Anticipated to be the scariest movie in decades and possibly of all time, I left the theatre after watching “Paranormal Activity” wondering if I had even seen the movie that allegedly caused rooms full of people to shake with terror and leave due to excessive vomiting.
I am all for genuine terror in movies that keeps you up at night without the abuse of blood and gore. With “Paranormal Activity,” however, I felt like I was watching a low-budget rip off of “The Blair Witch Project.”
The movie is portrayed as a documentary of one couple’s experience moving in together and tracking their encounters with a mysterious demon. Most of the filming takes place in their bedroom at night, followed by an analysis of the strange occurrences in the morning. Action is nearly nonexistent well into the movie, with nothing more exciting than doors opening and a few lights and sinks turning on and off without explanation.
Throughout the movie, I felt that director Oren Peli was very conscious to keep the demon within the tight realm of reality. I was waiting for some twist of the imagination or exploration with the supernatural, but my hopes for the movie were stunted with this strict dedication to keep the movie realistic.
I enjoyed myself during the movie, mostly because of the humor that was intended to be comic relief brought in by Micah, who regularly teased his girlfriend for being possessed. I was also entertained by what a weirdo the demon made Katie, Micah’s girlfriend, out to be.
The action finally started to pick up about 20 minutes from the end of the film. It had my heart thumping and my interest in a tight hold, but it was all taken away in the last few seconds. I will not reveal the ending for those who have not seen the movie, but I will say that the last few seconds was one of those cliché, overused, typical Hollywood endings that counterbalanced everything the film had going for it.
On a whole, I recommend “Paranormal Activity”. Although it does not live up to the hype or typical quality standards, it’s suitable for the cheap thrill you might be seeking for a late night scary movie.
Kaitlin Bobbin can be reached for comment at [email protected]