All through October, I’ll be posting reviews of the best of the best films in the horror genre released since October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. As an added bonus, I’ll be adding a secondary review that may be somewhat related to the main review or slightly missed the countdown by inches. Follow along the countdown every day in October. Feel free to agree, disagree, or better yet, give me your own picks for your favorite horror movies of the year. Happy Halloween!

9. FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT (2025)

Released on June 24, 2025, and available On Demand on Amazon Prime from Vertical Entertainment!
Directed by Max Tzannes.
Written by David San Miguel, Max Tzannes.
Check out the trailer here!!

Ambitious filmmaker Chase (played by Brennan Keel Cook) attempts to make his first feature length movie, “The Patterson Project,” a found footage film about the fictional grandson of Roger Patterson investigating the validity of his grandpa’s infamous footage taken of Bigfoot way back in 1967. With his best bud Mitchell (Chen Tang), his girlfriend Natalie (Erika Vetter), and local furniture store owner turned creative financier Frank (played by Dean “Freakin’” Cameron), Chase is pulling it off after they convince an elderly woman (Suzanne Ford) to donate $20K to the production. Once they cast the film and get to the shoot, though, “The Patterson Project” seems to be cursed with one mishap after another. Turns out, something darker is going on, as captured by a team of French filmmakers who are following Chase and his crew around, making a documentary about the making of a found footage movie. Got all that?

Let’s get this out of the way. I don’t want to spoil that there is a Bigfoot in this film or not. That’s part of the fun of it. Guessing just what the hell if anything is going on. This movie is about a group of filmmakers trying to make a Bigfoot movie and running into one problem after another. Is it paranormal or just bad luck? Telling you that ventures into spoiler territory and this film is best left with the viewer guessing and making their own decision, though this is a definite answer by the truly creepy end. I will say that FOUND FOOTAGE is a film that gets better the further you get into it. What starts out as a lighthearted mockumentary in the style of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN or BEST IN SHOW, soon becomes the stuff of nightmares in the third act.

FOUND FOOTAGE is a really funny movie, with the actors playing everything straight all the way through. There are no silly takes or apes toward the camera, indicating that anyone is in on the joke. The humor comes from the earnest nature of Brendan Keel Cook gives as Chase. He’s oblivious to what is going on around him because he is living his dream by directing this movie. Part of that means that he doesn’t know what this obsession with filmmaking is doing to his relationship. The relationship between Chase and Natalie (played by Erika Vetter) is center stage in the documentary the French filmmakers are making as they catch the behind the scenes stuff like Natalie’s reactions to Chase not taking her feelings seriously and at some times taking advantage of her kindness and willingness to see her boyfriend achieve his dream. This proves to be the heart of the movie and it’s one that is both tragic and convincing, made possible by the strong acting from the leads, Cook and Vetter.

While the emotional core kept my attention, I genuinely loved seeing the focus on the problematic day-to-day craziness of making a movie. Having worked on a few low budget films myself, I recognized and sympathized with Chase as these setbacks occur. Seeing things go sideways, whether it is by chance or due to the fact that something unearthly has been disturbed during the shoot. Setbacks like having the guy in the Bigfoot suit being shot at by a clueless hunter or the food going bad are just things that happen when you shoot a low budget movie guerrilla style. But as the problems mount, it is apparent something strange is going on.

Since this is a found footage film, made with the mockumentary format, authenticity is key, so let me go down my Found Footage 101 checklist to see how it stacks up. First off, I’ve talked about how comfortable and real everything is. The interactions do not feel like they were scripted, yet the dialog does reveal things in a natural way. FOUND FOOTAGE is also authentic in that it never uses music that might have been added later. There is music, but that comes from sources in the film such as the radio and a crewmember’s guitar, all used to evoke emotional connection. There is a scene towards the end that proved to be quite touching as a PA writes a song about wrapping up this shoot that has been troubled but recognizing the bond the crew has with one another. It’s poignant and really elevates this film by adding some heart before the bombastic finale. There are moments when the camera is dropped or is placed at the very right place to capture something happening behind the scenes, but it’s done with subtlety. The filmmakers don’t drop the camera and run because one group is making a movie and not noticing what is going on right in the periphery and the French filmmakers keep filming because they want to document everything without intervention. FOUND FOOTAGE really is a film about being so focused on what’s in front of you that many simply choose not to see the dangers creeping in from all sides. Finally, there is a Blair Witch up-nose shot, but it is in there more as a joke as it ours within the found footage film being made, and since this is always a trope of mediocre found footage films, it indicates what kind of movie Chase is making. The inclusion of the up-nose shot is more of an in-joke for those who have seen too many scenes like this. BLAIR WITCH PROJECT is mentioned numerous times in FOUND FOOTAGE, indicating its relevance to the subgenre, as well as the tentpole many wannabe filmmakers base their films on.

I have to take a second to recognize the performance of Dean Cameron as Frank the financier. While I didn’t recognize him at first, it was awesome seeing an icon such as him from SUMMER SCHOOL make an appearance. It is because of his performance that much of the CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM style arguments and uncomfortable moments shine so much in FOUND FOOTAGE. I hope this signals more work for this incredibly talented actor.

