A new found footage horror movie, Man Finds Tape, has set a Rotten Tomatoes record for the genre. The found footage film genre began with pseudo-documentary experiments in the late 20th century, but gained prominence through The Blair Witch Project (1999), which popularized a handheld and amateur aesthetic that is especially effective in modern horror storytelling today.
Now, on the day of its theatrical release on December 5, Man Finds Tape has debuted with an 88% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which is higher than The Blair Witch Project (86%), which is widely regarded as the greatest found footage movie ever made. Man Finds Tape has 32 reviews at the time of writing, so its score could change as more are published.
With fewer than 50 ratings at the time of writing, Man Finds Tape doesn’t yet have an audience score.
Written and directed by Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall, Man Finds Tape follows two siblings who, after finding mysterious video clips, investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
The cast includes John Gholson, Christine V. Hall, Nell Kessler, Mia King, William Magnuson, Judy McMillan, Kelsey Pribilski, Graham Skipper, and Brian Villalobos.
In ScreenRant‘s review of Man Finds Tape, Mae Abdulbaki writes, “This chilling mystery is one of the more exciting found footage horror movies I’ve seen in a while… The result is a film that isn’t aiming to do anything different but is good at utilizing subgenre elements that make it a worthwhile watch.”
Most critics agree that Man Finds Tape is a creative and well-crafted entry into the found footage genre. They praise its eerie mystery, clever structure, and commitment to a lo-fi aesthetic that feels authentic rather than cheap. Several reviews highlight its strong debut direction, compelling central concept, and imaginatively unsettling scares.
However, even positive reviews note that the film sometimes overreaches or leaves questions dangling, but many see that ambition as part of its charm. Critics appreciate how it plays with media reliability, internet-age sleuthing, Lovecraftian, and X-Files-style dread. This slow-burning tension is what keeps audiences guessing as the mystery deepens.
A few negative reviews argue that the film loses grounding as it progresses, calling some twists anticlimactic or underexplained, or feel that its bigger ideas aren’t fully realized, and the lore can get muddy. Still, even mixed reviews acknowledge flashes of creativity and the promise of talented filmmakers finding their voice in Man Finds Tape.
- Release Date
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June 8, 2025
- Runtime
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84 minutes
- Director
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Paul Gandersman, Peter S. Hall
- Writers
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Paul Gandersman, Peter S. Hall
- Producers
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Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Lawson Jr., Ashley Landavazo
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William Magnuson
Lucas Page
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John Gholson
Reverend Endicott Carr
