Horror fans are able to stream a 'clever' and 'chilling' cult classic for free this Halloween.
As we enter the month of October, many viewers will be wanting to get ready for spooky season by watching as many scary films and television shows as they can ahead of October 31.
There's no better way to begin than with a modern classic that was released twenty-five years ago.
Fans can watch The Blair Witch Project at no additional cost as the film has been added to the BBC iPlayer as part of the streaming service's spooky collection for the season.
Originally released in cinemas in 1999, the film became a watershed moment for horror movies and helped revive a subgenre all on its own with Collider labelling it a 'cult classic' in an updated review.
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Now, found footage films are much more commonplace more than twenty years later, with more recent examples of the genre including Late Night with the Devil, Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.
The film is supposed to be footage discovered among discarded cameras of young filmmakers who have gone missing.
The students set out to make a documentary about the mythical Blair Witch and marketing material ahead of the film's release even suggested that what the cameras filmed were real events.
They travel to Maryland in the United States to interview residents about the stories and rumours and they are told of a hermit who lives in the forest and is believed to have abducted and murdered children in his basement.
The trio become lost and they are hounded by mysterious goings on in the woods.
Reportedly made with a budget between $200,000 to $750,000, the film raked in more than $248m at the box office, making it one of the most successful independent films of all time.
The film has received its fair share of criticism since its initial release, but it still has many fans who praise its influence and position as a classic among horror films.
Sharing a review on Rotten Tomatoes, one fan said: "So convincing was this clever, chilling fake documentary that Donahue’s mother received sympathy cards from people who believed that her daughter was actually dead or missing."
Another added: "The Blair Witch Project is the most effective and unsettling horror movie in quite a long time. Just to clarify: after seeing this, you will not sleep well. Invest in a night light."
The Blair Witch Project is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
