The Phoenix Tapes '97

The Phoenix Tapes '97

Directed by Turner Clay

Produced by Phoenix Tapes Foundation

201667 min6.7 / 10

A found-footage conspiracy thriller built on the real Phoenix Lights incident, blending UFO mystery with government cover-up paranoia and the tragic disappearance of four campers.

In 1997, four campers went missing during the Phoenix Lights incident and their bodies were never found. The Phoenix Tapes 97 is comprised of their final footage. This film is dedicated to the lives lost during the events displayed. To their families and friends and to the authorities who continue to search for answers. ​ The tapes were found by Dustin Miller's father two years after Dustin was mysteriously shot and killed at a traffic stop in Texas. Peter Miller believes his son was acting as a whistleblower and had smuggled the tapes from his classified government agency in an effort to expose the truth as to what really happened to the four missing campers seen in the tapes. ​ After searching every newspaper and media publication around Phoenix during that time period, we only found one initial announcement that four campers were reported missing, as well as a formal police report folder with local PD but the folder had no files inside.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Phoenix Tapes '97 scary? Yes, very. More frightening than 97% of films.

  • Is The Phoenix Tapes '97 easy watching? Barely. Less comforting than 86% of films.

  • Does The Phoenix Tapes '97 end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 83% of films.

  • Is The Phoenix Tapes '97 sad? Yes. More sad than 75% of films.

  • Is The Phoenix Tapes '97 violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

73/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Distinctly its own thing.

Rarity73

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise94

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love55

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Phoenix Tapes '97

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Phoenix Tapes '97

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Phoenix Tapes '97, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Phoenix Tapes '97, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Phoenix Tapes '97, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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