Paranormal Activity Review
Sep 25, 2009 by Kofi Outlaw‘Scariest Movie Ever’ is a tall order to fill, but Paranormal Activity is definitely a serious fright flick that will continue to creep you out long after the movie ends.
Screen Rant’s Kofi Outlaw Reviews Paranormal Activity
[Check out our Paranormal Activity 2 review]
Paranormal Activity is a little film that was reportedly made for $11,000 over the course of a seven-day shoot by writer/director/producer/editor Oren Peli, and stars newbies Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat and the couple’s camcorder.
The ghost story is pretty straightforward: Katie and Micah (the actors use their real names in the film) are a young couple who have been together for about a year or two and have recently taken the plunge of moving in together. Soon after, they begin to experience weird paranormal activity taking place in their home – lights and sinks turning on and off, doors slamming, etc. Katie soon reveals that this isn’t the first time she’s been “haunted by ghosts” – when she was 8, she had re-occurring visits from a shadowy apparition and her family’s home was eventually burned to the ground without explanation. Since then, the apparition has followed Katie wherever she goes, “visiting” her from time to time, up to the present. Micah wishes that Katie had told him all this BEFORE they moved in together.
Katie is freaking out about the reappearance of her ghostly stalker, but Micah (of course) is too MANLY to believe in such nonsense, so he invests in a top-grade camera, some top-grade mini microphones and sound recording software, in order to wire the house for a ghost-hunting experiment. Our POV is that of the camcorder and boom mic, as they record the paranormal happenings taking place in Katie and Micha’s home over the course of about three weeks.
That’s the setup, and it would be hard to go much deeper without dropping some major SPOILERS.
I can tell you that Katie and Micah bring in a psychic (Michael Bayouth) who determines that what they’re facing isn’t a ghost trying to establish communication, but rather a malevolent demon, hell bent (pun intended) on claiming Katie’s soul. The psychic tells Katie and Micah that they need to bring in a “demonologist” to help exorcise the evil spirit – only the guy is currently vacation, so they’ll have to wait it out. In the meantime, the psychic breaks down a few demon rules for the couple (and us) to understand:
- There is no running from it – leave the house and the spirit will only follow.
- The spirit feeds off negative energy (anger, fear, etc).
- Don’t do ANYTHING to enrage or attract the demon – especially buying a Ouija Board.
Of course, if you’ve ever seen a horror movie before you know that the rules are only there to be broken by doomed fools. Katie is all nervousness and pragmatism (“Honey, let’s just stop and ask for directions…”), but Micah, the skeptic, would rather “man-up” and handle things his own way (read: pacing the house, challenging the evil spirit to show itself). Smart idea.
The best horror movies are the ones that exploit our deep-seated anxieties about real-life events or situations. The Exorcist was every parent’s worst nightmare: their innocent child suffering a terrible affliction; Rosemary’s Baby played upon the high-anxiety of pregnancy and child-rearing; Hitchcock’s Psycho gleefully exploited the near-universal fear of random, unprovoked violence. Paranormal Activity will stand out for a long time in my mind (and I’m sure others) because it hits just the right panic buttons inside the brain: the familiar fear of the creaky, empty house at night – but more importantly, the high-anxiety of being in a relationship.
The latter theme is only subtly touched on, due to the nature of the POV (it would’ve stupid to have the couple record their dramatic fight moments), but that current is always on and running, coursing through the cinematic subtext. Anybody you partner with in life is bound to come with baggage – Katie’s baggage just so happens to be a freaky demon. Micah is portrayed as something of an alpha-male stereotype – brash and insensitive a lot of the time, you know the picture – but also as a guy who is genuinely trying to help his chick sort out all of the crazy in her past, so they can be happy together in the present. And, like real-life relationships, sometimes the best intentions…
Continue reading our Paranormal Activity Review
Our Rating:
4 out of 5
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Well said, John “Kahless” Taylor!
