A superlative example of how to do more with less.

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2009)

I found out about this movie before it even had a page on the IMDb, so I've been waiting a LONG time to see it.
I was afraid that after having anticipated it for so long I would be disappointed. That was not the case.
Paranormal Activity is one of those rare movies that stays with you long after it's ended because the storytelling is so deftly handled. Very simple elements, almost bordering on clichés, are used in a way I can only describe as virtuoso. The sound of footsteps proceeding and receding, seeing a light turn on & off down the hallway, the slight movement of a door in the context of the plot take on a significance way beyond what you would have thought possible. My fears that I would be underwhelmed were unfounded.
The biggest surprise to me was the amount of humor in the movie. The best scary movies have elements of humor in them to prevent them from being too grim to enjoy. The humor in Paranormal Activity not only served as a contrast to the intensity of the more frightening scenes, but also helped the audience to empathize with Katie and Micah, who were a likable couple, even though Micah was some what of a horses ass at times.
My only complaints are minor ones. There was a low hum - almost like a contra-bass note, that clued you in something was about to happen - it was unnecessary and distracting. Also, it is well known that the ending is not the original and involves a little CGI. Even though I liked the ending and found it especially disturbing, the fact that the effects went beyond the reality of the entire movie to that point took the movie out of character a little and made it less believable. I certainly hope the DVD release contains the other endings as bonuses (I have heard there are three different endings).
To be honest the closest any other movie has ever come to getting under my skin and gnawing at me after it was over was REC (not the useless and unnecessary 'Quarantined' remake). While REC was more like a roller coaster ride, Paranormal Activity is more like an intense nervous breakdown.
I've seen a lot of scary movies, and Paranormal Activity is right up there with the best of them, if not on top, certainly within spittin' distance.