Found footage horror is amongst the most divisive of subgenres in the entire industry, not just in the realm of terrifying tales. It can enhance the atmosphere just as easily as it can come across as nothing more than a gimmick, but The Poughkeepsie Tapes proved to be so convincing that many viewers thought it was 100 percent genuine.
While there is some real-life footage spliced into writer and director John Erick Dowdle’s nerve-shredding gem, it mercifully exists as an entirely fictional feature film. That doesn’t lessen the experience in the slightest, though, with the end result one of the most intensely nail-biting examples of the regularly polarizing medium you’re ever likely to see.
In fact, despite the experience being disrupted by constant interruptions on ad-supported platform Freevee, The Poughkeepsie Tapes has still managed to become one of the streaming service’s Top 10 most-watched titles this week, per FlixPatrol. It might affect the immersion, but the underrated and unsung gem is powerful and gripping enough to overcome such an irritating obstacle.
The story finds homicide investigators uncovering hundreds upon hundreds of grisly videotapes depicting murder, mayhem, torture, dismemberment, and many more grisly events, with the collection amounting to the recorded history of a prolific serial killer’s work over the course of decades.
It might not be able to hoodwink anyone anymore, but that doesn’t mean The Poughkeepsie Tapes isn’t worth tracking down for those made of sterner stuff. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended for gorehounds who love to get that queasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs.