Grave Encounters delivers a pretty solid found footage movie despite not much originality going on.
Synopsis
The crew of a paranormal reality television program who lock themselves in a supposedly haunted psychiatric hospital in search of evidence of paranormal activity, as they shoot what ends up becoming their final episode.
My Thoughts
Grave Encounters does a pretty solid job of capturing the unsettling vibe of being trapped in a haunted location as the film plays on the fear of the unknown and the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped with no escape.
The horror elements are pretty good, with plenty of jumpscares, and while it’s not mind-blowing, it’s pretty solid for a found footage film.
What starts out as a bit of a parody of ghost hunting shows with some humor thrown in soon turns into something much darker.
The scares are cheap, but fairly well done and the use of night vision and sudden loud noises for shock scares are used pretty effectively.
Like a lot of found footage films, it takes a while to get going, and the film has a good structure, with a slow build-up that becomes more compelling once the horror kicks in.
While the film does lack cohesion at times and has an ending that could have been better, it’s a decent watch and one to watch with the lights off.
Grave Encounters turns an unoriginal tired trope premise into something very watchable if you can overlook certain flaws.
Good Points
Jump Scares: While it is fair to say the originality of the jump scares is not great and is quite cheap, it is done pretty well overall.
Slow-Building Tension: The gradual build-up to the horror elements is well-paced and helps you become invested into the movie as a whole.
Fun Setting: No originality points again for the setting, but the way it is executed is good.
Bad Points
Overused Horror Tropes: As mentioned several times, the movie isn’t very original and relies on a lot of tropes.
Bad Acting: I really disliked the acting and while I never expect much in these type of movies, it did annoy me a bit.
Overreliance on Jump Scares: While the jump scares are pretty effective, it does rely a bit too heavily on them and ignores other elements.
Is It Worth Watching?
Yes, I would happily recommend Grave Encounters to fellow found footage fans, or anyone really. Look past the lack of originality and go in without high expectations and you will find a film to enjoy and not take overly seriously.
Where To Watch
Director and Cast
Director – The Vicious Brothers (Collin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz)
Main Cast – Sean Rogerson, Ashleigh Gryzko, Merwin Mondesir, Mackenzie Gray, Juan Riedinger
Found Footage Horror Movies 
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