A groundbreaking, albeit flawed, film

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2012)

Groundbreaking on its initial release, 'Paranormal Activity' still ranks as one of the best found-footage films, in my opinion. It's a pretty amazing achievement of the production team to make the film on such a tiny budget. Where this succeeds is where so many modern horrors fail: the ability to create a sense of fear and dread without relying on shocks and monsters. Don't get me wrong, we do have these in the movie, but there is more of the psychological terror that an audience would respond best to.
It's not without its flaws though. The film is best during the night scenes, when the couple are asleep and the paranormal activities happen. Scenes during the day are pretty boring and not really worth much. The lead couple are good enough, but the several supporting cast are archetypal and dull. There is also a certain amount of suspension of disbelief required, which jars the film a bit. Why is the camera never put down during serious moments? Why don't they just leave? Obviously, these things remain for the sake of the storytelling, so you can let them off a bit. I only wish there was no need to.
I haven't seen the sequels yet, but I've heard they're nowhere near as good. This, though, really was a good film. Despite its flaws, you can't deny that the film is genuinely terrifying at times.