IMDb 5.9 2007 HD

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

2007
Crime Horror Mystery Thriller
81 min R USA
6.6 / 10
5.9 IMDB

When hundreds of videotapes showing torture, murder and dismemberment are found in an abandoned house, they reveal a serial killer's decade-long reign of terror and become the most…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director John Erick Dowdle / Dustin Cole Blackburn / Adam Lawson / Erin Tambellini
Starring
Stacy Chbosky / Ben Messmer / Lou George / Ivar Brogger / Michael Lawson / Amy Lyndon / Ron Harper / Samantha Robson

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

disturbing grim unsettling graphic intense bleak shocking unflinching horrifying voyeuristic challenging brutal

Reviews

I
Isabelle Moreau
May 3, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' is a challenging film that trades on its grim premise of discovered videotapes documenting a killer's atrocities. The performances serve the narrative’s documentary style, with the actors portraying those piecing together the horror. The tone…

A
Arthur Finch
May 3, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

This is a film that dares to go where few others will, presenting the gruesome evidence of a serial killer's decade-long spree. 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' uses its found-footage format to create an almost unbearable sense of realism, forcing…

G
Genevieve Dubois
May 3, 2026
1.5 / 5
1.5

Presented as a collection of recovered evidence, 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' aims for pure shock value, and in that, it certainly succeeds, though not always for the right reasons. The performances are secondary to the grim content, which itself…

M
Marcus Thorne
May 3, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' operates as a chilling found-footage exposé, unearthing a serial killer's macabre legacy. The film's strength lies in its unflinching commitment to its disturbing premise, presenting a collection of tapes that are as horrifying as they…

E
Eleanor Vance
May 3, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

This mockumentary attempts to unnerve by presenting the findings of a serial killer's horrifying videotapes. The premise is undeniably grim, and the film leans heavily into its disturbing content to achieve its effect. Performances are functional, serving the…

FAQs

'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' offers a profoundly unsettling and challenging viewing experience. It's designed to shock and disturb rather than entertain in a conventional sense. The mockumentary format, combined with its graphic subject matter, creates a sense of grim realism that can be difficult to shake. Viewers should be prepared for intense, disturbing content that prioritises psychological horror over traditional narrative arcs.