Found-footage horror films, exemplified by the anthology series V/H/S, utilize a distinctive aesthetic constructed from ostensibly discovered recordings. This approach often involves a combination of amateur camcorder footage, surveillance tapes, and other “realistic” media formats to create a sense of immediacy and unease. The shaky camera work, low-fidelity visuals, and diegetic sound design contribute to a visceral viewing experience, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
The impact of this subgenre stems from its ability to tap into primal fears and anxieties. By mimicking the look and feel of genuine recordings, these films exploit the audience’s suspension of disbelief, fostering a heightened sense of dread. The format also allows for innovative storytelling techniques, including non-linear narratives and unreliable narrators, which enhance the sense of mystery and disorientation. Emerging in the late 20th century with precursors like Cannibal Holocaust (1980), the found-footage technique gained mainstream recognition with The Blair Witch Project (1999) and continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.
