Jaden Jordan
- Aug 12, 2019
- 2 min read

Grave Encounters (2011)

Updated: Aug 3, 2021

The Breakdown: A paranormal investigations TV show crew start experiencing impossible phenomena while trying to film their debut episode in an abandoned asylum.

Watch If: You're trying to prove that there are good found footage films out there.

Not If: You need neat explanations at the end of your horror.

Similar To: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

SECONDARY FACTS

Overall Rating: 3.8

Length: 1:32

Country: Canada

Language: English

Scare Factor: 3/5

Gore Factor: 2/5

REVIEW

THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Grave Encounters is one of the best found footage films out there, and if you haven't seen it, you should.

PREMISE: 4

There is something incredibly amusing about watching a tongue in cheek representation of a paranormal investigation show going very wrong. It's a reference that most horror viewers will get almost immediately, that offers the viewer a lot of background without having to waste half an hour on the set-up. There's no suspension of disbelief required for the set-up of the film itself, which lends itself well to the entirety of the film.

ACTING: 4

Its hard to be a good actor. It's even harder to act like a bad actor who then isn't acting anymore. The actors in this film manage that exact feat, transitioning between their film personas and the "real people" they're portraying with grace. They manage to carry the film without detracting from it.

AUDIO AND VISUALS: 4

The scene with the arms in the ceiling is probably my favorite horror visual of all time. Grave Encounters plays with the fall from professional style filming into a chaotic, running with the camera visual clutter in such a way as to really embody the increasing dread and lack of cohesion that the characters are experiencing. Instead of simply being an interesting visual tool, it adds to the depth and realism of the film as a whole.

ATMOSPHERE: 3

There is pretty much always something happening. The action is well offset with short bursts of intense calm and dread-filled notches of dread that practically seep through the film, giving the entire thing a feeling of raw fear. It does, however, go on a bit longer than it needed to. There's a point where it risks falling into the realm of Blair Witch, where the viewer is pretty ready for the film to be over, regardless (in my experience) of how much they enjoyed the rest of the film..

DELIVERY: 4

I have seen Grave Encounters at least a dozen times now, and it hasn't gotten old. It is now, and will forever be in my must see horror playlist. It's visually enticing, and neatly sidesteps the pitfalls that usually butcher other found footage films. (Bad acting, overdone CGI, no plot, bad pacing, ect.) It's interesting and easy to follow when you're supposed to and fascinating in the parts where you aren't. It's a classic, borderline cliché film that somehow breathes a new feeling into the sub-genre that puts it in a league of its own.