I Watched Nothing But Low Budget Tubi Horror for a Month – Here’s What Happened

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are finishing up our Low Budget Horror on Tubi Feature. We will be summarising the good, the average and the plain old fugly from our month of watching nothing but Tubi horror.

Nothing But Low Budget Tubi Horror Movies

Tubi has an enormous range of ultra low budget horror. And when I say low budget, I am talking one person in front of a cheap camera, no special effects, no script, no wardrobe budget. The cheapest of the cheap. Hell, some of these movies probably involved the makers skipping meals. They are about as bare bones as you can get.

With this in mind, I decided to set myself a challenge. For an entire month I would watch nothing but low budget horror on Tubi.

There were a few rules here. First of all, I had to pick the movies with the worst titles and the most budget looking cover images. I couldn’t read anything about the movies. No interviews, reviews or breakdowns. I had to go in blind. I also couldn’t pick anything with any high profile actors. Pretty simple, really. My task was set and I began watching movies.

I won’t bombard you with where to watch links. All of these movies were on Tubi as of writing and are probably still there now. Let’s take a look.

📉 At a Glance: The “Good” Ones

Low Budget Horror on Tubi – The Good!

I say good but that feels like it might be a bit of an overstatement. Compared to other good movies, these might be a little bit lacking, but compared to most of the stuff on Tubi, these are amazing. Context is important here. Anyways, six movies that are actually worth a watch before we get into the bad stuff.

ReSet (2022) – Groundhog Day Horror

We are kicking off with the good. The first of which is a little, ultra low budget, time loop horror from David Sumner. Playing out as something of a Happy Death Day Lite. ReSet sees college girl Danielle passing out at a party. Only to wake up in the house of a strange man who seems a little over insistent on her staying for awhile. Could it be that a family heirloom holds the key to her escape?

Featuring very current themes of young person safety, incel community attitudes and drink spiking. As well as a fun time loop based narrative that sees Danielle trying again and again to fix her mistakes. This is a movie that punches a fair bit above its weight.

ReSet feels extremely low budget and lacks care in places, with lapel mics and equipment occasionally visible and a few continuity issues. But if you can put that aside, there is a genuinely funny and rather interesting story here with a great performance from its lead star Alyssa Corella. It’s easy to watch and doesn’t demand too much of the viewer. What more could you ask for? Especially considering the price. I really enjoyed this movie. Check out our full review of ReSet here.

Death of a Vlogger (2019) – Viral Haunting

This one is sort of a cheat. I had no clue that this movie had a bit of a following already as it had managed to pass me by, somehow. I just saw the awful title and thought it would be perfect for our Tubi feature. To be honest, I still feel a little bit mixed about this movie. Following the story of popular online prankster Graham, Death of a Vlogger focuses on the consequences of online fame after Graham releases a video of a supposed haunting.

Experts, viewers, friends and skeptics talk about the events in this mockumentary style found footage. All speculating on what happened to Graham and whether the videos he showed were actually fakes. It’s pretty interesting stuff though it takes a number of missteps here and there, resulting in a movie that may divide audiences.

Still, if you are looking for something similar to Lake Mungo but with a more comedic edge, Death of a Vlogger may very well fit the bill. Check out our full review of Death of a Vlogger here.

Lexi (2022) – Missing Influencer

Pretty much a one woman show. Victoria Vertuga’s Lexi follows the story of missing social media influencer Laughing Lexi. Lexi had been experiencing strange occurrences at her home, with people seemingly letting themselves in and filming her while she sleeps. The situation escalates as videos of her most intimate moments are shared online. Resulting in her becoming paranoid and displaying increasingly erratic behaviour.

Lexi, once again, plays out like a mockumentary, with interviews from fans and experts all speculating on the cause of her disappearance. As well as showing footage supposedly recovered by police and shared with the public.

It’s interesting stuff but unlikely to change the minds of anyone who dislikes this type of movie. Lexi is microbudget and it shows in parts but the story is engaging and Vertuga’s fantastic performance deserves heaps of praise. Completely watchable and a great way to kill just over an hour. Check out our full review of Lexi here.

The Andy Baker Tape (2021) – Road Trip Gone Wrong

Believe it or not, this one isn’t a mockumentary. It is a found footage though so, once again, people who dislike the genre may want to skip this. Tubi sure has a ton of it. The Andy Baker Tape follows social media influencer Jeff Blake as he journeys across the country to meet his half brother Andy.

Seeing a perfect opportunity to put together a wholesome, feel good, video to pitch to food networks. Jeff and Andy head out on a road trip that soon begins to turn sour, resulting in Jeff biting off far more than he can chew.

