Draws on innate human terrors, but falls short

Rating: 6/10 (24 October 2009)

When I first heard, by some accounts, that this was as scary or scarier than the Exorcist, I was immediately skeptical. To a degree, I hoped I was wrong, but I was not.
The film is shot in mockumentary style, which is a device used to boost the "scare factor." People are more likely to be frightened if horrific events are caught on home video. There are certainly moments that make you sit on the edge of your seat, but the actual pop-out moments are a little bit disappointing and anticlimactic.
Each night the couple films is supposed to get more and more frightening, which works to a degree, but that makes much of the film drawn out. The structure is lacking to a degree and parts are considerably predictable. The most frightening moments take place near the end of the movie.
The couple's experiences with the demon are not really consistent with what is conventionally known about demons, which raises a few eyebrows.
Overall, the movie does a good job of scaring most people (a girl in my theater even broke down crying afterwards) and does elicit a high suspense level, but it is by no means a great movie. The Exorcist does a better job at character development, conflict, and plot structure, which all help to boost the terror factor.