Rating ChatGPT’s Top 10 Found Footage Horror Movies

Welcome to Ranking Horror. We have been talking about found footage a lot, as of late. That gave me the idea for today’s brand new feature as I will be rating ChatGPT’s Top 10 Found Footage Horror Movies.

Let’s be honest, AI can be an amazingly helpful tool. I need to add release dates, movie stats, or alternate titles to a list? You better believe I am throwing the task over to Gemini to do the legwork for me. Need some proof-reading at the end of a long day and can’t be bothered to do it myself? Let’s ask AI to check for mistakes.

But the question is, does AI know horror movies? With this in mind, I want to dive into the world of AI and rate some of their “Best Horror Movies” lists. Let’s see if AI has any unique ideas or whether it is just stealing information from other people with no rhyme or reason.

The list here is completely generated by ChatGPT. You can see what ChatGPT’s justification is below the title and my reaction below that.

10. As Above, So Below (2014) – The Alchemical Quest

What ChatGPT Says: Set in the Paris catacombs, this film uses tight spaces and psychological horror to great effect. Smart and suffocating.

My Reaction: This one is a bit of a Reddit-influenced selection, right? As Above, So Below (2014) follows an intrepid explorer and adventurer as she enlists the help of a team to head into the Paris catacombs to retrieve an important artefact.

This film was mercilessly panned on release. My partner and I were really excited about it but massively disappointed when we finally got a chance to watch it. It has a lowly, and pathetic, 28% Rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes and critics despised it back in 2014.

Time has been kind to As Above, So Below and it has gained a lot of steam through places like Reddit. What ChatGPT doesn’t realise is that the Reddit crowd is extremely young and very undemanding. They are, perhaps, not the best judges of what makes a great horror movie. Simply put, they like what they like.

Do I agree with this ranking? Absolutely not! I actually really enjoyed As Above, So Below on a recent rewatch but it doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near anything other than people’s personal top 10 found footage horror movie lists.

Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Apple TV (Rent/Buy)

9. The Medium (2021) – Spiritual Contagion

What ChatGPT Says: An intense, spiritually terrifying film that blends possession, family tragedy, and documentary realism.

My Reaction: Okay, this one is a little better and a little more fitting of a top 10 found footage horror movie list. Legendary Thai horror director Banjong Pisanthanakun, of Shutter (2004) fame, returns to form with this absolutely stunning film.

The story follows a group of documentary makers heading to a rural community to film a woman with supposed healing powers. Obviously, things go badly pretty quick. The Medium is quite shocking, in parts, but the location and cinematography are breath-taking.

The Medium currently enjoys an 80% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Would it be in my personal top 10? Probably not but it is one of the better FF movies to release in the past 5 years. The Medium actually represents just one example of Asia’s brilliant found footage output in the past decade. I am okay with this rating.

Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+

8. Cloverfield (2008) – Kaiju Chaos

What ChatGPT Says: A monster movie told from a street-level perspective. Innovative, high-energy, and still thrilling today.

My Reaction: I really like Cloverfield. The story follows a group of friends attempting to escape after the emergence of a giant monster in the middle of New York. This film was quite impressive at the time of release. It did a great job of demonstrating how the found footage medium could be used for any type of movie, even Kaiju.

On the downside, few found footage movies are as guilty of the whole “shaky cam” thing as Cloverfield. It also earned some criticism for evoking images from September 11th that were still very fresh in people’s minds. With that being said, it is an effective and very enjoyable found footage horror movie. Again, I am okay with this rating.

Where to Watch: Paramount+, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

7. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) – Medical Nightmare

What ChatGPT Says: Starts as a documentary about Alzheimer’s and turns into pure nightmare fuel. One of the most terrifying transformations on film.

My Reaction: This is another movie that I really enjoyed. The Taking of Deborah Logan follows a documentary crew who get more than they bargained for when they begin filming the struggles of an elderly woman battling with Alzheimer’s disease.

Mockumentaries are divisive. They are overdone and often pretty boring. The Taking of Deborah Logan is one of the more effective entries into the sub-genre. The early parts of the film are legitimately captivating and very well acted. I would argue that it goes a little bit off the wire towards the end and might leave some people feeling a little bit side-swiped.

