Just perfect...

hyped garbage

How sad is this?

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Phoenix Forgotten is a found footage horror movie that has two time-lines. One is set in 1997 and it follows 3 teenagers who try to find the proof of the UFOs that might have shown up above Phoenix. The other one is set in 2017 and it follows a younger sister of one of the leads in the 90s part who tries to investigate her brother's disappearance by finding more footage that disappeared along with her brother and his friends.The 90s part is VERY similar to The Blair Witch Project and I couldn't really tell if it was a homage or a rip- off. But still, it kinda worked and actually had some creepy and unsettling moments. Even though it was really predictable. The 2017 part is very unnecessary. We could have simply been treated with a lot longer version of the 90s part, or simply have something actually happen in the today segment. Imagine if The Blair Witch Project and Blair Witch were one movie with 90s and today's segment being played little by little. And The Blair Witch Project part is a lot shorter, while Blair Witch part is a movie with no pay-off at all. That's why the whole experience was a bit unfulfilled.But aside from a poorly constructed and clichéd plot, the movie does have a few redeeming creepy moments. First there's the premise itself (there is just something about the aliens and the unfamiliar in general that gets under your skin), and some genuinely creepy moments with tiny, but spooky nods to the UFOs. And also, the ambiguity was well-handled. Sometimes movies try way too hard to be ambiguous that it just comes across as unsatisfying and poorly written, but this was ambiguity done right. Ambiguity that made it scarier.Still, it's not what it could have been. It does offer a few shivers, but aside from that misses the mark.

I thought that the film was decently made, even though I personally prefer films that use a higher quality camera when it's mostly filmed with hand-held cameras. The story was a bit shambled and sometimes hard to understand. It was also a bit generic and seemed liked a low budget film.

This movie really surprised me honestly. I did not expect at all to like it as much as I did. I'm a huge fan of the found footage genre when done right and it's very hard to find some good ones out there. This movie in particular was hands down my favorite "indie", as you can all it, found footage movie.From the beginning there's already a sense of suspense to it and mystery behind what happened to the missing trio. It's kinda obvious based off of the type of movie this is that they are abducted, but what leads up to it is very interesting. A slow burner for sure, not much interesting happens until the last 30 minutes but before that is a very well crafted backstory and "mockumentary" style movie. They go in depth of the backstory of each of the kids and the protagonist of the movie is on a constant search for not only her missing brother but the other 2 that he brought along with him. Being an AZ native I was very surprised at how realistic this movie is and really, even if you're not from there, this movie is VERY realistic. The acting seems real, the way it's filmed feel very 90's, and the actual events aren't your usual CGI and jumpscare filled horror. There's a lot of suspense and mystery behind what actually happened.This movie I would recommend to anyone with a willing eye, or just anyone in general.

'Phoenix Forgotten' basically tries to blend 'Alien Abduction' with 'The Blair Witch Project' and the outcome is disappointing, to say the least. The film showcases the journey undertaken by three teenagers who are in pursuit of evincing the involvement of aliens during the appearance of 'mysterious lights' in the night-sky; an incident which occurred during the year 1997 in Arizona, USA. The film follows the tried-and-tested path of found-footage horror..central characters who are eager to prove something to the world (mostly for the fame that will follow), getting lost as expected, bizarre exhibition of behavior and of course, shaky cam. This is a horror sub-genre that has reached saturation point, and it'd take a visionary director to completely subvert the model. Justin Barber unfortunately isn't that revolutionary director, and is content sticking to genre-usuals.The three protagonists thankfully aren't the typical sex-obsessed thrill seekers (seen usually in horror films with a synopsis that begins like "A group of friends..."), but still don't manage to gather a sense of appeal. The final act is the archetypal "scream, run and ultimately get trapped" reiteration. Meh!Verdict: Rinse & repeat!