This is a pretty decent little low budget horror filmed during lockdown. Like many of its contemporaries, it feels rather restricted in its presentation but no less interesting. With strong performances from its cast and a pretty engaging tale of two different people’s very different worlds colliding. It is a little lacking in energy and not particularly scary but we found it to be fairly enjoyable and an easy watch. Check out our full review of The Andy Baker Tape here.

Cabin Girl (2023) – Van Life Mystery

What a terrible title. The name here comes from the fact that former van life social media star Ava has now switched the open road for life in a solitary cabin. After an accident left her with head injuries, she decided to park up and follow a life long dream of owning a rural cabin. Beginning the renovation project while sharing her progress with fans. It isn’t long before Ava begins to see strange things out of the corner of her eye.

Cabin Girl is a very middle of the road horror movie. Slightly above average and not what I would call a strong recommend. I still feel like this movie belongs in the “Good” section, though. It is a fair bit more watchable than most of the movies I watched during this feature. Not particularly scary but with an interesting story that leads to an intriguing twist. If you aren’t put off by the later change of pace, you may really enjoy this one. We awarded it 2.8/5 which isn’t great but isn’t too bad, either. Check out our full review of Cabin Girl here.

Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism (2023) – Faith Gone Wrong

Yuk, another terrible title. But that crappy title hides a fantastic crime based horror thriller that will stay with you. Following the story of a young woman caught between her desire to treat her mental illness with medication and a highly religious partner who seeks alternative therapy. Godless sees our protagonist undergoing a torturous and brutal exorcism at the hands of a twisted community of religious zealots.

This one is based on a true story which makes it all the more haunting. Playing out as more of a crime movie than anything else. Godless still fits its horror billing thanks to the tremendously disturbing nature of the events portrayed. Godless is a great example of just how good Australian horror movies can be. Proving that they always know how to deliver on horrific, gritty, realism that sticks with you. Check out our full review of Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism here.

Low Budget Horror on Tubi – The Average!

It doesn’t feel right to include these movies with the bad stuff. The bad here is really bad so everything else is comparatively average. You may find something you really like here. Especially if a particular movie features a subject you are interested in. All should serve as an okay option to fill an hour or so if you are really bored.

Mercy Falls (2023) – Highland Hike

This is another Tubi Original, one of a few on this list. Set in the highlands of Scotland, Mercy Falls follows a woman hiking into the woods with a group of friends in search of a cabin left to her by her late father. The presence of a mysterious woman causes tension and it isn’t long before things begin to go completely wrong. Leading to a brutal and vicious game of cat and mouse.

This is a fairly interesting thriller that just never manages to fire on all cylinders. Dumb characters, a repetitive plot, and an unbelievable protagonist lead to some issues that can’t be fixed by beautiful scenery and a fantastic antagonist. Still, this one might scratch an itch if you fancy a very milquetoast thriller. Check out our full review of Mercy Falls here.

Captive (2023) – Basement Secret

A bit of a difficult one to review here. Captive is a vampire movie that focuses on a group of stoners breaking into a mansion to party. Only to find a mysterious stranger tied up in the basement. Do they release him or should they leave him chained up and leave? Their decision will have dramatic consequences.

While not a particularly offensive movie and featuring a great performance from horror veteran Scout Taylor-Compton, Captive just isn’t that interesting. It never peaks and it’s unbelievable vampire lead lends the movie a sense of silliness. Perfectly fine as a sleepover movie but will leave anyone looking for something to sink their teeth into wanting. Check out our full review of Captive here.

Play Dead (2022) – Mortuary Mystery

Boy is this ever a silly movie? The Play Dead Ending Explained Article I put together is one of my most popular posts so that goes to show what a great job they did with this plot. Play Dead follows the story of a young woman, Chloe (Bailee Madison), as she sneaks into a mortuary to recover evidence that would implicate her brother in a crime. How does she do this, you may ask? Why by injecting herself with propofol of course.

The plot here is utterly ridiculous and the movie blows hot and cold for its entire length. Probably fine if you are just looking for some easy thrills but if you put any thought into some of the events that take place. You will likely end up on your back in a fit of laughter. Play Dead is silly but watchable. Check out our full review of Play Dead here.

The Death of April (2022) – Vlogging the Paranormal

This one is advertised as a movie from 2022 but it actually released back in 2012 and it feels every part of it. Coming on the back end of the Found Footage Mockumentary wave of the late 2000s. The Death of April follows a young woman who moves away from her home to live in New York and decides to vlog her new life. After experiencing strange things. She begins looking into the history of her home only to uncover an unsolved tragedy. A tragedy that she is determined to get to the bottom of at any cost.

