"Cannibal Holocaust" has had a significant influence on the horror genre, particularly in the 1980s. The film's graphic and disturbing content raised the bar for horror movies, pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on screen. The film's use of found footage and its presentation as a documentary-style film also influenced the found-footage horror genre, which became popular in the 2000s with films like "The Blair Witch Project" (1999).