Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2009)

This really did make a rather interesting companion piece with Saw VI as they personify the complete polar opposites of the horror spectrum. Saw VI is really rather gross and continues the franchises penchant for graphic violence on top of a truly disturbing idea. Paranormal Activity goes the other way, exercising restraint and showing very little and building its dread slowly, its aim to creep uncomfortably under your skin. As such, it succeeds in not only being a truly frightening film but quite possibly the scariest film of the decade.

Director Oren Peli really does exact everything from his “less is more” approach and, as the nocturnal events get progressively worse, manages to make something as innocuous as a light turning on (by itself I might add) into a horribly skin crawling event. It’s helped by the surprising accomplished acting of its two leads (who use their real names) who really make you believe every ounce of fear they’re experiencing. Micah deserves the award for “Worst Boyfriend of the Year”, turning his girlfriend’s tortured experiences into his own pet project whilst Kate, as the primary victim of the paranormal goings on, manages to convey her growing dismay with a series of wide eyed looks as things begin to move on their own. She is believably speechless.

The version I saw was the copy sent to studios in order to shop the movie around (type in “Watch Paranormal Activity into google and you should find it) so there are some changes between this and the cinematic cut (most noticeably the ending). That said, the film probably benefited from being watched in a darkened bedroom. The static two shot of the couple sleeping, a prominent feature throughout the film, causes you to scrutinising everything, often catching you off guard when things finally start to move.

It isn’t perfect. The daytime scenes tend to lag at times and you really start to wonder why Kate is with someone as moronic and cuntish as Micah, but where the movie excels is when it gets dark and when things literally start to go bump in the night you are in such a state of tension you begin to feel almost too uncomfortable.

Afterwards, when you think back to that static two shot of Kate and Micah asleep in bed I guarantee there will be a few sleepless nights.

4/5