Paranormal Activity

We have here another horror movie inspired by The Blair Witch Project, Rec, Cloverfield, etc. i. e. the handicam point of view. The movie starts of with the (usual) note thanking the local Police Department for sharing the footage from their archives. The protagonists here are a couple, Micah and Katie. Katie has had a history of being frequented by spirits, and she hears noises and other strange phenomenon wherever she goes. Her boyfriend, Micah, meanwhile is a sceptic and gets a high end camera to document everything that happens around the house - specially at night. He tries his best to "provoke" the spirits into making an "appearance" much to the disgust of Katie, and even employing an "Ouija" board - all of which give results. The film documents a number of nights over a month, with phenomena occurring getting stranger by the day (probably because Micah constantly challenges the spirits to show itself?!)

The movie from what I'd heard had mixed reviews, some deeming it the scariest, others boasting it didn't scare them at all. It definitely tries to create an eerie atmosphere, with the wierd vaccuum we "hear" in the background. Acting is decent, the thrills aren't over-dramatic too... But what disappointed me a little was the "fade in/fade out" between certain scenes; it kind of switches off from the "raw" handicam feel. Probably they could have had an alternative? Talking of "handicam" feel - this one is much easier on the eyes and never lets us feel dizzy unlike, say, The Blair Witch Project. Ending is okay, though not great... Will the couple have the same fate as the leads in other such movies?! Guess... or watch! Though I would not rate this movie over Rec (which was way creepier!), it is still worth a watch at night while all alone!

• Approx Runtime: 1:30
• Genre: Horror/Handicam
• Acting 6.5
• Story 7
• Soundtrack/Score 6
• Cinematography 6.5
• Overall 6.5

Notable Mentions/Quotes:

• "Handicam" movie
• 2 main actors + 2 supporting = just 4 actors in all!
• Movie couple share their real life names