Found-footage horror movies are compelling because of how realistic they feel. Different from most cinematic experiences, in these types of films there is minimal distance between what's happening on-screen and the viewer. You feel like you're actually watching something horrific unfold. The degree of separation is smaller, imitating the sense you get from picking up a camera and watching a video on a whim.
When you're in the mood for a found-footage horror movie, there's nothing else that hits like it. But there aren't as many being released right now as there were a few years ago. Luckily, there is at least one film that is seriously underrated and hasn't been seen by many. I'm referring to the 2013 movie The Borderlands, also dubbed Final Prayer. It's a British movie that marked the directorial debut of Elliot Goldner, who wrote and directed it.
The story starts off as a fairly straightforward one, a group of guys decide to investigate a spot teeming with rumored paranormal activity. They're accompanied by a Vatican priest to see if the church is as haunted as people have been saying. But while the movie might fool you into thinking it's nothing more than your typical supernatural horror story told via found footage, it has several shocking twists up its sleeve, most notably with the ending.
It's hard to detail too much about The Borderlands without plunging into spoiler territory, but as the movie progresses, you'll find it becoming incredibly claustrophobic and suspenseful as the fear is ratcheted up to an insane level.
But it is the ending of the film that really makes it memorable. Once you get to the final jaw-dropping twist, it makes you question everything else about the film. A movie worth rewatching after you finish it the first time so you can try and catch the clues and foreshadowing ahead of time. It's been described as a stealth horror film in the past and I think that is a fair assessment, without giving too much away.
The only downside is that The Borderlands is not currently streaming on any service right now. It used to be on Tubi for a long time but has since been removed. Thankfully, it is available to rent or own digitally and it's pretty inexpensive to rent this one if you want to give it a chance.
If you're looking for something that will leave you reeling and utterly disturbed, then this is the right choice and odds are, you've never seen it.