The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan is a 2018 indie horror film directed by Burt Grinstead and starring Anna Stromberg as the lead. Set in a small New England town, the movie attempts to blend elements of true-crime investigation with supernatural horror, following Leah Sullivan, an aspiring journalist documenting her investigation of the chilling “Mulcahy Murders.” Despite its intriguing premise, the film ultimately falls short of delivering the kind of thrills that horror fans crave. Here’s an in-depth look at where The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan stumbles and why it might be a disappointing watch for some.
The plot of The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan kicks off when Leah, a journalism student, returns to her hometown to work on a college project about the infamous Mulcahy Murders. This tragic, unsolved case involved the brutal deaths of the Mulcahy family decades prior, a mystery that has haunted the town and left locals wary of discussing it. Determined to uncover the truth, Leah films her investigation, interviewing locals and exploring abandoned sites associated with the murders.
While this setup initially draws viewers in, the story quickly becomes repetitive and lacks momentum. Leah’s investigation is largely composed of long shots of her recording herself, capturing mundane details that don’t add much suspense or depth to the unfolding mystery. By the halfway mark, the film’s lack of engaging developments begins to weigh heavily, testing viewers' patience as the storyline meanders.
One of the film’s strengths is its small-town setting, which has the potential to lend an eerie, isolated feeling that is well-suited to horror. The abandoned Mulcahy house, a central location in the film, is a suitably creepy backdrop, with dim lighting and haunting silence that suggest something sinister lurking in the shadows. However, the film fails to capitalize on this setting to create a genuinely unnerving atmosphere.
The suspense never fully builds, as the found footage style is bogged down by repetitive shots and overly long scenes of Leah talking into the camera. A successful found footage film should make the audience feel as if they are right there with the character, experiencing each chilling moment firsthand. Unfortunately, The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan misses this mark, and the eerie small-town backdrop becomes a missed opportunity.
For a found footage horror film to work, the main character needs to be compelling enough to hold viewers’ attention throughout. Leah Sullivan, unfortunately, is given little depth or backstory to make her a sympathetic or engaging protagonist. We’re told she’s passionate about uncovering the truth, but her motivations and personality remain largely unexplored. Her reactions to unsettling discoveries lack emotional weight, which ultimately makes her journey feel hollow.
The lack of character depth means that Leah’s growing obsession with the Mulcahy case doesn’t carry the intensity it should. A stronger focus on her psychology and reasons for pursuing the story could have made her a more engaging character. Instead, her investigation feels superficial, lacking the emotional stakes that could have elevated the film’s tension.
The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan promises a mix of supernatural horror and mystery but doesn’t fully deliver on either front. Found footage horror typically relies on subtle, creeping scares that gradually build tension, but here, the scares are sparse and often anticlimactic. Much of the film relies on ominous noises, shadowy figures, and off-camera suggestions of supernatural events. While these techniques can be effective when used sparingly, in this film, they don’t lead to any real payoff.
The film’s limited budget is apparent in its minimal use of visual effects, which is understandable, but the lack of even modestly effective jump scares or unsettling visuals leaves horror fans wanting more. The scares feel repetitive, and scenes that could have been terrifying end up feeling predictable or uneventful. This lack of tension-building moments means that The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan fails to deliver a true horror experience.
One of the most significant drawbacks of The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan is its pacing. The film aims for a slow-burn approach, gradually revealing small details about the Mulcahy Murders and Leah’s investigation. However, this pacing ultimately works against the film, as long stretches of uneventful footage make it difficult to stay engaged. While slow-burn horror can be incredibly effective, it requires a careful balance of suspense and payoff to maintain viewer interest. Unfortunately, the lack of meaningful progression leaves viewers waiting for a climactic moment that never quite arrives.
The film’s climactic scenes are similarly underwhelming, with little to no resolution offered for the buildup that preceded them. The slow pacing, combined with a disappointing conclusion, makes the entire experience feel unbalanced and unsatisfying.
The ending of The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan is one of its most polarizing aspects. In the film’s final scenes, Leah’s camera captures chaotic, unsettling noises and glimpses of something supernatural, but it stops short of offering a concrete explanation. The ambiguity leaves viewers with more questions than answers, and while some horror fans might appreciate the open-ended approach, others will find it frustrating.
Rather than feeling haunting or thought-provoking, the ending feels incomplete, as though the filmmakers were unsure of how to wrap up the story. Viewers are left to wonder if Leah was imagining things, if she fell victim to a ghostly force, or if there was a rational explanation all along. For those who enjoy dissecting horror films, the lack of answers may fuel some discussion, but for others, it will likely come across as unsatisfying and anticlimactic.
In the end, The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan doesn’t quite live up to its potential. While the premise of an unsolved murder investigation in a haunted small town holds promise, the film’s execution falls short. Its slow pacing, lack of scares, and unsatisfying conclusion make it a difficult recommendation, even for dedicated horror fans. The few moments of atmospheric tension are outweighed by repetitive footage, a lack of meaningful character development, and missed opportunities for genuine horror.
For viewers new to found footage horror, there are other films that deliver far more compelling stories and scares. However, if you’re a fan of indie horror who appreciates a slow-burn mystery, The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan might be worth a watch—but don’t go in expecting a pulse-pounding thrill ride.
Rating: The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan earns a 2 out of 5. Despite some atmospheric moments, it fails to deliver the scares and resolution needed to make it a memorable entry in the horror genre.