Hunting Matthew Nichols

Grade: B-

Any found footage horror movie owes a debt to The Blair Witch Project. I give Hunting Matthew Nichols credit for being aware of this. It beats us to the punch by acknowledging it before any critics have an opportunity to ding it for being derivative. The 1999 movie is used as a jumping off point for the plot. Hunting Matthew Nichols is about two teenage boys who went missing on October 31, 2001. Being aspiring filmmakers, they went into the woods with a camcorder, on a mission to do their own Blair Witch remake, or something similar.

The marketing for The Blair Witch Project maintained the mystery of whether the events were real. Eventually, word got around that it was a movie, and the three main characters were actors. Hunting Matthew Nichols is presented with the same “could it be real, and if so, how much” vibe. The best reason to see it is to appreciate the intriguing fusion of various acting styles. It’s real and staged on different levels. Director Markian Tarasiuk uses his actual name, and basically plays himself, as does Ryan McDonald. It’s set in 2023, 22 years after the disappearance of then 17-year-old Matthew Nichols and his friend Jordan Reimer. Tarasiuk and McDonald are making a documentary about it, and that is how we take in the film.

There were three theories about what happened to Matthew and Jordan. One, they called “Runaways” (they skipped town and snuck out somewhere like Hollywood to try to make it in the movie business). That one was put to bed, as no airport/bus/etc security footage yielded any results. Another, they called “Foul Play.” Self-explanatory, and easily ruled out. The third option is that something supernatural happened to them. 22 years after the last time they were ever seen, Matthew’s younger sister Tara – understandably – hasn’t been able to let go. She works with Tarasiuk and McDonald to dig some more, and film everything along the way. Worst case scenario, she’ll find out that the boys are no longer alive, and be able to give them a proper goodbye. 

Or maybe that’s not the worst case scenario.

The location and events are fictional, but the incorporation of real names, and the raw documentary motif all bring an eeriness to it. Miranda MacDougall is convincing as Tara, and I hope to see more of her. The other standout performance is Christine Willes as Pam Hamilton, a lead investigator on the case, who agreed to be interviewed all these years later. The two of them have a great scene in Pam’s home. It’s the most actory part of the movie, and they both seem like they’re trying to get Oscars, but it’s a powerful bit of heightened cinematic drama in what is otherwise a naturalistic atmosphere.

We don’t get many answers by the end, but the final act is enjoyable to watch. It’s an appropriately unsettling audio and visual feast. Another element lifted from The Blair Witch Project is the shot of a person’s backside, as they stoically stand there, directly facing something. That happens here. The film also copies the time lapse shot with the quickly scrolling timestamp – made famous by Paranormal Activity.

I recently observed that Faces of Death (2026) resembles Joel Schumacher’s 8MM, out in 1999 – and how it was interesting to see a similar story told 27 years later, with the technology we have now but didn’t have then. Now we have another cinematic throwback, a decade and a half removed. In many ways, Hunting Matthew Nichols is The Blair Witch Project again, but from the point of view of the remaining family members still seeking answers – with an updated filmmaking style. You could never accuse it of being the most original idea in the world, and it’s smart to telegraph “Yes – we know.” Most of it isn’t particularly scary, but as an experiment, it works well enough. I said the same thing about the O.G. back in the summer of 1999.

Grade: B-