Better then the Blair witch...depending...

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2009)

This movie has been compared to the Blair Witch Project due its "real life, hand held cam-corder" scenario. I remember when I first watched that movie, I was in 7th grade and my sister was like "mom would be so pi**ed if she knew I let you watch it." Not only was it the least scary movie I had ever seen, it was unrealistic. Although I saw it in the middle of the day on DVD.
Paranormal activity is definitely a movie you need to see in theaters. Everyone can relate to hearing a strange noise, a creek in the house or that bump in the night. This movie takes it to a whole different level. Its in this way that the movie makes it more relate-able to the audience then movies of its kind in the past. Its this relate-ability that makes the movie more creepy, as opposed to outright scary. Its the things you don't see rather then what you do that will freak you out the most. The movie makes you feel safe in the day time scenes, and dread bed time, because you know something strange is about to happen. It keeps you in anticipation throughout the whole movie, and makes you genuinely concerned for the main character's welfare toward the end.
The downsides to this movie is that its a little predictable. During the middle of the movie I could already tell how it was going to end, but it was still chilling to say the least. The only thing I would change is to have more of a build-up for the end.
Don't go into this movie expecting blood and gore and people hacking each other up. And please, do this movie justice and see it in theaters, so you don't have the same tragic perspective like I did with the Blair witch project.