| Director | Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez |
|---|---|
| Genre | found footage, horror film, mystery film, psychological horror |
| Runtime | 81 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $60,000 |
| Box office | $248.6 million |
In October 1994, film students Heather, Mike, and Josh set out to produce a documentary about the mythical Blair Witch. They travel to Burkittsville, Maryland, and interview residents about the myth. Locals tell them of Rustin Parr, a hermit who lived deep in the forest and abducted seven children in 1941; he murdered them all in his basement, killing them in pairs while having one stand in a corner, facing the wall. The students explore the forest in north Burkittsville to research the myth. They meet two fishermen, one of whom warns them that the forest is cursed. He tells them of a young child named Robin Weaver, who went missing in 1888; when she returned three days later, she talked about an old woman whose feet never touched the ground.
The students decide to hike to Coffin Rock for their first day in the woods due to its connection with the Robin Weaver story. Despite Robin returning to Burkittsville, one of the search parties that set out into the Black Hills Forest to look for her never came back. Eventually, another search party came across the bodies of the five missing men, their hands and feet tied together as they were ritualistically gutted and displayed upon Coffin Rock. They went back to town to gather help in burying the bodies of the missing search party, but upon returning to Coffin Rock, the bodies had vanished without a trace.
They camp for the night and, the next day, find an old graveyard with seven small cairns, one of which Josh accidentally knocks over. That night, they hear the sound of sticks snapping. The following day, they try to hike back to the car but cannot find it before dark and make camp. They again hear sticks snapping. In the morning, they find three cairns built beside their tent. Heather learns her map is missing; Mike reveals he kicked it into a creek out of frustration, which provokes a fight between the trio as they realize they are lost. They head south, using Heather's compass, and discover stick figures hanging from trees. They again hear mysterious sounds that night, including children laughing. After an unknown force shakes the tent, they run outside and hide in the forest until dawn.
Upon returning to their tent, they find their possessions have been rifled, and Josh's equipment is covered with slime. They come across the same river they crossed earlier and realize they have been walking in circles. Josh vanishes the next morning, and Heather and Mike fail to find him. That night, they hear Josh's agonized cries but are unable to locate him; they theorize that his yells are a fabrication by the Blair Witch to draw them out of their camp.
Heather discovers a bundle of twigs tied with fabric from Josh's shirt the next day. Upon opening the bundle, she finds a blood-soaked scrap of his shirt containing bloodied teeth and hair. Although distraught, she does not tell Mike. That night, she records herself tearfully apologizing to her, Mike's, and Josh's mothers, taking responsibility for their predicament. She admits that something evil is haunting them and will ultimately take them.
Later, they hear Josh's voice again calling for help and follow it to the abandoned ruins of a house, featuring children's bloody handprints on some of the walls. Trying to find Josh, they head to the attic but do not find him. Hearing the voice everywhere, Mike rushes downstairs, leaving Heather behind. As he enters the basement, an unseen force strikes Mike; he drops his camera and falls silent. A hysterical Heather enters the basement, to see Mike standing in a corner facing the wall, unresponsive to her screaming his name. The unseen force strikes Heather, causing her to drop her camera and fall silent as well; the camera then cuts to black.