Found footage horror has never really taken off across Asia in the same way it did in the West, but there are still some brilliant films hiding away if you know where to look.
Here are some of the best.
Noroi: The Curse
If there’s one Asian found footage film that deserves classic status, it’s Noroi.
It plays out like a television documentary that’s slowly uncovering something nobody understands, and one thing I always recommend people stick with is the slower opening, because it’s certainly a film that spends time introducing people, locations and strange events that don’t seem connected.
But then, almost without you noticing, everything starts fitting together and the whole story becomes increasingly unsettling – there aren’t endless jump scares here though, but it leaves you with that uncomfortable feeling that something ancient and impossible is quietly getting closer and few found footage films build dread as well as this one.
Incantation
Incantation has become a huge hit for good reason, where it takes familiar found footage ideas and gives them a fresh identity through Taiwanese religious beliefs and folk traditions, where the film throws you straight in and finds new ways to make simple moments feel deeply unsettling. – it also understands how to use the camera properly, because every shot feels like it’s there for a reason instead of simply shaking around to remind you it’s found footage.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
On paper, this probably sounds like every other haunted asylum movie ever made, but in practice, it’s one of the most entertaining found footage horrors released in the last decade, where the livestream format gives everything a natural energy, and once the group enters the abandoned hospital, the tension barely lets up, as the film squeezes every bit of fear out of dark corridors, empty rooms and the feeling that somebody – or something – is watching.
By the final act it becomes genuinely nerve-racking, with several scenes that have already become favourites among found footage fans.
Cult
Koji Shiraishi has made several found footage films, but Cult often gets overlooked next to Noroi, which begins like a television paranormal investigation before gradually becoming stranger and stranger – with ghosts, psychic investigators and bizarre supernatural events all colliding.
There are moments that are surprisingly funny too, while others that are genuinely creepy, and a growing sense that the filmmakers have stumbled into something they can’t explain.
If you’ve already watched Noroi, this is usually the next film I recommend.
Occult
Another Koji Shiraishi film, and one that deserves far more attention – Occult slowly builds an atmosphere where every conversation feels slightly off, and while it starts almost casual, it soon drifts into increasingly bizarre territory, createing an uneasy feeling that keeps growing until the ending.
For anyone who enjoys slow-burn horror that gets stranger the longer it goes on, this is one of the hidden gems of Asian found footage.
Shirome
This is one of the stranger entries in Japanese found footage horror I have watched, mixing real-world elements with supernatural horror with some uncomfortable realism – the slow build works well because and created curiosity before things become much darker – it’s weird, unsettling, and very different from the usual found footage approach.
I was 50/50 about including this one, as I suspect some will find it silly, but I found it interesting enough even without many ‘scares’, especially because most the ‘actors’ don’t actually know they are starring in a movie, so it’s all genuine.
But also be warned, it’s silly too at times.
Keramat
Indonesian horror has always been known for its folklore and supernatural stories, and Keramat brings those elements into a found footage style, creating the tension through the feeling that the characters are dealing with something they don’t understand.
The Indonesian setting and spiritual themes also give it a slightly different identity from the usual Japanese and Korean found footage films.
The Medium
A mockumentary-style horror film where the first half spends time building the world and introducing local spiritual beliefs before the horror becomes much more intense, and when it goes darker, it fully commits – the final stretch is brutal, disturbing, and one of the more memorable endings in recent Asian horror as well – The Medium is well worth watching.
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
The less you know going in for One Cut of the Dead, the better, as the opening half an hour might leave you wondering what all the fuss is about, but please stick with it because everything starts coming together in a way that’s genuinely brilliant, and I am not sure I have had my opinion of a film change so dramatically while I was still watching it.
It’s a zombie film, but it mostly celebrates filmmaking itself, because underneath all the zombies. it’s really about a group of passionate people trying to pull off something creative against impossible odds – it’s funny, heartfelt, and turns mistakes and disasters into some of its biggest strengths.
It also manages something very few horror comedies pull off – it made me laugh, and kept me entertained, – and it’s a film that reminds you why low-budget horror can be just as great as the biggest studio productions.
Trust the process, avoid spoilers, and let the film do its thing, as it’s one of the most original horror films I’ve seen in years.
I will be watching some more Asian found footage horror movies too, as I have just started to watch some, so no doubt I have missed some banger, but will update the list when I watch another one I like.
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