This is the opposite of some of the movies on this list. Viewers tend to be far less effusive than critics. Still an enjoyable film, though. Would it be in my personal top 10 found footage horror movies? Nope but I don’t hate this rating.

Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

6. Noroi: The Curse (2005) – Eastern Dread

What ChatGPT Says: A complex and layered horror mystery that builds dread slowly. Highly effective in its realism and structure.

My Reaction: Kôji Shiraishi’s found footage classic Noroi: The Curse is one of my all-time favourite horror films. The story follows the disappearance of a paranormal investigator and its connection to a supposed demon known as Kagutaba.

Noroi: The Curse is a bit of an interesting one, particularly where younger viewers are concerned. It gets touted as one of the scariest found footage movies ever. When viewers who are more accustomed to jump-scare heavy movies watch it, they tend to be disappointed. It’s very slow and the horror is of the slow-burn, almost psychological, variety.

This means it tends to appear in a lot of “most overrated horror” lists and is needlessly criticised. I still think it is a fantastic movie if you enjoy slow-burn supernatural horror. The amount of tension and atmosphere throughout Noroi makes it a captivating watch. I would actually have Noroi higher on this list.

Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+

5. Lake Mungo (2008) – Grief and Ghosts

What ChatGPT Says: More mockumentary than pure found footage, but deeply unsettling and emotionally resonant. Supernatural horror done with eerie restraint.

My Reaction: Lake Mungo is my all-time favourite found footage horror film. I had it at number one in my own personal list. Again, it is a mockumentary but the horror here is far less on the nose. The story follows a grieving family discussing the strange events that took place after the death of their teenage daughter.

Lake Mungo falls into the same category as Noroi when it comes to younger fans. It is just so slow and the horror is so subtle that people get bored with it and think it is overrated. That’s a real shame because, as a study of the grieving process, it is one of the most mature movies in the entire genre.

It is worth remembering that Lake Mungo came a year before Paranormal Activity’s massive mainstream release (2007 was a small festival run). It was innovating as much as any other found footage horror movie in that era and just as important.

Lake Mungo, if you let it, will burrow into your brain and stay there. It’s so atmospheric, so haunting, and, ultimately, so sad that it is impossible to forget. It is rare for horror, especially found footage horror, to be so touching. I would, obviously, rank this higher but I am glad it is top 5.

Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

4. Hell House LLC (2015) – The Abaddon Hotel

What ChatGPT Says: A haunted house attraction gone wrong. Genuinely chilling atmosphere and creative scare setups.

My Reaction: ChatGPT’s Reddit is showing, again. It is very obvious where this AI takes most of its influence when it comes to horror movie research. Hell House LLC is well done and enjoyable but the only place I see it raved about as a best found footage movie ever is Reddit.

The story follows the events that took place on one fateful night after a Halloween haunted house touring group were involved in a horrific tragedy. Hell House LLC is a great option for people who want more of the usual Paranormal Activity style stuff in a different setting. Some of the scares are effective, director Stephen Cognetti does a lot with a little, and there is enough going on to stop viewers getting bored.

Would I put it in the top 10 found footage movies ever? Absolutely not! I, personally, have watched it four times and didn’t enjoy it once. It is just a very formulaic horror movie with unlikable characters and predictable scares. It’s hard to deny its popularity with the Reddit crowd, though.

Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

3. Paranormal Activity (2007) – Suburban Haunting

What ChatGPT Says: Low-budget, high-suspense. Its use of subtle nighttime scares created a cultural phenomenon.

My Reaction: It’s time to get into the predictable top 3. The only question here is which order they will appear in. Paranormal Activity is an obvious inclusion due to how instrumental it was in reviving found footage horror, as a whole. The story follows a couple who set cameras up around their house to document a haunting.

Paranormal Activity redefined how found footage horror should look and was an enormous financial and box-office success. The film is, pretty much, one location and recorded on consumer-level equipment. Practically every scene acts as a progression of the haunting making it pretty heavy on the scares for younger fans.

My fiancée and I watched this in the cinema back on release. As we walked out, a couple of teen girls were relating their fear that “she was still out there!”. I really look back on that with amusement. It’s an interesting example of how well found footage can blur the lines in some people’s minds.

