Movies that are shot in order to resemble actual camera footage recovered from an event. They typically contain a fair bit of StylisticSuck, owing to the conceit that, in-universe, they are being filmed by people who aren't professional filmmakers.

The concept [[TropeCodifier initially became a sensation]] after ''Film/TheBlairWitchProject'' though it [[UrExample goes back to]] ''Film/CannibalHolocaust'' in TheSeventies, at least as a technique of film. In other mediums it goes back at least to the early 20th century- the majority of the written works of Creator/HPLovecraft were presented as "found manuscripts", reports, or other such things made to look like an actual first-hand account with the untold horrors.

The subgenre saw a resurgence in popularity starting at the end of the TurnOfTheMillennium within the {{horror}} genre thanks to the success of ''Film/ParanormalActivity''. Other recent, non-horror films utilizing the format include ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'' and ''Film/ProjectX'', as well as the TV series ''Series/TheRiver''.

Compare {{Mockumentary}}, BasedOnATrueStory.

----
!!Examples:

[[index]]
* ''Film/AlienAbductionIncidentInLakeCounty''
* ''[[Film/TheAmityvilleHorror The Amityville Haunting]]''
* ''Film/{{Apollo 18}}''
* ''Film/AugustUnderground''
* ''Film/TheBay''
* ''Film/BehindTheMaskTheRiseOfLeslieVernon''
* ''Film/TheBlairWitchProject''
* ''Film/CannibalHolocaust''
* ''Film/{{Chronicle}}''
* ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}''
* ''Film/TheDevilInside''
* ''Film/DiaryOfTheDead''
* ''TheDinosaurProject''
* ''Film/EndOfWatch''
* ''Film/TheFourthKind''
* ''Film/GraveEncounters''
* ''Film/HomeMovie''
* ''HouseOfLeaves'' is a book about a review of a movie that used this. Except it was all true. [[MindScrew Maybe.]]
* ''Film/LakeMungo''
* ''Film/TheLastBroadcast''
* ''Film/TheLastExorcism'' (but not the sequel)
* ''Film/TheLostCoastTapes''
* ''LostTapes'' (a TV series)
* ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets'' (a web series)
* ''Film/ManBitesDog''
* ''Film/MeganIsMissing''
* ''Film/MermaidsTheBodyFound''
* ''Film/NoroiTheCurse''
* ''Film/ParanormalActivity''
* ''Film/ThePoughkeepsieTapes''
* ''Film/ProjectX''
* ''Film/{{Quarantine}}''
* ''Film/{{REC}}''
* ''Series/TheRiver'' (another TV series)
* ''Film/{{Sinister}}'' mixes found footage with a traditional storytelling method as a framing device.
* ''Film/{{Tape 407}}''
* ''Film/TheTrollHunter''
* ''Film/TrashHumpers''
* ''Film/{{Undocumented}}''
* ''Film/{{VHS}}''
* ''Film/TheWeddingVideo'' (up until the end)
* ''Film/{{Windigo}}''
* ''Film/ZeroDay''
[[/index]]

----