Proves you don't need millions of dollars to make a great film

Rating: 8/10 (30 March 2010)

It makes me happy to see a film of this sort get such an audience. This is what a film should be about. Not huge effects. Not millions of dollars. Not big names and huge studio backing. It should be about effective film-making. And that's exactly what Paranormal Activity does right.
What worked most effectively for me was the sense of dread that permeates throughout. The film has an incredible use of negative space. You constantly feel as thought something horrible is going to happen. Most of this occurs while the couple is sleeping. Unfortunately, the dread over shadows what DOES happen most of the time, which typically involves some minor incident involving a noise or a door. There are a few disturbing scenes involving some sleepwalking. But the majority of what makes the film so effective is the fact that nothing happens.
That being said, the film loses its steam a bit when dealing with the "real" issues, such as the couple bickering and such. It bothered me that the bf would continue to record despite the pleas of his gf. I would think any other dope would turn it off. It does add some drama to what is happening, but otherwise distracts. Certainly the use of a camcorder is effective, but the film quality was a little too good for me. Surprisingly, I think a less quality camera here would have been more effective, as the home made film quality would have been upped.
Luckily, the film sticks to what works well here, and that is its minimalist approach. By not showing a whole lot, we get a whole lot of dread and creepiness. It's something the filmmakers seem to know very well and it definitely pays off.