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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I hate extreme god worshiping people seeing a movie is not going to turn your soul bad….quit thinking what god wants and just live your life how YOU want to….not every thing you do should relate to what god wants you to do…..there more evidence on evolution then a god anyways
I really enjoy horror movies. I like having the bejesus scared out of me. I watched The Shining when I was 9 and couldn’t get enough of it. At 14, I watched The Exorcist by myself. (This was a long time ago…) This movie? For those of you who feel similar about horror flicks? Save your money.
I just discovered this movie yesterday and I was intrigued. I was entertained by Blair Witch and I believe in ghosts, paranormal activity, etc.–needless to say, I went into the movie optimistic. Boy_was_I_wrong. I found this movie is not scary, but rather hokey. I understand what the premise was (the amateur filming, that is), but so much more could have been done. Although, those in the theater with me would disagree because I heard many screams and yelps at the appropriate moments. Why did I think it was it hokey? For crying out loud, do some research first when it comes to descriptions of paranormal activity: it’s more than mysteriously closing doors, noises, shadows, etc. For instance, one of the big things is the temperature change, which has been documented (for the skeptics out there). This was never mentioned and, honestly, that’s one of the places where the potential for believability and scariness tanked–for me, at least…but I may be more critical than others (Cripes, I found Sixth sense more believable). Anyway, I missed the last 5-10 minutes of the movie (which, I guess when all hell breaks loose, from what I read) because I became horribly sick due to motion sickness as a result of the camera shooting. And to clarify, I formed my opinion before my stomach started to reject me. I was close to asking for my money back, I was that annoyed with the movie.
Recommendation: Wait for the video.
If you want to see it in the theater: If you’re motion-sick prone, take something beforehand to make it through the whole movie.
“Cache” with a malevolent spirit. Felt like the director of PA saw “Cache” and a lightbulb went off.
I thought all the comments were viable to the movie. I just got done watching the film a few hours ago and have never really been freaked out by any films horror, slash, etc. But this one caught my attention, If you look past the low budgeting and the few things they missed as with the temperature change, orbs (questionable at time), etc. They did hit alot of things on point. I mean with the picture breaking and only 3 scratches being over Micah’s face (supposeivley the mark of the trinity?) could be wrong. Anywho .. the movie was good if you look at it from the point of view maybe this could happen, if it did how would you know what it would be like .. could these things go on. Micah looked at it as the tough guy.. don’t be scared because it really cant hurt you. His Girl on the other hand, Katie was terribly scared. The ending was good, because it gives you the suspense of what the hell just happened when he ran downstairs. It will drive you insane if your like me and want to know everything that goes on in the movie. All in all its worth the money and good to see!
On a SCARE scale factor of 1 to 10: the movie would be a 9
on the other hand the movie overall was badass! I highly recommend this to everyone with a demonic curiosity! But be warned, take a poo before you watch this movie.
This movie gave me a few chills. I enjoyed the whole journey thought it was well worth the money I paid. My 17 year old was not too impressed as he feels that there is no such thing as ghosts or anything that he has not personally witnessed. I myself and a horror fan and it’s nice to get scared without the use of knives and axes. I was always a fan of Hitchcock type horror and this appears to be the next generation of that. I contratulate the makers in a job well done and I assured that they will be well rewarded for their efforts at the box office.
On another note, I was disturbed to see that some parents at the theatre felt that it was a good idea for them to bring their 10 year olds to this movie and I believe it was a very bad idea as I imagine there will be more then a few sleepless nights.
ok listen, this movie was playing at a theater in my city so i went to see it. this movie was THE WORST movie ever made! everyone in the theater was laughing when it was supposed to be scary. DO NOT i repeat DO NOT see this movie, it is a waste of 11 dollars. It had me screaming of laughter when Katie experiences “the demon” during the night! Do not waste your time or your money!
Saw the movie tonight. Not bad.
Some real creepy moments and a couple that almost made my skin crawl but it kinda of starts to fizzle for me towards the end because it was so obvious that since Micah pissed off the spirit with his alpha-male asshole behaviour that the spirit was gunning for him.
Could I blame it? Not really. Micah was an asshole of immense proportions.
There were some other nitpicks as well.
Nothing major just that I found Micah’s ultra manly defiance in the face of this nightmare of paranormal proportions unfolding in front of him to just fly in the face of what any rational, normal person would have done in his place.
Namely, gotten the hell out of there. Especially after the picture scene.
But I did make one observation while watching the movie. It seemed that the women were generally more freaked out by it than the guys.
The guys kept laughing throughout….
Seriously?????? What is wrong with everyone?!? This movie was absolutely terrible! It completely boggles my mind that the standards of American cinema have sunk so pathetically low. No wonder no good movies ever come out…everyone is praising crap like this movie. I kept finding myself looking around the theater in utter disbelief that I had spent $12 to submit myself to such garbage. Yeah I jumped but that’s not SCARY. Plus, I am a pretty big wuss who is virtually scared by everything, I still sleep with a light on!! I mean Gremlins creeped me out more than this movie!!!!
