10 Foreign Language Found Footage Horror Movies – Global Terror Ranked
Welcome to Ranking Horror. We have been on a bit of a found footage horror kick this week and we are going to keep that trend going. Today we are taking a look at 10 Foreign Language Found Footage Horror Movies: Global Terror Ranked.
Table of Contents
It would probably be accurate to say that the whole found footage thing is a very American-centric phenomenon. Maybe because of the more accessible indie movie-making industry there or, simply, because of the dominance of the English language in the film industry. Meaning non-English language horror will have a harder time finding popularity.
While countries like Japan have put out a whole bunch of found footage, even to this day, with a lot of it finding its way over to the West, everywhere else seems a little bit shy when it comes to sharing their handheld camera, DIY, movie-making talents. In this list, we will take a look at ten foreign language found footage horror movies that you should definitely seek out. Let’s go.
| Rank | Movie Title (Year) | The Terror Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troll Hunter (2010) | Creature Feature Mockumentary |
| 2 | Noroi: The Curse (2005) | Japanese Folk Legend Dread |
| 3 | Saiko! The Large Family (2009) | Domestic Sinister Mystery |
| 4 | Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) | Livestreamed Supernatural Panic |
| 5 | REC (2007) | Infected Apartment Siege |
10. Cold Ground (2017) – Snowbound Savagery
- Director: Fabien Martorell
- Cast: Gala Besson, Gabriel Delmas
- Runtime: 84 minutes
- IMDb: 4.8/10
Why it Ranked: We are, perhaps, cheating a bit here, as a fair bit of the dialogue in French found footage horror movie Cold Ground takes place in English. Still, I love to suggest things that you may have missed. This movie, honestly, isn’t particularly great but it will appeal to people who are interested in Skinwalker Ranch, Sasquatch sightings, and various other similar stuff. It takes a long while to go anywhere and, when it gets there, it isn’t particularly satisfying. Still, some may find its particular brand of storytelling quite interesting.
Synopsis: Cold Ground follows a pair of investigators in the 1970s heading to the French-Swiss border to look into some reports of cattle mutilations. They soon find themselves having to search for the team they were supposed to meet up with, only to discover something much more predatory in the snow.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Prime Video
9. La Cueva (2014) – In the Dark
- Director: Alfredo Montero
- Cast: Marcos Ortiz, Marta Castellote
- Runtime: 80 minutes
- IMDb: 6.0/10
Why it Ranked: We have a found footage horror from Spain next and I can’t help but feel like this one is frequently overlooked. La Cueva (The Cave) differs, slightly, from many of the films on this list in that the events that take place result more from the incompetence of its characters rather than external factors. It’s a nice change of pace from a lot of found footage horror. There isn’t a whole bunch of innovation on display here; you will know exactly what is coming next at each and every turn but it is enjoyable nonetheless. Particularly the strong final 20 minutes, or so.
Synopsis: Directed by Alfredo Montero, the story follows a group of five friends who, while on vacation, stumble across a cave and decide to explore it. It is a mistake that they will all come to regret as they become hopelessly lost in the dark.
Where to Watch: Refer to local US streaming
8. Night Shot (2018) – One Shot Terror
- Director: Hugo Queen
- Cast: Nathalie Couturier
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- IMDb: 4.7/10
Why it Ranked: Night Shot stands out from similar movies thanks to the fact that the entire movie is designed to look as though it is filmed in one single shot. A difficult undertaking in any form of movie-making, it’s quite effective and manages to be decently creepy for much of its length. The tension builds slowly throughout and the scares consistently escalate. The only problem is the lacklustre ending. Night Shot is one of those examples of a writer feeling like they had to wrap things up conclusively, even if it is unsatisfying and, frankly, a bit stupid. Still well worth checking out, though.
Synopsis: An investigative reporter and her cameraman find themselves in for a night of terror after entering an abandoned facility to film a live vlog in this French horror from 2018.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Prime Video
7. Incantation (2022) – Cursed Motherhood
- Director: Kevin Ko
- Cast: Tsai Hsuan-yen, Huang Sin-ting
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- IMDb: 6.2/10
Why it Ranked: Incantation is a Taiwanese found footage horror from Netflix, of all people. The streaming company’s typically erratic movie quality doesn’t rear its ugly head here, as Incantation is a legitimately great horror. It takes itself deadly seriously and it is all the better for it. It’s fascinating stuff and quite chilling, at times. I would argue that it is a little bit long, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It has a unique way of involving the audience in the curse itself that makes it feel much more personal.
Synopsis: The story follows a woman attempting to rid herself of a curse placed on her when she broke a religious taboo. We kick things off in the past as we witness our protagonist, Li Ruo-nan (Hsuan-yen Tsai), inadvertently upsetting an entity. The rest of the movie follows her attempts to deal with the curse before passing it on to her child.
Where to Watch: Netflix
6. A Record of Sweet Murder (2014) – One Room, One Shot
- Director: Kôji Shiraishi
- Cast: Je-wook Yeon, Kim Kkobbi
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- IMDb: 6.2/10
Why it Ranked: Kôji Shiraishi is back but, this time, he is directing a Japanese and South Korean found footage horror collaboration. We have talked about this movie quite a lot as it came on the back end of J-horror’s popularity boom meaning it was slightly ignored. It’s also quite a slow-moving film that takes place, for the most part, in one location. Still, the plot is utterly compelling and the latter parts of the story really open up, drawing you into the bizarre world that Shiraishi has created. Definitely not for everyone but an underrated, found footage horror gem.
