Seven of the very best found footage horror films ranked

#2: Host

I know, I know: Host is more in the realm of Screen Life than it is found footage, but it is one of the very best examples of that sub-sub genre of horror. Conceived and filmed during the onset of the COVID shutdowns, Host is genuinely frightening, and the cast of unknowns were spot-on as a group of bored friends who decide to hold a seance via Zoom during quarantine.

Since the cast was actually in the throes of quarantine at the time, Zoom was the perfect way to film this low-budget found footage horror film. Director and co-creator Rob Savage performed his job remotely, and the actors were responsible for utilizing the practical effects as each character begins experiencing paranormal-type activity during the botched seance.

Keeping with the less is more philosophy of the film, it clocks in at just short of one hour, meaning it doesn’t overstay its welcome or become monotonous at any time. The viewer is pulled into the compact storyline, and you are never quite sure what is going to happen next.

Take it from me, the very best way to watch Host if you want to get maximum horror out of it is to watch it on a laptop in the dark with headphones or ear buds. And by the way, that’s also how I suggest watching Skinamarink (turning on the closed captions option is also recommended, since much of the sound in Skinamarink is very, very quiet).

Host received a very well-deserved warm welcome from horror fans when it made its debut as a Shudder Original, and is generally considered to be on of the scariest modern movies currently available. It can be watched on Shudder.