This is a bog standard Mockumentary, featuring interviews with friends and relatives. The Death of April opens up quite promisingly before giving in to genre tropes and a very dull story. If you are a fan of mockumentaries then you may wish to check it out. It is a difficult movie to recommend, though; it’s just extremely average. Check out our full review of The Death of April here.

Bed Rest (2022) – Pregnant Pause

Bed Rest is a very by the numbers haunted house horror with a bit of a silly premise. Following the story of a heavily pregnant woman being forced to spend a number of weeks bed bound due to an accident. Bed Rest sees our protagonist finding opportunity after opportunity to defy doctor’s orders and get out of bed to chase spooks around the house.

There’s nothing new here but it might fit the bill if you are looking for a haunted house horror. Bed Rest takes minimal risks and benefits for its tried and tested approach to scaring the viewer. It doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, though, and can be rather boring in parts. Still, plenty of people like this movie more than me so you may enjoy it. Check out our full review of Bed Rest here.

Shark Bait (2023) – Jet Ski Disaster

Man there are a ton of shark movies on Tubi! Shark Bait is one of them, as you might have guessed. A Tubi Original, Shark Bait sees a group of friends stealing a pair of jet skis and promptly crashing them in shark infested waters. Playing out like pretty much every serious shark themed horror ever, you know what to expect here.

Shark Bait is basically an exercise in patience as we watch a few people bob around on a jet ski while arguing over interpersonal drama. Entirely too much drama and entirely too little shark action. This is one of those movies that doesn’t demand too much from a viewer but doesn’t offer a great deal either. It’s okay if you are desperate to watch some of us Brits faking american accents and being eaten. Otherwise, there isn’t much to recommend here. Check out our full review of Shark Bait here.

Low Budget Horror on Tubi – The Fugly!

These movies are terrible. A couple of them are among the worst horror movies I have ever watched. I wouldn’t recommend any of these. Just stay the hell away from them unless you are a huge fan of one of the actors or the particular genre in question. There is very little here to grab onto.

The Lost Vlog of Ruby Real (2020) – Wood You Believe It?

The lowest of the low budget found footage horror. The Lost Vlog Of Ruby Real follows a group of social media influencers heading into the woods to disprove a local legend. Poorly acted with the exception of one character and laughably bad at points.

This is a movie that desperately attempts to force in Lovecraftian elements to elevate the story above generic found footage crap and fails spectacularly. Awful stuff. Check out our full review of The Lost Vlog of Ruby Real here.

The Sleepless Unrest (2021) – A Cure for Insomnia

Ironically titled as this movie literally put my partner and me to sleep, forcing us to watch it over two sittings. The Sleepless Unrest is an utterly yawn inducing mockumentary style movie that follows a group of paranormal investigators staying at the real conjuring house.

Nothing happens, everyone overreacts to none events, and the cast are completely annoying. This is one of those movies that makes you wonder why it exists. A complete waste of time. Check out our full review of The Sleepless Unrest here.

Chest (2020) – Box of Nothings

In 2016, a group of filmmakers disappeared in the mountains of east Tennessee. Unfortunately, their footage was found and the result is Chest. This is the exact type of thing people think of when you say low budget found footage.

Poorly made, poorly acted, and featuring a ridiculous story. This is a movie that heavily lampoons movies like The Blair Witch Project while never managing to be anywhere close to as interesting. An easy skip. Check out our full review of Chest here.

I’m Haunted (2022) – I’m Bored

Following the story of a woman vlogging strange paranormal encounters in her apartment. I’m Haunted feels like someone went to a particularly special effort to make a movie that feels even cheaper and lower budget that its found footage horror compatriots.

Boring, poorly edited, and not at all scary; this movie is a result of a director knocking out as many movies as he can for as little money as possible. Not even remotely worth your time. Check out our full review of I’m Haunted here.

Something Walks in the Woods (2023) – Something Doesn’t Happen

Something Walks in the Woods is one of those rare movies that describes itself perfectly. A man investigates the source of a recent viral video involving a supposed spirit walking across a treeline opposite a person’s house. That’s it, nothing else happens. This movie is utterly boring and a really good example of the recent found footage trend of not bothering to write an ending.

One person movies can be made interesting and watchable, just look at Leaving D.C. Something Walks in the Woods is just another movie that gives found footage a bad name and, as a fan of found footage, it makes me dislike them all the more. Check out our full review of Something Walks in the Woods here.

