Review: Paranormal Activity
REVIEW:
Rarely do I find myself affected by a horror film. Aside from the occasional clenched fists, it is hard to really feel moved by something designed to scare you. As of late, it seems more and more filmmakers are looking to make you squirm from graphic violence, or cheer with an over-the-top kill rather than truly give Goosebumps. I’m talking an honest to goodness level of fear. So it was truly a surprise to sit in a darkened theatre, hoping to be terrified and being richly rewarded with a slow chill moving down my spine. The movie that managed to pull this one off is PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. But it wasn’t a series of gruesome images, or even a masked killer ready to pounce on his or her victim, it was sometimes merely a door opening by itself. There is a slow burn that starts quietly, and as each night passes for a young couple, the darkness seems a little more nightmarish.
This is a ghost story in the simplest of terms. A young couple, Katie and Micah (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) seem to be having some problems with their new house. They claim to hear noises and a few other things that go bump in the night. But we also find that Katie has a history of the supernatural in her past. She tells of creepy stories about being eight years old and terrorized by the sound of heavy breathing or a dark shadow standing next to her bed. When these new ghostly goings on begin to happen to her as an adult, she wants to simply ignore them. But boyfriend Micah is a extremely fascinated by the whole idea. He decides to set up cameras inside their home and film everything that is going on. This includes one in the bedroom meant to record what happens while they sleep. It is true that sometimes are blind to true terror. I once heard Peter Benchley (the author of “Jaws”) say that if you ever took a helicopter ride over the ocean and could see everything inside clearly, you’d never go in the ocean again. You may have the same reaction if you knew what was going on around you while you‘re sleeping… at least if you were in this movie.
Paranormal Activity presents a “real life” couple in a very frightening situation. What begins as a door swinging back and fourth or a shadow crossing the room in the dark, soon turns into something far more intense. And both Featherston and Sloat are very natural and believable as a couple with an unnatural need to pick up a camera. Yes, there are a couple of times I had to really suspend my disbelief when it came to Micah filming some of the creepy events. I can’t imagine reaching for a video camera when someone I love is screaming in horror. Aside from that, I had only a couple minor problems with the film, one of them being the final few frames. The film which has relied on a subtle and eerie build up, suddenly turns into a quick fix of shock cinema. But it is mere seconds and certainly doesn’t harm what has come before it. I also felt that one sequence involving a Ouija board and a sudden fire was not used all too effectively. Just the damn thing moving was working fine with me.
What I loved about Paranormal is how director Oren Peli builds his ghostly tale. In the beginning, it feels a bit like watching an episode of “Ghost Hunters”. He slowly pieces together the story and does a fine job of creating just the right amount of tension. At first, there is a slightly whimsical feel as the couple deal with a possible guest. But wait? There is something sinister here. Once the young couple retire for the evening and darkness falls, there is an absolutely disturbing sound design as it drones and hums when the ghostly visitor makes his presence known. That is when the chills came and it is also what helped make this a most haunting experience. Aside from Blair Witch, the film seems to have more in common with Robert Wise’ classic THE HAUNTING. The use of sound effects, and the few limited visual effects are all genuinely scary. You may not be jumping out of your seat in horror, but after watching Paranormal Activities, you might be inclined to sleep with the lights on for a week or four.
RATING - 8/10
Source: JoBlo.com
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