I need a whole lot more than doors closing by themselves and picture frames breaking. And what was with burning the cross and all the weird anti-Christian propaganda?
Standard Hollywood fare.
LAME. I want my money back.
Why is everyone trying to seriously be a critic… from what I can tell you’re all old asses anyways. Maybe the movie is supposed to target teenagers.
I’ve read here the response that this movie was “terrible” that it was “not scary” and not worth the money. During the film last night I missed some of the dialogue because of laughing in the audience. Truly, there are people who go to movies like this to have a jolt or a shock and like a rollercoaster ride, go home when its over. They are not interested in thinking or feeling about is happening on screen and if it could somehow be real.
The person who tells you this movie is not worth your time is only interested in the SAW films, Final Destination and any other shock ‘n gore fest.
For those of us who related to Katie and Micha’s life together, the routines, the arguments, the love they had for each other we were drawn to them as if they were friends. We saw Katie transform from a healthy beautiful smiling girl to a tormented disheveled woman to a catatonic shell. Micah relates to most of us as the guy who is blinded by his pride and confidence in the face of extraordinary events.
Why did this movie leave me and so many others shaken? Its simple. It tells a story, using actors and film that we all fear is really true. And if true, this kind of happening would no doubt look very much like what Katie and Micha experience. We all secretly fear that there is a realm where darkness, corruption and malevolence exist, and that there are times when this realm and ours connect. We use the words “evil” or “demonic” try to describe with our language is an awefulness beyond any ability to conceive or experience it. To talk about it at all we must use fairy tales and horror movies that leave us safe in the end. The truth is we just don’t know. It is so comforting to beileve in an ultimate good. We don’t want our concern about an ultimate blackness to go further than a spooky story.
“Paranormal Activity” forces us to watch what happens when the fabric between the two dimensions is breached and the horrible agony and insanity crosses over. Are these demons? Is this hell? These are poor words to describe an overwhelming evil. It would be best to just pretend it isn’t there. And to go to scary movies and laugh at the screen.
I wanted very badly to be scared out of my seat by this movie. My sisters and I went with our boyfriends anticipating a fright fest, based on the trailer. We were more scared going into the theater than at any other time during the film. Out of all 8 of my group who saw this, not even one person was remotely scared. Every single “creepy”, “alarming” or “shocking” scene was shown in trailer except for 1. Save your money and wait for the DVD.
And this comes from someone who has been terrified of the dark and had nightmares and night terrors for most of her life. I slept soundly the very night I saw this flick.
I really enjoyed this flick. Everything from the way they told the story (very intriguing to me). Also the way one is lured into the story and all the crazy happenings. One thing to keep in mind is whether or not one is a believer that some of these acounts can actually take place. This will either hit close to home or just sound ridiculous.
Sweets…chill out…repeat after me “Preachers are false prophets and god is a superstition”….now relax.
Ok, with the movie, I really enjoyed it. It was the kind of horror movie that creeps you out after you got home. I think it is because everything is so ordinary, like it could so easily be your house with little imagination, at the same time leaving you imagination to run wild.
It was filmed in a way that made you feel dread. Everytime they went to bed and the cam was rolling, you felt like ‘Man, what next?’..you know something is going to happen..something creepy…but what? Till towards the end the tension becomes hard to take.
I like horror movies that turn very ordinary situations and places into something of terror. I also like that it made my girlfriend scared to go to sleep last night (BTW, she did not find it funny when I recorded myself whispering ‘get out’ on my cell phone, hid it under her pillow, and set it to go off at 1am).
saw it with a few friends and big crowd at a midnight showing and had a blast.
creepy and scary.
one of my friends thought it was lame but the rest of us were scared. he thought the scariest part of the movie was the preview for fourth kind but he’s more scared of aliens than ghosts anyway
i know some people are complaining about it but i like the camera work and thought it was really cool and made everything feel really realistic. the acting was ok, too but not the best.
Brad
Ya, the Fourth Kind looks like its going to be a fun movie
LOL. James that’s pretty funny. My boyfriend has done that to me before, after watching a scary film.
Anyways, you should try everything once. SO I’m going to go see this movie whenever it comes out near me. I think it sounds good.
I believe in spirts and all that good stuff, so I think it should be pretty exciting.
I can’t wait until it comes out here.
Definitely the movie does a good job of creating and sustaining dread. The escalation of events just builds the tension till eventually something had to snap.
And snapped something did.
Now, was this a really scary movie? By the most part, no. Creepy yes and the dread never goes away but this movie never once came anywhere being terrifying to me.
But in the end, the movie does a good job at entertaining and creating atmosphere and doesn’t go for the cliche gore and monsters in your face approach that Hollywood has used for too long now.
I’ll take atmosphere and suspense over having it-in-my-face anytime.
