Too much hype about the hype of this movie!

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2009)

Okay here it goes. My first movie review on IMDb. And I'm so glad it happened to be this movie. I've seen too many reviews trashing this movie, saying that it's not scary, that it doesn't live up to the expectations/hype... I have only one question for them: Why would they build such lofty expectations from a movie that they know cost a few thousand more than a Birkin bag? For sure Paranormal Activity (PA) was not made to satisfy the CGI-spoilt, gore loving, severed arteries craving crowd that would excitedly place the 6th rendition of the rehash factory called Saw on their collectors' mantle and happily spend another $10 on the re-release of the first edition the next year just because it is in 3D!! I request you to stay away from PA, this is not for you.
This movie is all about atmosphere. The eerie silence of the night that crawls under your skin, making you nervous in anticipation. The classic horror style of walking its viewers the slow measured journey that builds tension and nervous anxiety with such method and to such an extent that the final outcome becomes immaterial, and the mere survival of the journey itself becomes the reward, the memory for the viewers. PA's characters, the setting, the story - all seep into your life so seamlessly, leaving you with empathy for the characters and a very tangible realization that this could happen to you.
Having said that, is it a perfect movie? No, it has its flaws. Where the actors react in very realistic, very believable ways, are those Oscar-worthy performances? No. Where the plot is simple and gripping, does it leave you with an empty climax? Yes.
But all said and done the movie delivers a punch on what it's set out to be: a horror that, every time you hear an unrecognizable 'thump' in your house at night, will leave you holding your breath uneasily, straining your ears through that eerie silence, hoping to hear the slightest sound of reassuring familiarity. It is for this reason alone, it deserves a commendable 9 stars!