The 'Un-Horror' Movie That Scares Up Goosebumps Galore

Rating: 8/10 (17 October 2009)

"Paranormal Activity" ranks as a good horror chiller that leaves more than enough to your imagination to give you goosebumps galore. It is not one of those pverdone, CGI movies that sets out to scare the crap out of you with buckets of blood and gore backed up by state-of-the-art elaborate, mind-boggling special effects. Instead, this $15-thousand dollar budgeted, minor masterpiece works for its scary moments primarily with subtlety. Freshman writer & director Orel Peli takes his time, carefully develops the action, acquainting us with two very believable characters and makes them seem sympathetic to us. These are not phony, Hollywood idiot characters begging to be possessed. Furthermore, Peli had the good sense to narrow the focus of the picture down to the two foremost characters and not burden us with distractions. In other words, virtually all the action in "Paranormal Activity" occurs in a house that really isn't that big. The weakest moments occurs with the Ouija board mysteriously bursting into flames and the sight of the demon's hoof-like feet when it traipses through the hero's trail of power on the floor.
Katie has been plagued by demons her entire life. She believes that one burned down her home when she was child. Ostensibly, they have returned to make her life miserable. Now, her loyal boyfriend--a San Diego day-trader who takes none of this hokum seriously--resolves to protect Katie. First, he buys a digital video camera and hooks it up to his laptop and leaves it on at night while they sleep. Okay, this part sounds a little like the infamous "Blair Witch Project," but "Paranormal Activity" does not act stupid like BWP. Second, Micha wants to contact the demon but a professional ghost hunter warns him not to do it. Of course, things go bump in the night, leaves burned photos of Katie in the attic and eventually makes our heroine do some odd and unusual things at night, like stand by her bed and watch the sheet slip off the bed while her boyfriend sleeps peacefully. What makes this picture so hypnotic is its utter simplicity. Basically, everything is seen through the lens of Micah's camera. The ending will jolt you.