A very clever and creative scare-fest.

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2010)

Well, Paranormal Activity. This is an interesting film to talk about because I didn't even go because of any hype. In fact, I had never heard of it and only went because I happened to be in London one day and discovered that it was on in a cinema near to where I was. Being better choice than Full Moon, I decided that it was the only decent thing on and went to see.
The general story follows a couple in San Diego, Katie and Micah. Katie has been followed by a ghoulish entity for a long time, and it has inexplicably re-appeared. Micah decides to record the goings-on at night and bravely - but foolishly - tries to see if he can fix the problem. Gradually because of his recordings and attempts to communicate with it, the creature - revealed to be not just a ghost, but a demon, ups the ante and increases it's terrorising actions in the night, until...well you'll have to watch the film.
The film gets a bit boring in between scares, and sometimes you know the demon is coming in the night shots when you hear a slow rumble you know something is going to happen, though some things that happen are scary enough to still freak you out. With only a couple of characters, the acting is far more intense, and unlike many others, you find yourself giving a (beep) about these characters unlike most horror films where they are just meat for the grinder.
The true strengths that this film is built on are not so much what happens, but the ideas that are portrayed, that tap into your primal fears. From something that goes 'bump' in the night, to more extreme noises, violence being done on you while you sleep, being stared at for long periods of time while you sleep, someone you know, love and trust turning on you all of a sudden, and the fact that it happens in an ordinary house like, say, for example, Yours!
Very little is shown until the end - although that largely depends on what ending they show you - and that is what makes it scary. For me, I found that the scariest thing about the movie was that many of the things it showed involved the imaginary night time scenarios that I've always feared in my darkest nightmares!
Of course some people don't find it scary, but it depends on what floats your boat. If you're a gorehound, don't bother because there is almost none, otherwise, take a look! Sleep tight!