Review: Paranormal Activity

Or: Wait, It Isn’t a Documentary?

Paranormal Activity is the latest in a long line of movies that uses a faux-"documentary” approach to add a little touch of realism to the film, following in the footsteps of The Blair Witch Project and the more recent Cloverfield. Sure, this technique has been done to death, but Paranormal Activity proves that it is still effective, and in the process manages to present a truly frightening horror film.

The plot follows Katie and Micah, a couple who has been together for quite some time and has recently moved in together. At the start of the movie we learn that Micah has purchased a camera in order to capture “paranormal activity” (see what they did there?) that may or may not have been occurring in their house. As the film progresses, the audience finds out that Katie has been haunted by this spirit (which is identified as a demon by a paranormal expert the couple calls on for help) since she was a young girl.

Where the film really shines is in its escalation. At first the movie simply takes its time introducing us to the two characters, their home, and their situation. It's only at about the 15-20 minute mark that we finally start to see some real scares. This lead up causes some serious anticipation, and makes something as small as a door moving on its own seem extremely scary.

The actions of this demon soon grow in severity as Micah attempts to communicate with it (despite the warnings of the aforementioned paranormal expert). Eventually, the actions become truly terrifying, but it is in the subtlety that this movie truly excells. Little touches, like the low grumbling sound present just before anything big happens and the odd movement of shadows on walls, really add an atmospheric and creepy touch to the film.

However, one of my biggest gripes with the film is the ending. Without spoiling it, a lot of the subtlety is lost at the very end , replaced instead with a more “jump out at you” scare tactic, that seems inconsistent with the rest of the film. Apparently the ending was changed at the suggestion of Stephen Spielberg, and to this I can only say, “why?” Having seen the original ending on youtube, I have to say that, while it may be a little drawn out, it’s still better.

The acting in the film is terrific, and helped along by the dialogue, make the characters truly believable, and almost immediately the audience is sympathetic to their cause. While the character of Micah comes off as a bit of (for lack of a better word) a douchebag, it makes his character a bit more flawed, and therefore, human.

Another small complaint I have with the film is the cinematography. There are a few scenes where the camera is supposed to be held, and yet it looks a little too perfect, bringing attention to the fact that the camera was set up instead of being held freely. It’s a small complaint, but it does ruin some of the immersion, if only for a few seconds.

Overall, despite the ending, the film still has a near-perfect escalation effect and paired up with the subtle horror present in the film, that makes it one of the best horror movies to come out in the past  decade. Not to mention the fact that it kept me up at night, and for that alone, I recommend Paranormal Activity.

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