Synopsis: A Record of Sweet Murder follows a South Korean journalist and her Japanese cameraman as they arrange to meet up, and interview, a childhood friend who just so happens to be a murderer with a devious plan.
Where to Watch: Refer to local US streaming
5. REC (2007) – Quarantine Chaos
- Director: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
- Cast: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza
- Runtime: 78 minutes
- IMDb: 7.4/10
Why it Ranked: Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s REC is one of the movies that began the revival of found footage horror back in 2007. This Spanish language horror movie spawned a bunch of sequels and an American remake in the form of Quarantine. It also borrowed some of the techniques used in seminal found footage The Blair Witch Project like keeping the cast off-base by never knowing their character’s fates. It’s a great movie and holds up well today.
Synopsis: It follows a cameraman and TV reporter accompanying emergency services into an apartment building to report on an occurrence taking place, only to find themselves locked inside with something malevolent and infectious.
Where to Watch: Refer to local US streaming
4. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) – Streaming Terror
- Director: Jung Bum-shik
- Cast: Wi Ha-joon, Park Ji-hyun
- Runtime: 94 minutes
- IMDb: 6.4/10
Why it Ranked: We have a fantastic found footage horror from South Korea next. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is one of the best found footage horror movies in years. The makers of this movie wanted to film at the actual Gonjiam asylum but couldn’t get permission from the government, so they had to improvise. The result is fantastic. The first half drags a bit, but things get really good later on so definitely stick with it. It’s a ton of fun and actually quite scary in parts.
Synopsis: It follows a group of horror podcasters as they enter an abandoned, supposedly haunted asylum to increase their viewership. Inviting guests along and streaming the entire event, things begin to go wrong when it becomes clear they are not alone.
Where to Watch: Shudder, Tubi, Peacock
3. Banned from Broadcast: Saiko! The Large Family (2009) – Domestic Dread
- Director: Kôji Shiraishi
- Cast: Saiko, Hiroshi Agatsuma
- Runtime: 71 minutes
- IMDb: 6.6/10
Why it Ranked: Banned from Broadcast: Saiko! The Large Family might be a little on the tough side to find as it is a Japanese television movie. This found footage horror mockumentary excels because it is so damn realistic. The mystery at the heart of the movie unveils gradually, eventually expanding to something quite sinister and utterly compelling. Awesome stuff and seriously underappreciated.
Synopsis: It follows a Canadian documentary maker who produces shows about families around the world. This time she is in Japan, documenting a large family who seem extremely happy on the surface but are hiding some dreadful truths beneath that cheerful exterior.
Where to Watch: YouTube (Reignbot)
2. Noroi: The Curse (2005) – The Kagutaba Legend
- Director: Kôji Shiraishi
- Cast: Jin Muraki, Marika Matsumoto
- Runtime: 115 minutes
- IMDb: 6.9/10
Why it Ranked: When it comes to foreign language found footage horror, Noroi: The Curse absolutely needs to be talked about. Noroi is a genuinely scary film with a haunting atmosphere throughout. It plays out as part found footage, part mockumentary and stays utterly compelling. Not just a great foreign language found footage horror; it’s a great horror, period. Shiraishi’s ability to weave together disparate news clips and handheld footage into a cohesive mystery is legendary.
Synopsis: Following the story of a documentary maker investigating the disappearance of a girl that may just be related to stories of a demon known as Kagutaba. The film acts as his final, posthumous report.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+
1. Troll Hunter (2010) – Folk Horror Found
- Director: André Øvredal
- Cast: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- IMDb: 6.9/10
Why it Ranked: André Øvredal absolutely nailed the exact thing that makes found footage horror so entertaining with 2010’s Troll Hunter. It is such an entertaining movie that it makes you completely forget about how awful the special effects are. In fact, it feels kind of deliberate and works perfectly in tandem with the dry Norwegian humour. It gets pretty hyped up by the found footage community but, honestly, it deserves it. Troll Hunter is compelling, exciting, hilarious, and, simply, fantastic.
Synopsis: A group of students are investigating what they believe to be a spate of bear attacks. After an encounter with a mysterious troll hunter, it becomes clear that they may actually be dealing with something altogether more dangerous and mythical.
Where to Watch: Refer to local US streaming
Global Shaky-Cam
There we have it, 10 foreign language found footage movies that prove you don’t need a massive Hollywood budget or the English language to create something truly terrifying. From the snowy peaks of Norway to the haunted hallways of South Korea, these films represent the very best of global indie horror. They show that a handheld camera and a good idea can travel much further than any subtitle barrier.
I’ll be back soon with more lists to keep your watchlist growing. In the meantime, why not check out some more of our found footage rankings? Stay spooky.
🌍 Quick Picks: Foreign Language Found Footage Essentials
- 🏆 The All-Time Great: Troll Hunter (2010)
- 👻 The Scariest Choice: Noroi: The Curse (2005)
- 📽️ The Genre Changer: REC (2007)
- 📺 The Hidden Gem: Saiko! The Large Family (2009)
- ⛩️ The Streaming Hit: Incantation (2022)
