An effective, unsettling experience!!!

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2010)

I was a a big fan of the Blair Witch when it came out in 1999. I do not consider myself an avid horror movie fan, but when I prefer a scary story over a lot of gore. That film worked because it created an inevitable sense of dread. Paranormal Activity takes the elements that worked in Blair Witch and improves on them. There is very little story, it basically involves a young couple named Katie and Micah that lives in San Diego that is experiencing creepy sounds in their home. Micah is filming in the house constantly in order to find evidence of the disturbances. Katie doesn't like it, but she goes along because she wants to find out what's going on. There really is no story here we just see this couple in there every day life, mostly at night when Micah sets up the video camera to film the whole night in the bedroom. The film is has a slow pace, the disturbances start to get worse as the film goes along. The movie isn't as much scary as it is unsettling. We have all been at home and heard a sound that creeped us out, the film does a great job at playing with sound and the visuals are simple but very effective. Door slams, banging sounds and some very simple but clever visual effects. The only setup there is to explain what is happening is that Katie experience similar disturbances as a child. Most of tension comes from the bedroom scenes. Micah sets up the camera in the bedroom on a stand and we see, at times with time lapse the couple sleeping, but the camera is positioned so that we could see the open door of the bedroom into the hallway. I don't like to give spoilers but the film does a terrific job scaring its audience. The movie does indicate that something is going on with a low frequency bass sound indicating that "something is there" and also uses shadows to indicate a presence.
The performances by the actors are good enough, we really don't get to know them and they are mostly having to react to what they see on camera the whole time, but they are believable as a couple. There are a couple characters such as a psychic that the couple brings in to help that provides a little comic relief. Needless to say if you buy in, you will have a good scare while seeing this film. I watched it in a half full theater and it is definitely the type of film that is better when watched with an audience.
Is is a great film, no. I feel that it is a great exercise in manipulating our basic fears. I feel that it also show that less is more sometimes in horror films, you don';t have to show blood and guts do scare an audience.
Grade: B