Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsOne of the best Horror films of all time
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2011
I remember seeing the adverts for Paranormal Activity when it was first shown at the cinema and I thought "A door shutting on its own? Wow, now that looks really scary..." but I am pleased to say that I was totally wrong and by half way through this amazing film I was already watching with the lights now turned right on and was already on the edge of the sofa hooked with fear. I am glad to say that I was very wrong and Paranormal Activity, this low budget surprise is the best horror film I have seen for a long time and most likely the scariest film ever made.
The plot follows a young couple who purchase a camera to investigate the strange goings on that seem to have followed the young woman ever since she was young. Throughout the film we see these events through the cameras eyes and soon learn that there is indeed something very sinister going on. For me you can tell a good scary film from a bad one by how long it affects you after the credits start to roll, and this is one horror that stayed with me for a very long time after the end. The secret to why this film is so good is that it plays on the little fears we all have, a creaking door, sounds that you can't quite explain, your eyes playing tricks on you, and its these little things that haunt the film and really helps give it a believable and chilling atmosphere which I have rarely seen in any other horrors. Unlike many modern day horrors which use blood, violence and gore to achieve its scares Paranormal Activity uses its eerie sights and sounds to create a chilling experience which I believe is the sigh of a superior horror. I have to mention that the last few minutes in particular gave me the biggest chills I had ever felt whist watching a horror before. (Be warned, don't watch all of the trailers... one gives away one of the biggest moments in the film! Don't worry if you have seen it though, for there are many more shocks in store...)
What also surprised me about this film was the strength of the two lead characters, Micah and his haunted girlfriend Kati, and how over the course of the film you really get to know and care about the young couple and their fight against this terrifying entity (Though there are several times in which you really feel like slapping Mika for being such an idiot...) The small cast of the two leads and a few rarely seen supporting acts all do a great job, with Katie Featherstone especially impressive as the tortured Katie, and it's this that helps give the film a very natural feel to it.
Whilst seeing the film through a camera in first person view is quite a common technique used now a days in horrors, this film uses it very effectively and helps make the film as shocking as it is even if it adds little that is really new to the technique.
At the time of writing there is already a sequel out on DVD with a third being in production. If you enjoyed this film then you will almost certainly enjoy Paranormal Activity 2, which is a great horror and a worthy sequel even if it is an overall weaker film that does boast less shocks but is still a good horror in its own rights and helps to show that the Paranormal Activity franchise may hopefully be one which may continue and not lose its way like some horror franchise do when they gain successes (Yes, I am looking at you Saw...)
All in all, this is a fantastic horror that any horror fan must see but be warned, it certainly will leave a lasting and very chilling impression...