The found footage is a tried and tested formula for low budget film-makers to tell their story through the lense of fake documentaries but only a handful of movies ever pull of a truly memorable gem. For every ‘Grave Encounters’, there’s an ‘Episode 50’ and ‘Atrocious’, and here lies ‘The Phoenix Incident’, in an already crowded genre of science fiction found footage, could this be one to remember or one to layer to bargain basement?

 

This feature revolves around an incident in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997 involving a Government cover up surrounding the disappearance of four men. Rest assured the cover up is exposed by the “documenters” and the shocking reason for their vanishing are unveiled.

 

Where ‘The Phoenix Incident’ stands tall on its own merits is a brilliant edit that makes the whole film feel genuine and despite being loosely based on true events, this is a horror film at its core. From the low quality visuals (it is set in 1997) to the interviews, everything feels unscripted and real, a feat that is key to delivering on the found footage genre that so many other films fail on. News footage is blended in with found footage from the missing men and accompanied by a glorious mellow score by John Paesano makes the whole mockumentary an engaging experience. This is without doubt the most authentic found footage movie since ‘The Blair Witch Project’.

 

Yet with it’s blur of fact and fiction, Keith Arem never forgets what this film is about, pure adrenaline pumping horror and it never fails to deliver. Unlike many other genre tropes, Arem doesn’t beat around the bush and puts characterisation to a minimum instead telling a story from multiple angles and letting the thrills of an alien invasion take centre stage. It’s surprising that so much is seen with a low budget feature and despite a little ropey CGI around the edges, pulls itself off and remains terrifying throughout.

 

There is no new ground broken here but Arem manages to make an effective horror movie from the lense of the found footage genre, which in itself deserves an award. All this from a guy who has left the videogame industry (directing many of the ‘Call of Duty’ series and ‘Deadpool’ games) for a directorial debut with a bang. Let the invasion of Keith Arem start here.

 

‘The Phoenix Incident’ manages to build to a tense conclusion with a believable cast and well written story, blending fact and fiction to the point where what is real and what is acted no longer matters. For fans of sci-fi, horror or genuinely good movies, this is a must see.