A Good Movie but the Hype was a bit Overkill

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2009)

*Spoilers are contained*
(I must note, i am a bit of a sceptic when it comes to the paranormal as I have previously looked into research around such subject which i must admit ruined the imagination of the film for me a bit :/ ) As an avid fan of all things horror, this was a good film to watch, as it gets away from the typical norms of the 'teen slasher' routine which is constantly appearing on our screens, time and time again.
The general plot was good, the idea of there being a demon which has followed the female character Katie around since the age of eight. However, what i was disappointed in was the attempt usage sub plots within the film.
The Ouija board scene was okay, however, i felt as if the story of Diane could have contained more of a deeper storyline compared to that of a simple website reference of 'oh yeah, the same thing happened to her'.
Both scenes in which the photograph in the attic is found as well as the smashing photograph of the wall could have been developed a little further, as they just seemed to happen, the couple were like "OH MY GOD" and then that was it.
Also, the night vision scenes in the bedroom were very well made, with the amount of tension and build up of activity happening over a vast periods of nights, however, it seemed as though in some parts, as soon as any movement was heard, either Katie or Micah woke up and reacted too quickly, loosing the scare element which i think could of been heightened much further.
Even though i went to see this (this evening in fact) with a sold out cinema house, thankfully the rest of the cinema watching were all of an older, more mature audience, which eliminated anyone ruining the (you could call it) 'illusion' of the scares during the film.
For me, I did like the ending (as i did find myself hiding behind my hands at one point ha) and i thought it was a clever way to end the film. I am intrigued to see what the original ending was though! Regarding to actors, i felt that both Katie Featherstone and Micha Solat had really good chemistry on screen and as well as acting incredibly well in these roles, they are what made the film. I think that if they had hired any well-known actors for such parts, it would have lost its appeal and seriousness almost immediately.
Overall, I did enjoy this film. It was good to see it being filmed from a personal point of view, emphasising the realism of the movie, which, without a doubt was the key element in making this film work. The actors worked well, the scares were there, I just think that the mass hype that surrounded this film really did give me incredibly high expectations for it which were slightly disappointed at some points.
But that's just me! I'd still say go and see it ha :)