Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity is a movie that everyone needs to see in theaters. Whether you hate scary movies or not, Paranormal Activity is one of the most creative pieces of film making that I have seen all year. Oren Peli has pulled off one of the most terrifying films in a long time and with only a budget of about $15,000. How Peli managed to capture the horror of an invisible presence is amazing. The evolution of the audiences petrification is fantastic especially since they are scared of a transparent entity on a film screen. Without an intense or deranged soundtrack or virtually any special effects, the film re-installs the child like fear of the boogeyman that kept you up all those nights in your childhood.
In a nutshell, Paranormal Activity is about a couple (Micah and Katie) who have moved into their first house together. Everything seemed to be going fine for their life and relationship until some weird occurrences start to happen around the house. Keys are found in the middle of the room in the morning and water faucets turn on all by themselves at night. As things begin to escalate, Katie confesses to Micah that she has been haunted by an entity ever since she was 8 years old. For a while it seemed to go away but since they moved into the house, the entity has reemerged to perform its old terrible tricks. Micah then decides to document the demon’s actions by playing with his new camera. Thus the movie comprised of the footage that he shoots over the course of the haunting which leads to a truly disturbing conclusion.
YAY:
- The movie is down right scary. Because the horror genre is so overly saturated with bland films that usually make absolutely no coherent sense, it is hard to even describe to another person what makes a truly good horror film scary. There aren’t any deranged monsters or over the top gore or “jump scare” moments. Instead, Paranormal Activity focuses on the most basic terror which nearly every person shares, what goes “bump” in the night. Everyone has a moment when they wake up in the middle of the night wondering what that creak noise was that woke them up. This film makes you feel that terror and also takes you beyond the question of “what was that?”. Peli gives the audience scenarios which ignite a real sense of dread for yourself instead of the couple on screen.
- Acting is pretty top notch in this film. Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat do a fantastic job at selling their romance as well as their genuine terror. Not once do you find that they break character or respond unrealistically. As you begin to put yourself in their shoes, you find that all of their responses to the demon, both correct and not correct, are actions that would not be put out of your own mind.
- Oren Peli, you are a director who deserves attention after this outing. The clever ways which he gives life and disturbing qualities to the demon which haunts Katie are just flat out awesome. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
- Finally, there is the demon who literally carries all of the horrific elements of the film. Whether it is simply walking up the stairs or causing things to burst into flame, this thing is scary as hell. What is even more awesome is that you never once actually get to see what it looks like which definitely adds to the horror.
NAY:
- It takes a bit of patience to get through the first 20 minutes of the movie as it is filled with character development. You may not care about what Katie does for a living, or aspires to be, but it is important to connect with her because she is the conduit for everything to happen. However, if you can last through these first measly minutes then you will be on a first class train to hell in the subsequent time after this minute mark.
- Not everyone is going to like the way this film is shot. The amateur camerawork will be ridiculed by elitist film goers who would rather pay money for a more well-done film. I say that is complete and utter garbage. However, I must say that the camera work is a gateway to experiencing this film and not everyone is going to be willing to pass through.
In short, Paranormal Activity may not be one of the scariest films of all time but it comes damn close. If there is anyone out there who is hungry for a true horror film then this is the best you’re going to get in this overly saturated market of absolute awful. If you hated the Blair Witch Project because the whole film was build up to a showdown with the supernatural which you never got to see, then you NEED to see this movie. Oren Peli and his cast over work to give you enough terror-filled minutes that will infect your dreams weeks after you watch it.
“…may not be one of the scariest films of all time but it comes damn close”
ROFL