If this is the kind of response and attitude that comes from opinions about a MOVIE, imagine how it will be with important issues? No wonder…
Saw this movie last night and thought 98% of it was great. The 2% of it I thought was corny was: at the end when Katie lunged towards the camera and her face was the face of the demon and when “And Katie’s whereabouts are unknown.” Minus these small clips, the rest of the movie did its job. It was way creepy and made me feel uneasy/kinda nauseous for some reason.
I’m not usually scared of any sort of horror movies — I thoroughly enjoy them — however, despite not being “scared,” I was anxious and creeped out for the majority of the film.
Also knowing that it was based off of real events of paranormal phenomena made it even better/creepier. I also enjoyed the fact that it was based around a demonic possession rather than a haunting; wasn’t expecting that.
Sure it was kind of slow in the beginning, but I thought the build up was good. The ending was definitely the best part of the entire movie. Yeah, sure, you could say some of the movie is illogical, especially if you don’t believe in paranormal phenomena, but it was all well done. Someone here posted that they wished Katie would have acted “more possessed” than she actually was, but I think that would have been overkill and made it corny/less realistic.
I don’t know what other people expected before seeing this, but I got what I expected (for the most part) and more (like the demonic possesion).
All in all, it was well worth seeing (in theaters), especially if you live in an old house that creeks and makes weird noises in the night.
P.S. It was not nearly as shaky as people say. Cloverfield makes this movie look like they used a tripod.
Kahless, you’re such a poopy jerk for saying that about name calling!
lol.
well said, mate.
back to the topic at hand – paranormal activity did not do it for me.
girlfriend was petrified, but it didn’t really hold my attention. i’m not pissed off about it like some people seem to be. i guess some people just feel ripped off.
so i understand why someone may not like parannormal activity, but i don’t get being so furious over it. if you didn’t get into it just move on to the next thing and hopefully that will be more satisfying. we saw a screening of fourth kind and to me that was way more engrossing and chilling. maybe that will be more up your ally.
My wife and I were given the bootleg version that has the cops ending. So instead of watching it in the theatre like We planned we watched it at home with friends.
I don’t think this is a communal movie. .The people, who thought this movie was crappy, probably talked too much during it. Or tried to compare it to other movies they’ve seen. OMG- the movie was made for what 11 grand. Get over it! I am a horror buff and have seen them all. I prefer the supernatural thrillers over gore. And this movie creeped me out. It’s a subtle scary. Like when micha found the photo in the attic, or when Katie telling her past experiences to the psychic. That stuff is creepy. Things jumping out every 10 minutes is a cheap formula that has been done to tears. There is a ton of stuff you have to listen for in this film. Yes, It could have been scarier. They could have played with the darkness in the hallway more, followed through with who Diana was, and should have had the demonologist come over. I recommend this movie. Just like the Blair witch – if there wisent something to it, why are people getting so worked up about it? Were there message boards like this for final destination 3 or hostel part 2 or saw part 6.. NO!! Because, Those movies are the real dumps of horror, not this one.
well i saw it a week ago but havent had the chance to post a comment. i think if you believe in that sorta stuff then yeah its scary as hell lol. but if you dont and your just some adrenaline junkie looking for a good gore fest then its not your movie. personally i liked it, even though i thought michah was kinda a jerk lol the ending was horrid. and the the scenes where she got dragged outta bed and where she said everything was going to be alright. was very creepy i still think the ending was to quick.
this movie was the stupidest movie in the world. Its got so much hype about it like oh this movie is so scary, It was the best movie in the world blah blah blah. thi amovie sucked. I shouldn’t of even took my time to watch this piece of crud. Well theres 90minutes of my life ‘ll never get back. i can’t believe this movie was number 1 in th ebox office. I bet those people want there moneyh back.
REFUND REFUND REFUND
Wow. Alot of negative comments. I’m not saying this was the best movie but I thought it was pretty good. It did not follow your normal movie same old same old. Maybe that’s what everyone wants. The same stuff over and over. If this was the worst movie of all time, what horror movie’s or movie’s in general do you people feel that are good?
The best “paranormal activity” movie of all time? THE EXORCIST hands down..bar none..the most devilishly scary movie you will ever see.
