Simple, edgy and an adrenalin shot for the horror genre.

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2009)

Empire magazine reviewer Simon Crook hit the nail firmly on the head when he proclaimed that Paranormal Activity is only as scary as you make it. With that, the film is sure to prove a most divisive piece amongst the horror faithful. For Oren Peli's film deals very much in the "what you don't see is what truly unnerves you" line of shiverdom. The premise is simple, young couple move into a new house and the lady of the house is being "haunted" by a demon {crucially not a ghost}. Trying to get to the bottom of the matter, the male protagonist sets up his new boy toy camera to record what exactly is making things go bump in the night as they try to sleep. What unfolds during each night is hold your breath in anticipation cinema.
Those that know a little about the subject at hand, re; the difference between a ghost and a demon haunting, will quite possibly benefit far more from Paranormal Activity's experience. More so if the thought of incubus/succubus type demons are the things that have been known to render sleepless nights. It's the basic fact that it's the person, and not the property, being haunted {tormented} that Peli is revelling in. With a slow build sense of dread, Peli plants us in a one room scenario, at first it's a noise here and there, a moving door, was that a shadow? Until nerves are frayed to such an extent one finds the eyes darting from side to side afraid of not just missing something, but afraid of actually seeing something! Quite a trick from the first time director. It all builds to a shattering climax, regardless of the ending one has witnessed since there's three known endings out there!
If one invests fully into the mood of the piece the rewards, and scares, are bountiful. It's not a film for the Hostel and Saw crowd, it's one for those who were chilled by the likes of The Entity and The Haunted, only this is infinitely far better than both of those film's put together. With it's one location set-up-two earthy unknown actors and stunning use of audio, Peli's $15,000 piece is a pant filler of a movie. Simple in structure and execution it may be, but the result for those inclined is one of this decades best horror movies. 9/10