As the Paranormal Activity series prepares to return with a new installment next year, and the remake of the 1978 "Mondo" faux-documentary Faces of Death is set to drop in April, the found-footage genre seems to be having its moment now. At least 13 found-footage horror movies are lined up for 2026 and beyond.
The found-footage horror genre began booming in the late 1990s with The Blair Witch Project (1999) and continued through the late 2000s, fueled by the success of Paranormal Activity (2007) and Cloverfield (2008). The first-person cinematography, with shaky camerawork and low-quality footage, might have looked amateurish, but it proved to have a massive fanbase, showing that nonlinear storytelling can succeed rather than fail.
High-profile indie hits and hybrid films like Shelby Oaks (2025) have helped keep the genre alive by blending traditional and contemporary storytelling. To appeal to today's younger audience, the subgenre is moving beyond the 2000s-era trend with new "screenlife" approaches, social media contexts, and innovative analog horror channels relevant to the digital age.
Similarly, Hell House LLC is widely credited with revitalizing the found-footage genre with its slow-burn atmosphere and grounded realism. Its success in the 2010s demonstrated that found footage can still deliver real scares. Written and directed by Stephen Cognetti, the series made a strong impact with its complex mythology, authentic acting, and creepy mannequins that made everything feel disturbingly real.
The trouble with the found-footage genre is that it tends to be cyclical. A well-made found-footage movie sparks interest, and studios flood the market with similar films. Audience fatigue sets in, and the genre starts to die out. After a few years, someone comes along with a clever reinvention, restarting the cycle.
Despite critical praise as one of the year's scariest films of the year, the Paranormal Activity series quickly lost quality due to overexposure, muddled storytelling, and stale ideas. The eerie and uncanny feel of the movie that lent the audience a space to experience the characters in real-time was famously known for eroding the illusory division between fiction and reality.
With a minimum budget and minimalist horror experiment, the Paranormal Activity franchise started with a bang. It thrived on tension, subtlety, and the raw authenticity of chills in a unique horror genre of found-footage storytelling.
The film had certain strengths, including its embrace of simplicity, realism, and psychological tension in real-life settings. It felt fresh at that time since it did not rely heavily on effects or a fast-paced narrative.
The film's slow, deliberate build of fear made audiences hyper-aware of every sound and movement, creating a new, amplified tension unlike anything before. The sense of authenticity made the supernatural events more impactful because it seemed to be unfolding in a real house and not on a set, giving the overall impression of the film as 'unscripted.'
Instead of bombarding audiences with loud noises and jump scares, the film stood out with its strong use of suspense and quietly mounting panic. The believable performances from Katie Featherstone and Micah Sloat anchored the supernatural events in relatable emotional content.
Even after 18 years, I still can't shake the final scene from my mind: Featherstone swaying back and forth like a fully possessed figure, alone in the house with no one else around. It didn't matter whether it was daytime or night. That endless, unnatural rocking stayed with me for days, sending waves of goosebumps through me every time I replayed it in my head.
But as the films proceeded, they failed to make their mark on the audience's minds. The series began to buckle under the weight of studio expectations, audience demand, and the pressures of annual release.
Now, with James Wan producing the next chapter of the franchise and Undertone's director helming the project, we have hopes. After the disappointing reception of Next of Kin (2021), the franchise's producer, Jason Blum of Blumhouse, wanted to end the franchise. But Wan and Tauson's involvement signals a potentially significant turning point for the franchise.
Wan has a shining horror history with horror projects like Saw and Malignant (2021). He produced the famous Lights Out (2016), M3GAN (2022), and The Monkey (2025), solidifying his place in the said genre. His smart lore expansion and world-building will come in handy for the revival of the Paranormal Activity franchise while still honoring its iconic elements.
Tuason proved that he is adept at one-location film, as Undertone shows the same minimalism with a tonal clarity as demanded by the found-footage genre. He is familiar with how to make a small-budget film and create the same maximum terrifying atmospheric dread that is expected of the PA franchise. Tuason knows how to infuse aural horror and utilize the slightest of sounds around the house to a magnificent level of fright. Wan's use of high-tech horror could amplify the claustrophobic horror franchise that might aim to pivot away from the convoluted lore of later sequels.
According to Gizmodo, Jason Blum already clarified that it will be an "exciting rebirth" designed to introduce a new character in the saga but keep the original's subtly escalating tension intact. As the production team also has the original creator, Oren Peli, it is speculated that the film will honor the 2007 movie's atmosphere.
Paranormal Activity 8 is slated for a theatrical release in May 2027, and we cannot wait to watch our favorite found-footage horror franchise get back on its feet. Together, Wan, Tuason, and Peli are giving the franchise a chance to recapture its former glory and be a part of the found-footage genre's resurgence.
Echoes is an opinion column on film and television from the perspective of a writer based in Pakistan.