by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Found footage horror The Lost Episode by Nick Wernham.
Synopsis
The Lost Episode follows officers Paul Massaro and Terrence Williams as they uncover a chain of horrifying events and a disturbing conspiracy in the small town of Franklin.
The Good
Joseph: When I first reviewed The Lost Episode for A Night of Horror Film Festival, the commitment to authenticity for this found-footage shocker was undeniable. No credits were given at that time except for “Assembled by XPU$HER and made available through the Black-Torrent Release Group,” and the film’s minimal festival information listed it as a Canadian film. Now we finally know that Nick Wernham directed this feature, and quite impressively at that. We also know that Anthony Grant and Benjamin Sutherland are the two fine leads, portraying a pair of police officers who are being filmed for a Cops-type reality television show. Their performances, Wernham’s taught building of suspense, and a thrilling third act — keep in mind that many a found-footage horror movie merely builds up to a big reveal or shock during the final few minutes, while this one delivers the goods for a much longer period — combine for one of the better found footage chillers that I have seen in recent years.
Mike: The best found footage films need to provide a few things. First and foremost is that the footage needs to be plausible. Would the contents that unspool have been filmed in the first place? In this respect, The Lost Episode succeeds perfectly by having the footage explained as having been recorded for an episode of a COPS like show. This allows the slower first and second act to flow naturally as we follow a pair of officers during a typical shift with conversations between the cops and the camera crew providing some backstory and character establishment. There’s no half-baked reason to keep the camera rolling as it’s the job of the camera crew to film and provide a bunch of footage for the producers to cull through. So having these slow portions works and works well.
Equally important as the explainable buildup is the payoff. A lot of found footage films fail here by trying to remain ambiguous, be it budgetary constraints or simply poor writing. The payoff here comes in spades and little to nothing is left to the imagination making the viewer feel that their time invested in the characters has been worth it.
The Bad
Joseph: Not truly “bad” in my book, but viewers who have issues with found footage tropes, such as how the footage wasn’t unearthed or released until the present day, along with the question of who found it and how, will find those types of elements on display.
Mike: The only thing I can think of here is something Joe has complained about enough that I can’t get it out of my head when I watch a found footage movie, and that’s “how did we (the viewer) come to see this footage in the first place?” Sure, we have the conceit that a hacker group (I assume based on the name Black-Torrent Release Group) pieced it together and released it, but how did THEY get it in the first place? This is the third piece to accompany the two I mentioned earlier and, like many other films, The Lost Episode stumbles in that department.
The Verdict
Joseph: If you tend to avoid found footage horror movies, I strongly recommend that you make an exception and give The Lost Episode a shot, as it is a cut above the usual fare, in my opinion. If you are already a fan of the subgenre, consider it a must-see.
Mike: The one negative aside, The Lost Episode is a nearly perfect example of how a found footage film should work. Likable characters, a believable scenario, plausible explanation for the footage, and a pitch-perfect payoff that links all of the preceding clues and seemingly throwaway bits of information into a tapestry of mayhem. If you dig found footage films, you’ll surely love what you’re getting into here.
For more information, visit unnamedfootagefestival.com
The Lost Episode
Directed By: Nick Wernham
Written By: Abbadon Night
Starring: Anthony Grant, Benjamin Sutherland, Ron Lea, and Linden Porco
Run Time: 1h 22m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2025
There was no trailer available at the time of our screening.
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