That’s not to say that we haven’t gotten a couple of decent found footage films along the way, including “Cloverfield” and “Chronicle,” but for every decent one, we’ve wound up with a multitude of dreadfully awful entries such as multiple “Paranormal Activity” films, “The Last Exorcism,” and a pair of “V/H/S” flicks.
The narrative's transformation into a Chronicle-like look at Derek's emerging powers is, though initially intriguing, increasingly tedious, with the repetitive atmosphere compounded by Lee and Prowse's refusal to introduce other characters into the mix - with the limitations of this format becoming more and more clear as time progresses (ie the film often feels like just another found-footage horror flick).
That also makes Afflicted distinct from Chronicle since it’s on Derek the whole time.
For me, that movie was Chronicle, a “found footage” superhero movie mixing elements of psychological suspense with astounding camera work and truly gripping storytelling – a welcome curveball amidst so many spandex wearing super-humans.
Since then, the sequels to "Paranormal Activity" and the action-horror installment "Chronicle" have continued to capitalize on the prospects of using CGI in the context of found footage.
What follows suggests a cross between “An American Werewolf in London” and the ingenious 2012 found-footage thriller “Chronicle,” and there is no shortage of wicked, stinging moments as Clif and Derek’s attempts to resume their vacation plans go horrifically awry.