[Fantasia ’26] ‘The Last Footage’ review: The future of found footage?

The Last Footage is a Fantasia Film Festival world premiere that may be a peek into what the future holds for found footage films. Shot entirely on 4K pro glasses, the movie follows a group of friends who are going on a trip to an abandoned rubber plantation. Aung Khant decides he will wear smart glasses to document the entire trip. Almost immediately upon arriving at the cursed Wingabar Forest, an evil force begins to pursue them.

There are certain things audiences have come to expect from found footage. Lots of shaky cam, poor quality, and convoluted reasons to continue to carry a camera around have been excused as just a part of the genre. Due to the way The Last Footage is shot, none of these issues exist. The film looks good and there is an acceptable reason why the camera is always where it needs to be.

This makes it easier to focus on the movie itself. Much like similar films in the genre, there is not much in the way of story. The friends have upset an evil spirit that lives in the woods and must destroy it before it becomes immortal. This is Horror 101. It is what happens during The Last Footage that sets it apart – for better and worse.

Though the pace never slows down once the action kicks in, there are some issues. The kills are sub-par. There is little in the way of blood and none of the deaths will leave an impression. The decision to shoot the Big Bad from a distance also does not work. It makes sense why it is done this way; Aung Khant is far away. But instead of building to a reveal, it just looks like the movie is covering for cheap monster effects.

That being said, there are some great jump scares. The first monster comes quickly and out of nowhere. It will catch anyone watching off-guard. A shot of the main monster inside of a burning building also looks impressive. The climax has many close ups of the monster and shows off some excellent creature design.

The Last Footage ends up being a fun found footage movie. It looks and feels different, but at its core is a standard addition. The plot does not reinvent the wheel. The big takeaway will be what the future may hold for the fan favorite sub-genre.

The Fantasia Film Festival takes place from July 16 – August 2.