Horror is such an enduring and exciting genre because it pairs our fears with a suspension of disbelief. We all have a collective aversion to walking down a dark alley. Now, pair that with being in a dream and having a demon like Freddy Krueger be able to take over the places we all go when we fall asleep. It’s terrifying, but far enough to know this isn’t feasible. The found footage films further broke down the veil between what we perceive as supernatural and our world. Films such as “The Blair Witch Project” (1999), “Lake Mungo” (2008), the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, and most recently, “Unfriended” (2014) and “Host” (2020) brought a new layer with widely accessible recording devices and down-to-earth characters. It’s safe to say that the found footage sub-genre has been flipped and remixed in every conceivable way.
The writing and directing team of Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman presents their small-town sci-fi thriller, “Man Finds Tape,” on collective fronts that feel refreshing, even if the method might not be. There’s a phenomenon occurring in Larkin, Texas, where at random times, the townspeople fall unconscious for spells. At its base, it’s a mockumentary being conducted by Lynn (Kelsey Pribilski), trying to get to the bottom of whatever the hell is happening. She especially hones in on the story involving her brother, Lucas, an old VHS tape he finds, and the almost manic rabbit hole he falls into trying to find its origins.
“Man Finds Tape” jumps between different media; sometimes it’s professionally shot in an interview style, other times it’s security footage, and then it switches to the classic lo-fi presentation that horror fans have become accustomed to. Rather than staying entrenched in one format, the film employs multiple formats, which can be disorienting at times, but engaging. Lynn has long left Larkin behind, but Lucas remains there. The discovery of the tape eats at him, particularly because it was explicitly placed in his parents’ garage with his full name on it. He posts the footage on the internet and even starts a YouTube channel titled “Man Finds Tape.”
The grainy short film shows Lucas as a kid and a dark figure appearing in his room undetected. That’s terrifying, and many online commenters would likely agree. Lucas relishes in his own personal version of the “Slenderman” creepypasta, but there are some naysayers who are pushing him to the brink of insanity. Coupled with the fact that Lucas and Lynn’s mother and father died under mysterious circumstances, he wants answers. During a Zoom call, Lynn cautions him to back off this never-ending search. All of a sudden, Lucas falls into a coma-like state. Once he awakens, he doesn’t remember anything about it.
Lucas needs help, and that’s when Lynn has to come back to town to be an extremely reluctant investigator. That plot, in itself, might warrant a quick horror film with a couple of revelations and a huge climax to follow. Thankfully, Hall and Gandersman deviate from the conventional and offer “Man Finds Tape” layers that extend beyond the realm of conspiracy. Lucas thinks that the local preacher, Reverend Endicott Carr (John Gholson), the centerpiece of “The Salvation Hour,” a local 700-Club light program, is the author of the tape. Without proof, it leads to legal action that affects both Lucas and Lynn alike. When Lynn returns, she discovers an uncovered layer of what is overtaking her brother and town through extensive research and backtracking. Those whom she interviews, including Lucas’s girlfriend Wendy (Nell Kessler), who also strangely doubles as a surrogate to Carr, can only recall moments up to a certain point.
“Man Finds Tape” then takes an entirely different direction once the characters delve deeper into a strange hit-and-run. The Stranger (Brian Villalobos) operates unbeknownst to anyone within the town and is a part of Hall and Gandersman’s antagonist puzzle. The film itself runs just under 1 hour and 30 minutes. Within that timeframe, it feels just enough, but stuffed with expository information about its practical creature style to come within the latter half. While markers within “Man Finds Tape” will feel familiar, it taps into a modern dilemma. We have an insatiable appetite for sleuthing and the many platforms available to keep the (sometimes futile) pursuit of knowledge going.
“Man Finds Tape” premiered at 2025 Tribeca Festival.