I agree 100% RiptheWorld but that was a given. The comments on here were stating that ‘paranormal activity’ was the worst movie of all time. That’s what prompted me to post.
@Brad
I definitely don’t consider PA as the worst movie of all time; in fact, considering that I thought the theatrical ending was pretty good, I’ll give it 3 out of 5 instead of 2.5/5. For me, the worst movie of all time would probably be Howard the Duck or Battlefield Earth; the worst horror movie would probably be Leprecaun. Like RipTheWorld, I consider The Exorcist as the best horror movie.
This movie was creative with very little. It was creepy as hell. Obviously most of you are just used to big, flashy effects, gore and other ways to throw money at a movie to make it “scary”. This movie returns to the most basic aspect of fear, the unknown and what you can’t see. It moves slow for a reason, people. Take your Ritalin and give it a chance.
It was scary and if you wait til the end of the movie you would see a statement that says “All the characters and events portrayed in the photoplay are ficticious” and are the Sole property of the those who actually shot the footage. The statement at the start of the film was just to add the Scare Factor and obviously it worked! There was a lot of waiting to see something happen but when it did I jumped right out of my seat!
this movie is an absolute joke and the most boring film I have ever seen. If you are scared by this junk, then you must be afraid of your own shadow. My 6 year old watched it and said it was stupid.
Scariest movie ever, HA!
People who HATED PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, I’m interested to know the list of movies that DID scare you. Sound off.
What would somebody bringing a 6 year old into a movie like this be thinking? How many F bombs were dropped in the movie? Was it the fact that this movie was billed to be one of the scariest movies of all time that made you feel that it was the perfect fit for your 6 year old? Does rated R mean anything to you. Sorry I should stick to the subject of the film and not let what other parents do bother me but this just seems to be unbelievable to me that there is such misguidance of kids these days. No wonder there is so much disrespect from them these days since there seems to be so little good examples to follow in their lives.
As far as the movie goes I feel it was ok if you are not looking for special effects. It felt like something that could really happen with a few cheesy moments thrown in. I was able to allow myself to get into it thanks to the place being filled with mature adults and not laughing jackasses with little kids in tow.
I have to agree with all the other commenters, I guess it just depends on each individual. the person who told me about this movie was so shaken & still frightened a few days later, that made me want to watch it so bad. (I love horror movies)So I stood up my 5 year old little girl on Holloween (she went with her dad) & invited my 15 year old to watch it. Lets just say I really wish I would have gone trick o treating instead.
The list of movies that did scare me: The Sixth Sense (Loved it), The Ring (Did not like that one at all…but it did scare me), Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby, The Village, House on Haunted Hill(The original one),The Others. Probably some others that I cannot remember right now. I most like creepy ghost stories or psychological thrillers. No hack ‘em up, crazy monsters, demons, etc. PA tried to do the psychological creepy thing…but for me it failed. Noises too loud! Dragging too extreme…so much so that it actually struck me funny. And he worries what is in the attic after she is dragged down the hall? Hard to connect with a character that stupid.
@Diane
You were scared of The Sixth Sense and The Village? And The Others?! And you like “creepy ghost stories/psychological thrillers,” but you don’t think this movie was creepy and/or scary at all? What movie were you watching?
Next you’ll say Signs was terrifying but The Audition tried too hard to be creepy or scary.
I really wanted so much to like this movie, the hype was amazing, and I love horror/thriller films…but it was disappointing. At first it seemed believable that this could be real, but toward the end the acting became obvious. There was no part the scared me at all..i slightly jumped when the door slammed shut..but that’s all. O wow, some footprints in baby powder…quick cover your eyes.