This movie would easily be in the top 3 most important found footage horror movies of all time. It completely revived the format and gave horror itself a boost on release. I wouldn’t have it in the top 10 best, though.

It’s enjoyable but I think time and the recycling of its ideas and presentation have probably dampened Paranormal Activity‘s impact for many. Not to mention the endless sequels. Still a very effective and important found footage horror movie, though.

Where to Watch: Paramount+, Amazon (Rent/Buy)

2. The Blair Witch Project (1999) – Burkittsville Legends

What ChatGPT Says: The original game-changer. Minimalist horror that pioneered the modern found footage trend and used viral marketing brilliantly.

My Reaction: It was obviously going to be on here, right? Unarguably the most important found footage horror movie of all time. The Blair Witch Project follows a group of students who head into the woods to make a documentary about a witch only to never return.

The Blair Witch Project is more than just a great found footage horror movie. It defined the entire genre; showed the industry how to really succeed with viral marketing in a time before the internet was in every home and in everyone’s pockets; and it gave a much-needed shot in the arm to the horror industry, as a whole.

As someone who clearly remembers the rhetoric surrounding this movie back in 1999, it was kind of remarkable. People genuinely believed it was real and the cast suffered immensely to keep that illusion alive. I didn’t actually put this film in my top 10 but I probably would, on reflection.

The Blair Witch Project is immensely important and still enjoyable to this day. It holds up well, though it is hard to deny how much it has struggled to keep up with the hype.

Many people go into this movie with a pre-conceived idea that it is going to suck. It’s kind of strange that the consensus from a lot of people who watch for the first time is “oh, it was actually pretty good!”. The Blair Witch Project is another strong example of high expectations setting a film up for disappointment. I think it is a great horror movie, though. Top 2? Hmm, not sure about that one.

Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Apple TV (Rent/Buy)

1. [REC] (2007) – Spanish Quarantine

What ChatGPT Says: Claustrophobic, intense, and with one of the best third acts in horror history. A terrifying zombie outbreak filmed by a news crew.

My Reaction: You know when people write lists and then they slap a really random film at number 1. Purely so they can say “See, you didn’t expect this to be number 1, did you?”. I kind of feel like that is what ChatGPT has done with putting REC at number 1, here.

I think the reality is probably a little more simple than that. REC is the highest user-rated found footage horror movie on IMDb that has a decent number of votes. Is REC the best found footage horror movie of all time? Not, personally, for me but I am sure it is for some people.

The story follows a reporter and her cameraman who head into an apartment building with emergency workers only to encounter something truly terrifying. What a lot of people seem to forget when talking about REC is that its release preceded that of Paranormal Activity by a couple of years.

REC being Spanish is probably the only thing that held it back from being the second most important found footage horror movie of all time. It was an effective, chaotic, scary, and extremely enjoyable movie that put Spain’s horror industry back on the map.

Today, it feels a bit clunky, the shaky camera is horrible, the lead character is fairly annoying, and the scares have withered a bit over time. The practical effects mean that the movie has aged really well, though.

REC is still a tremendously enjoyable found footage horror movie. While I wouldn’t even have it in my top ten, I can appreciate why ChatGPT does and why many others probably do, as well.

Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Apple TV (Rent/Buy)

Closing Thoughts on ChatGPT’s Top 10 Found Footage Horror Movies

To be honest, this list is extremely predictable and generic. It’s almost the equivalent of asking a non-found footage fan to name 10 found footage horror movies. They will just reel off the ten most well known. There are some notable omissions. Where is Troll Hunter? No Host? Neither of the Creep movies?

So how would I reorder this list? Well, sticking with the entries here, I would put them in this order.

1. Lake Mungo (2008)
2. Noroi: The Curse (2005)
3. REC (2007)
4. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
5. The Medium (2021)
6. Cloverfield (2008)
7. Paranormal Activity (2007)
8. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
9. As Above, So Below (2014)
10. Hell House LLC

To be honest, however, I would only include about 2 or 3 of those titles in a personal top ten found footage horror movies list.

With that being said, I would actually say this list is a good starting point for found footage horror. Watch these and you will have a good baseline for the genre. If you want to check out my top 10 Favourite Found Footage Horror Movies, click the link. Thanks for reading!