I don’t know about that, Michael.
I’m a gore-a-holic ( and I mean SERIOUS gore..a la Cannibal Ferox ), and I’m completely excited to see this film! ( still waiting for opening dates here. Grrrr. )
I’m still not sure how I’ll handle people screaming in the theatre, but I’m sort of hoping to be one of them.
@Tkip, I agree with you about ‘scary’
I think in general, as adults, its asking a bit much for a movie to be ‘scary’. I really cant think of a movie that I could watch today (In my 20s) that would be scary. I think that’s why I dig ‘creepy’ movies. I dont believe in Ghosts or Demons and stuff, but the film did do a good job at catching my imagination on the topic.
This movie might appeal more to someone who would enjoy a film that was like Open Water meets an episode of GhostHunters.
I personally love horror films and make it a point to see any movie that could be described as “scariest movie of all time”.
The movie was very slow at first, i almost got bored and upset and wasting my money. then, the last fifteen minutes or so, i was ridiculously freaked out. If you question whether or not you should see it, just go watch it. it’s worth the money, and the cheap thrill.
Sabrina, you’re right, not all lovers of splatter and chop are bored, desensitized, detached moviegoers waiting for the next gratification. But those who are will have a hard time putting themselves in the shoes of characters who are thinking and feeling. This kind of film doesn’t work if you don’t have the capacity to identify with the characters, speciffically Katie. Her torment is psychological. Her character arc is toward insanity. Only then is there violence. Most immediate gratification junkies can’t wait through all that “boring stuff.”
This movie was genuinely scary if you allow yourself to get caught up in it. The dynamic between Micah and Katie is very average and it is much like typical relationships when external stresses are introduced; the cracks start to appear.
Once you identify with this and replace the screen characters with yourselves, it is too late. You are in the movie at that point and pretty much getting whipped by its modest but extremely frightening story line.
Not sure if most folks would be as scared watching this as they perhaps were during the first viewing of the Exorcist or the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre but it is worth a rental at the very least.
Actually, due to all the vocal critics in the theater I was at, I would have much preferred to watch this at home with my wife after dark with all the lights off. The jokes, comments, and laughter at times take away from the movie.
I righteously crapped my pants when he goes into the attic!
Although, that could have been the 7 White Castles with extra onions I chased down with a stale Jamba Juice that was in my car from the previous day.
GO WATCH IT. But if it’s at AMC River East Chicago, I’d avoid the 17th row from the left, fourth seat in. Somebody pooped there.
scared me…. and im 30 years old… haha!
This movie was VERY disappointing. I saw the trailer shortly before seeing the movie and it seems like they put all the scary parts in the trailer. (except the very end) I thought it was way to drawn out. It reminded me of the Blair Witch movie which was not scary at all. I was laughing most of the time at the crazy things the boyfriend was doing. I suggest waiting until you can rent it for a dollar. THIS MOVIE IS NOT THE SCARIEST MOVIE EVER. I didn’t even jump or lose sleep!
(This is just an opinion. It is not meant to offend anyone, and I do apologize in advance if so…)
Personally it wasn’t as scary as I thought or would hope it to be. The beginning was a bit slow and the camera was very shaky which honestly gave me a headache. But, I was impressed on how they delivered the special effects considering this film was shot in a week. Not that I disliked the movie, but I may have had high expectations due to the media and all the hype in general so in the end I was somewhat disappointed. Again, this is just my opinion. The only way to know if this film was really scary or not is if you watch it. Everyone has their own sets of opinions and views and I completely respect that. But again if you’re debating to watch this film I say just follow your instincts, because it might not be worth your money.
Dissapointing : (
I was so hyped for this movie. I had read and seen all the review and they were all good. I get in the theater, I wait…i wait…i wait… a light turns on and everyone screams….?…….I wait some more and then ended up waiting until the movie was over. The fact that the movie is fake renders it impossible for me to believe or buy anything going on. I expected to be scared, perhaps see something besides a door or sheet. I honestly dont see how people around me were screaming. I had so many ideas going on in my head that would have actually been scary and fit into the movie. They should release a movie like this and not let people know its fake. That completely ruins it and takes the entire effect out of it. You can argue that you have to “get into the character and understand them” all day long, but if its not real there is nothing to understand. Ill say it was an ok movie. But definitely not scary, and definitely overhyped. And I never thought I would be the one saying that : (
Honestly, when they said people walked out in the middle, it wasn’t because they were scared, it was because they were bored! This movie has so much hype and delivers none of it! They must have paid those people a lot of money in the theatre to make those reactions in the trailer because all this movie did is make me consider if I had ADD or not, because it was so damn boring, I couldn’t focus. This one guy in the theatre would scream everytime the scene changed, which was the most entertaining part of the whole experience. DO NOT waste your money, although if you are that curious. then by all means see it
If this is on news where i live (down under)it’s BIG not fanboy big or online BUZZ big your mom & pop BIG.