So what do you do when all seems hopeless? When a creature you have no possible chance of negotiating with or even understanding has taken root in your life? If you're young couple Micah(Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston), you get a video camera and I hope to put the sucker on TV? Maybe the 15 lbs. the camera adds will shame the demon to death?
Micah is a day trader, and an arrogant, snarky jerk if there ever was one. He's obsessed with his new camera. The entire movie is seen through it's lens, presented in a Blair Witch style that would lead one to believe they just discovered some unseen footage perhaps left buried somewhere. His girlfriend, Katie, is a student and the victim of the spirit's unwanted attention. She's beautiful and strong willed, not at all cocky like her significant other. She understands the trouble they could be in, whereas he just wants something fun to record.
Katie's been hounded by this creature since she was a child, but it's only just now returned. It mainly strikes at night, during the most uncomfortable and vulnerable moments, when they are both asleep. This is the film's true genius. Everyone can relate to the uneasiness of the unknown. The fear of not being able to tell what's happening when we are asleep and closest to death. Is there someone or some thing watching us? Plotting against us, or just waiting to turn our lives into a living hell?
The camera stays on during these sleep periods, focused on the couple side by side in bed. The camera stares coldly, as various things happen around them. Most of these events are trivial, but unexplainable. It doesn't stay that way for long.
Eventually, things get so screwey that they call a paranormal expert to assess the situation. He's about as useful as the human appendix, but does sense a presence that's too much for him to control. His desire to exit the house quickly only agitates the situation.
If it seems like I'm being vague, it's for a good reason. Paranormal Activity is a movie that needs to be experienced. It's one true genius is in the atmosphere it creates. The tension mounts ever so slowly, and since we are privy to these events "as they happen", it gives the feeling that we too are the ones being haunted. A lot of this film's success hinges on the performance of Katie Featherston, who carries practically every scene with a natural ease. Her deterioration is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the movie.
I'm not going to be one of those people who heaps hyperbolic praise like "It's the scariest film I ever saw!", because it's not. What I will say is that it captures a sense of dread and impending doom better than any film I've seen in years. My only suggestion? See it at night. See it late. See it with a packed crowd if possible. The audience's participation is a huge part of this film's appeal. Do yourself a favor and take on the full experience. I saw it twice in a row at two midnight showings, and both times the theatres were packed and vocal. A lot people hiding their faces in their hands. It's always a good sign when everyone around you is too scared to even look at the movie they just paid and waited an hour in line to see.
7/10
