Stylistically scary and a bit eccentric

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2011)

I've been looking for reviews on here and was surprised at how split the opinions are. People either seem to love it or hate it. For one thing, when you combine the people from Saw and Paranormal Activity, you are likely to have an audience that does not overlap. I personally only really liked the first Saw and I love both PA's. I felt that Saw 2+ became more like Final Destination where each sequel only seemed to push boundaries and create gruesome situations instead of providing a solid plot line. Therefore, I feel that may be part of the rift between opinions.
That said, I'll share mine. I was very surprised with this movie. Like many other people said, I thought it would be the type where you could predict everything and always be ready for what's coming. I'm not a screamer and only really cringe at detailed gore, but this movie kept me uneasy until the end. There are moments of comic relief where you can relax momentarily, but not for long.
I feel that's worth mentioning. Many people complain that it tries to be too funny at times or over the top. From the title card, it gave me the feeling of a Dario Argento flick, more like his older ones such as Suspiria. I personally find that refreshing. But what I really want to say is that I think this movie includes these moments to show that it's not taking itself too seriously. Not to say it is not scary, but I think it acknowledges that it's a bit humorous and eccentric at times. To me, the eccentricity of some of the characters in the movie, while some may call it cheesy, adds a dose of madness. A character like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees are straight up scary. But a character like Freddy Krueger is more eccentric and maniacal. Not to say characters in this movie are like Freddy, but insofar as that Freddy is eccentrically scary. His madness is what makes him so scary and I feel characters in this movies possess that same quality. I feel it might be fair to compare them to the style of the characters from Thir13een Ghosts as well.
I feel like this movie took a unique idea and executed it well. There were some parts I wasn't sure they could pull off, but I have to say, especially near the end I feel they pulled it off. There were parts that probably could have been progressed further or deeper, but it's not to the point that it ruins the movie for me. I also think the ending has a classic Argento feeling to it and contributes to what I said about it not taking itself too seriously. If you're going to like this movie, you'll likely still be creeped out at the end.
I really liked this movie, you may or may not. It depends on what you are willing to accept and what you consider to be scary. I especially am not impressed with movies that over-gore just to show off their great effects, so for this movie being a PG-13, I feel it managed a very high creep-factor without unnecessary gore.
Lastly a bit of advice: if you're the type that lingers after the credits...