The end was a cop out..so I guess she was possessed? ha yea ok. Like how can you people find this the least bit horrifying? I don’t understand!!…and for the previous comment about movies that actually scare me: None really…
Wow, watched this movie 2 nights ago and when I put those lights out at night, I’m STILL thinking about it!! Really freaked me out and yes, the start might seem a little slow but it’s supposed to be footage of a normal couple going about their normal lives. You’re getting to know the characters and their relationship with each other. This is what horror is all about, something that will really scare you because you can have a belief in it. If it’s blood and gore and torture you’re after, go see any of the Saw movies which can hardly be described as “scary”. If you want ghouls and demons jumping about in front of the camera, this ain’t for you. I think this is a fantastic, chilling movie and can’t believe it was made for such a low budget. The actors were fantastic too. What do you guys want? A final showdown with Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees all jumping out of the attic?? Yawn, sooooo not scary!! I actually jumped into bed that night, grabbed hold of my bf and said “Please don’t let anything happen to me!” That’s how SCARED it left me, really freaked out. Think he kinda liked it though and will no doubt be looking for another scary movie for us to watch…..!
@Joe Yep, and I really wanted to enjoy this movie. I had looked forward to it, and my son had told me it was great. Maybe the boring just totally outweighed the scary for me. I was with it when the door first moved,etc. But then they did stupid things…like the Oujia board catches fire….and we do not even see a reaction to that. Only the decoding of the message…no build up to discover there was a message on it. And as I said before, the noises were too much, the dragging too much….not realistic. And since they were going for realism, that ruined it for me. I believe in ghosts and have had real life experiences. So it is usually easy for me to buy in and be scared. But not this movie…I would rather watch Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, or TAPS on TV. For the record, I hated Signs and never heard of The Audition.
@Musicmaz I hate movies like you describe and in fact have never seen the movies with Freddy etc, and never will. I do not watch horror movies…or not on purpose at least. When I watch one I thought was just scary and it turns out to be one of those, it pisses me off and I hate it even if it scared me. I do not do blood and gore ever.
It is not the lack of that that did this movie in for me. I actually think they ruined it by going too far. I stated in my prior post…noises too loud, dragging too much. The footprints just ridiculous. Why would a spirit entity have to leave footprints?…although at least they acknowledged that. Maybe that was so we could see how truly stupid Micah was so we don’t regret the ending. There were parts of this movie I thought were creepy – her standing by the bed staring for hours…that was really freaky. But overall…nope. My husband said it was the worst movie he ever saw. I won’t say that, but it was not what I expected and I am really sorry about that. I wanted it to be good!
@Diane
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235198/ Go ahead and watch that movie
this was one of the worst movies i have seen in a long time..it was hyped so much ..not only i wasted my own time but my frns time as well…there was not even a single scary moment ..most of my friends slept off..disappointing
@jonathan
I’m glad you think it was one of the worst movies you’ve seen in a long time because it was hyped so much.
I don’t get those who were disappointed by it, I have to say! Diane (“the noises were too much, the dragging too much”)- sorry, is there a sort of SCALE for these types of things?? Who’s to say how loud or quiet these things should be?? (“The footprints just ridiculous. Why would a spirit entity have to leave footprints?”) Why would a DEMON do anything? The whole thing with a demon is that it will mess with your mind, it feeds off of things like depression, fear, negative emotion. Did you want it to emerge in a white sheet going “Boo”?!! You say you have had real life experiences, well so have I. Thankfully not with a demon though. Who knows why the things happened in my house, but they did and they completely unnerved me. All the other films you mentioned didn’t scare me, well not after the duration of the film. This one is still in my mind and I still hang on to my bed covers in the middle of the night…..just in case! lol I suppose we’re all very different judging by this forum! I’m going to watch it again at the weekend with my sister, she will be out of her mind and the poor soul lives on her own as well, oh dear!! he he
Worst movie Ever
Screenrant staff, is there two different endings to this movie? I only ask, because…well I have “copy” of it.
Musicmaz – Your points are all good except that this movie was trying to look real. You know anyone in real life who got dragged down a hall by a demon? I don’t. But I know plenty who have seen, heard, felt things. And I think most people do, even if they do not believe themselves. I just think a more subtle approach would have felt more real and maybe I could have bought into it more. But still so much of it was boring… The covers moving was a good touch. The lady down the hall from me right now says a ghost sat on her bed. So hang on to those covers! )))