Forest of Death (2023) – Skinwalker Scam

Holy fake reviews, Batman. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone buy so many ratings for a low budget horror movie before. This is always an issue with sites like IMDB. Especially with low budget stuff that, otherwise, wouldn’t get any attention. But there are nearly 50 10/10 reviews for this terrible movie on IMDB, despite the fact that only 200 people have even bothered to rate the movie at all. A rating that is still hovering around 4/10 even with the producers trying to manufacture the score.

This is a great example of Ali Express horror – movies designed to be cheap and fast to produce. They are low quality and barely worth your time but they turn a profit. Following a group of friends spending time at a cabin that seems to hide a bloody past.

Forest of Death is terribly acted, boring, full of cliches and not at all scary. Unless you are a megafan of skin walkers, just avoid. Don’t believe the paid reviews and don’t waste your time on this. I refuse to even link it due to its attempts to deceive viewers. Check out our full review of Forest of Death here.

Dead Hot: Season of the Witch (2022) – Vanity Project

Less a horror movie and more a Vanessa Hudgens vanity project. Dead Hot sees the former High School Musical star set out to Salem with her best friend musician GG Magree to learn about the history of Witches. Featuring a few amateur paranormal investigations, a few interviews with hokey “experts” and a whole lot of two people in their mid 30s acting like teens. Dead Hot describes itself, bizarrely, as a coming of age tale. A statement that seems increasingly strange as the movie goes on.

Unless you are a Hudgens fan with a massive tolerance for two incredibly privileged people complaining about their lot in life. You might want to skip this one. It is nauseating and painful to watch. I think Hudgens is a talented person but this movie ain’t it! Weirdly enough, this one disappeared briefly and shows as available in late July? Check out our full review of Dead Hot here.

The Amityville Curse (2023) – House of Bores

Man I didn’t think a movie with a decent enough budget and a well known cast could be so bad. The Amityville Curse is awful. Following a group of friends purchasing the notorious Amityville house with the intention of converting it into condos and flipping it. It isn’t long before things start going wrong and the purchase looks like a huge mistake.

This has a well known group of actors and is based on the Hans Holzer novel but still manages to be complete garbage. Featuring terrible visuals, no scares, a ridiculous plot and some truly laughable scenes. This movie misses on just about every shot it takes. It might actually be the worst movie to bear the Amityville name which is really saying something. Not at all worth your time. Check out our full review of The Amityville Curse here.

Caviar (2022) – Conspiracy Mess

This might be the worst movie on the list. Following the story of a social media influencer taking over the channel of her deceased brother, before uncovering a world of conspiracy and deceit. Caviar is a movie that very much fancies itself as an artsy exploration into the darker side of misinformation. What it actually comes across as is a movie made by a director that has limited skill and a grade school level curiosity in conspiracy theories.

Utilising deep fake technology that often looks utterly farcical to progress its story. Caviar is a silly movie that looks beyond bad in parts. With terrible effects and misguided visuals. Boring, pretentious and poorly acted. I would take any movie on this list over Caviar, even Forest of Death. Check out our full review of Caviar here.

The Final Verdict

And that wraps up our month-long deep dive into the weird, wild, and often questionable world of low-budget horror on Tubi. While the hit rate wasn’t exactly sky-high, discovering gems like Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism and ReSet made sifting through the digital bargain bin worth the effort. It proves that even with zero budget, creativity can still shine through – though sometimes you have to wade through a swamp of Shark Bait to find it.

If you are looking for more streaming recommendations that (mostly) won’t waste your time, check out our list of 15 Horror Movies With Social Media Influencers, which features a few Tubi titles that actually get it right. Or, if you want to cleanse your palate with something premium, head over to our Horror Movie Reviews section. Thanks for reading Knockout Horror, and happy streaming!

🗑️ Quick Picks: The Best Low Budget Horror Movies on Tubi by Vibe

The “Hidden Gem” Pick: Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism (2023)
For when you want quality. A genuinely shocking and well-acted crime horror that punches way above its weight. It is the best Tubi Original by a mile.

The “Sci-Fi” Pick: ReSet (2022)
For when you want a cool concept. A Happy Death Day style time loop thriller that tackles modern themes with a surprising amount of heart and humor.

The “Found Footage” Pick: Death of a Vlogger (2019)
For when you want a scare. A mockumentary that understands the internet age perfectly. It blends paranormal chills with social commentary effectively.

The “Performance” Pick: Lexi (2022)
For when you want a character study. Victoria Vertuga writes, directs, and stars in this one-woman show about the mental decline of a stalked influencer.

The “Road Trip” Pick: The Andy Baker Tape (2021)
For when you want family drama. A slow-burn found footage movie filmed during lockdown that relies on strong chemistry rather than expensive effects.

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