FOUND FOOTAGE is filled with wonderful scenes of movie making madness, such as the guy in the Bigfoot suit sneaking a smoke while on break and the gymnastics required to please a producer who only gave money to the project because she believes Alan Rickman is starring in the film. Spoiler, the late actor does not make an appearance, but the way the group works around that problem is one of the funniest scenes in the film.

FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT is a wonderful mix of meta-horror as it focuses on someone making a found footage film while being a subject of filmmakers making a documentary about found footage filmmakers. So, there are fun conversations where Chase tries to explain what found footage is to people who are not so savvy to the subgenre. The film relies heavily on comedy, but there is a looming darkness that starts from the beginning and grows exponentially. I found the final reel to be truly terrifying and surprisingly shocking as this film shifts gears from clever comedy to true horror seamlessly.

Reminiscent of another truly imaginative found footage film, FOUND FOOTAGE 3D, FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT takes tried-and-true found footage tropes and honors and lampoons them. It feels smarter, next level found footaging and bigfootin,’ better than the usual films you see in both subgenres. Those who follow my reviews know that I am a fan of Bigfoot, found footage, and things I’ve never seen before in horror. FOUND FOOTAGE has all three…sort of. I highly recommend you seek this indie gem out.

Worth Noting: ABOVE THE KNEE (2024)

Released on September 9, 2025 and is streaming on Screambox from Blue Finch Film Releasing!
Directed by Viljar Bøe.
Written by Freddy Singh, Viljar Bøe.
Check out the trailer here!!

Writer Freddy Singh plays Amir, a man with a strong delusion that his leg is rotting. After a failed attempt to cut his leg off, Amir seeks advice from another woman suffering from this particular psychological issue, Rikke (played by Louise Waage Anda), who is able to see, but feels more comfortable pretending that she is blind. As the two form a friendship and Amir’s home and work life begin to crumble, both of their psychoses amplify and Amir begins to hatch a plan to destroy his rotten leg for good.

From the director of GOOD BOY, (not the puppy in peril movie that’s out now, the twisted flick about a guy who keeps a dude dressed in a dog costume as a pet) ABOVE THE KNEE is a fascinating psychological body horror film that delves into some very dark places. It delves into a real condition that I believe is called DP/DR or Depersonalized/Derealization Disorder, though I believe they refer to it as something else in the film, most likely because it is from another country. It’s the belief that a body part is not your own, but in fact, an alien appendage that is invading one’s body. That’s what our lead, Amir, believes anyway. He sees a decaying, infected foot when he looks down at it and wants to remove it. While this is a film that is small in scope, the way it captures this specific disorder is exemplary. It really allows you inside Amir’s sick mind.

It’s in this kind of intimacy where the potent body horror last. Of course, Amir is not well, but he believes he sees a black decaying foot on the end of his leg. We are made privy to this POV through some simple effects, but also through the paintings that Amir paints. Keeping this whole thing, the disorder, his thoughts about rectifying it, and his paintings from his wife and friends cause a significant rift and it’s tragic seeing this whole drama play out.

Freddy Singh isn’t the most dynamic of actors as Amir. He is cold, closed off, and blunt in his speech, but this performance makes the role feel all the more real and Carrie’s much less baggage as it would if it were a recognizable actor. The film is well acted, it is just that Singh is a difficult lead to follow as he puts the viewer in a position that is far from comfortable.

ABOVE THE KNEE is not your typical horror film. It has its moments of gore as Amir repeatedly tries to remove his foot, but it’s the place this film puts you in that I found to be so effective. It’s not a thrill a minute kind of film, but it will burrow into your psyche and fester.

The Best in Horror Countdown 2024-2025
#31 – GET AWAY (DARK MATCH)
#30 – PABRIK GULA (#MISSINGCOUPLE)
#29 – YULE LOG 2: BRANCHIN’ OUT (THE LAST VIDEO STORE)
#28 – FREWAKA (THE SURRENDER)
#27 – FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (V/H/S/BEYOND)
#26 – ALMA AND THE WOLF (CUSTOM)
#25 – LOOKY-LOO (THE CREEP TAPES)
#24 – DANGEROUS ANIMALS (THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN)
#23 – THE MONKEY (THE DAMNED)
#22 – THE DEVIL AND THE DAYLONG BROTHERS (THE SEVERED SUN)
#21 – TERRIFIER 3 (CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD)
#20 – PRESENCE (HOUSE ON EDEN)
#19 – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (GRAFTED)
#18 – PARVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE (AZRAEL)
#17 – MADS (A MOTHER’S EMBRACE)
#16 – STRANGE HARVEST (THE ASMA JOURNALS)
#15 – DEUS IRAE (SHADOW OF GOD)
#14 – TOGETHER (CANNIBAL MUCKBANG)
#13 – SMILE 2 (THE STRANGERS CHAPTER 2)
#12 – COMPANION (THE DEAD THING)
#11 – BEST WISHES TO ALL (DELICATE ARCH)
#10 – NOSFERATU (ABRAHAM’S BOYS)
#9 – FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT (ABOVE THE KNEE)