A largely unknown precursor to the now widely successful found footage genre

Found Footage is now a huge sub-genre of Horror which has crossed over to show blockbuster potential in films such as Cloverfield and Chronicle, but before that it was The Blair Witch Project which was widely considered to be the first of its kind. 

In truth, its a trope which has been utilised on many occasions before Eduardo Sanchez & Daniel Myrick's classic horror, but without the same fame & success. Films such as the Belgian student film turned cult horror classic Man Bites Dog spring to mind, but Tony Bicat's SKINFLICKER is one of the earliest examples that I've seen.

This 1973 41min short is a suspenseful and at times unsettling film about a trio of radicals who plot to kidnap & murder a public figure, and record themselves doing so as a protest against what they deem to be 'tyrants and oppressors' in order to fight for a better world.

The film captures its violence in a uniquely harrowing way, using silence effectively during some scenes, and overall it's a worthy watch for anyone who wants to trace the potential origins of the found footage genre. It feels dirty and grubby in an oddly satisfying way due to it's decidedly (and purposely) cheap film-work, editing and locations. This is all propped up with some genuinely great acting from it's main stars. 

7/10.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Presented as found footage à la The Blair Witch Project, this chilling and provocative fake home movie presents the story of three dissidents and their plan to commit a revolutionary act on film. Will Knightley (father of Keira) plays one of the guerrillas who kidnap and torture a cabinet minister. Tony Bicât and scriptwriter Howard Brenton explore the consequences and co-option of political violence with hard, grubby directness. Pre-punk in its semi-nihilistic attack on bourgeois values, this is strong stuff.

British Film Institute (BFI) Production Board

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Orson Welles in Return to Glennascaul (1952)

Geraldine James in The Dumb Waiter (1979)

Alex Gallier in Death Was a Passenger (1958)

Toshirō Mifune, Kenjirō Ishiyama, Kyōko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, and Tatsuya Nakadai in High and Low (1963)

Skinflicker

Photos1

Top Cast8

User reviews1

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed