Found Footage Horror It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This (2025) Punches Above Weight

Title: It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

First Non-Festival Release: January 10, 2025 (Limited Theatrical Release)

Director: Rachel Kempf, Nick Toti

Writer: Rachel Kempf, Nick Toti, Christian

Runtime: 83 Minutes

Starring: Rachel Kempf, Nick Toti, Christian

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

The found footage medium offers a unique creative vantage point for filmmakers hoping to break into the genre. Sometimes this leads to innovation in creating new stories and other times it can feel like a cash in on a wildly uneven subgenre. Thankfully, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This doesn’t take that route.

Nick (Nick Toti) and Rachel (Rachel Kempf) decide to buy a duplex a few blocks away from their house to make their indie horror film. As they wade through the trash and broken amenities, they discover their new home’s odd quirks, like its strange amount of broken doors and its peculiar forgotten altar in the attic. Their eagerness to cash in on the oddities for their horror film turns to anxiety when their new purchase begins getting visited by strangers who silently stare at the home, as if transfixed by something about, or inside, it.

Some fresh ideas help indie found footage horror It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This punch above its weight.

Beginning with an interactive ritual and voiceover prologue, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This sets up its tale much like other found footage horror films. Persistent protagonists messing around with forces beyond their comprehension while actively inviting darkness into their lives, the mess around and find out mentality is strong in Nick and Rachel. Their insistence to continue filming despite the warning signs may invite frustration, but it feels so wholly right for their characters.

Much of the charm of It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This comes from its commitment to feel real, from its characters down to its humble setting. Rachel, Nick, and Christian (Christian) come across as goofy, affable nerds with an affinity for the horrific, which makes them easy to relate to for horror fans. Their interactions with each other and the supernatural feels organic and earnest. The moments captured on film exactly track with a group of horror nerds setting out to explore a haunted house and make a movie, even when the story gets muddled in their goofiness. The unassuming setting of Kirksville, Missouri makes for an open and eerie locale for the haunting. Its quaint atmosphere offers a nice juxtaposition for the paranormal happenings and makes the ensuing horror more baffling.

While it shines with authenticity, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This struggles to develop its characters and story beyond its focus on realism. Sure, Rachel, Nick, and Christian all feel like real people, but their development stops there. Aside from some friction between Rachel and Christian following the seance, there’s little growth or change in the protagonists. As the strange events continue, their approach stays largely the same, until the film hits its finale.

The buildup of the story also feels largely hollow. Some might appreciate the slow burn approach, but It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This ebbs and flows in intensity depending on what creepy thing is happening onscreen. Its mystery doesn’t need to be fully explained, but the largely unanswered questions feel frustrating after watching the elements fail to tie together in the end: the hellmouth, the altar, the yard full of people staring, etc.

Boasting a few effective scares, the film’s focus on building an unsettling atmosphere and crafting striking imagery pays off in its finale. Relying on lurking shadows and unexplainable manipulations of objects, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This captures the horror of the unknown. Starting with classic scares like a blown-out candle and glimpses of voyeurs, the indie film paces itself well enough before the finale. The final frames of found footage films can make or break them, and It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This saves its most haunting footage for last.

While it can seem gimmicky at times, there is no denying that It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This is never lacking in heart. Its earnest approach to a simple home movie project turned supernatural mystery makes for an engaging, if familiar story. Its biggest sell comes from its authentic approach to hauntings from its characters and performers down to its scaled down, intimate setting. The next time it comes through your town in its limited theatrical window, remember that It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This and get your tickets before you’re waiting even longer to experience it.

Overall Score? 6/10