Aside from upping the sequel’s body count, the characters bring nothing to the story. And as hard as Balaguero and Plaza try, they can’t replicate the pure scare of [REC]’s ending. Yet in spite of these limitations, [REC]2 is a near damn perfect sequel.

1 – [REC] (2007)

There’s a reason [REC] spawned three sequels. Not only is [REC] one of the best examples of the found-footage subgenre, it’s one of the best horror movies this century. After a bit of buildup to introduce its main characters, [REC] hits the accelerator and rarely lets up. Yes, found-footage means some shaky cam. But Balaguero and Plaza use the approach masterfully to maintain a constant mix of tension and shocks. If [REC] feels like just another zombie movie, Balaguero flips the script by introducing the series’ religious elements. Its mixing of demonic possession with zombie tropes gives the movie just enough to set it apart. Once [REC] gets us into the apartment building’s penthouse, it’s an absolute nail-biter. And [REC]’s final shot is one of the best in horror.