Lost in Found Footage by Joey Powell
Mad Axe Media (August 11, 2026)
Reviewed by Briana Morgan
As a devotee of found footage, cursed objects, and the dark side of influencer culture, I had high hopes for Joey Powell’s Lost in Found Footage. When Powell first teased the concept on social media, it ticked every box for me. This is the quintessential “Summerween” read—perfect for those early August nights when the air starts to turn.
The story follows Grey, a failed horror vlogger who stumbles upon a cryptic camcorder at a pawn shop. Driven by a desperate need for a viral hit, he smuggles the camera into a local theater to bootleg a movie premiere. However, the moment the lens focuses, the “found footage” becomes his reality. Grey is physically pulled into the screen, manifesting as a new character in the film The Witch of Hope Hollow.
What follows is a clever, fish-out-of-water nightmare. As Grey bonds with the doomed cast, his presence begins to warp the established narrative. Bodies start piling up, and Grey must figure out how to get back to the outside world before he joins them.
Powell excels at the “meta” elements here—reading the novel feels as immersive as watching a grainy VHS tape unfold in real-time. It’s a solid concept that pays off with tight pacing and a genuine love for the genre. If you’ve stayed up late at night imagining how you might survive a found footage movie, you’ll love this book.
For fans of “sucked-in” narratives like The Last Action Hero but with a grim, lo-fi horror twist, Lost in Found Footage is a must-read.
