Paranormal Activity

Director - Oren Peli (Area 51)

Starring - Katie Featherston (Psychic Experiment, The River), Micah Sloat (Paranormal Activity 2, The Death and Return of Superman), and Mark Fredrichs (Emerald Nights, Wristcutters: A Love Story)

Release Date - 2007

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "What happens when you sleep?"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     It seems like my November has turned into the month for found footage. A few days back I reviewed the new indie found footage flick Blamed and then followed that up with Human Hibachi sequel Human Hibachi 2: Feast in the Forest. After reviewing a couple other films sent my way I decided to go ahead and dive into the Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collection blu set that was sent over to me for review in the middle of October. Due to the large amount of films I received last month for review I wasn’t able to check this set out until now. I was curious about it because I’ve never actually seen a Paranormal Activity film before. I know the first Paranormal Activity is one of the most popular found footage films to exist behind The Blair Witch so I was kind of looking forward to checking it out.      

     The film follows a young couple, Katie and Micah, who move into a new home. Katie reveals that she suspects that an otherworldly presence has been following her for her entire life which prompts Micah to buy a camera to record her in hopes of capturing paranormal activity on film. When he doesn’t get the results he expected he start antagonizing the spirit by mocking it before eventually purchasing an Ouija board. That’s when things take a more sinister turn and he gets the footage he was looking for but it’s the last thing he ever does. 

      Before I get too deep into my review of Paranormal Activity I will admit that I’m impressed by the story and the idea behind the movie. However, this movie is damn near unwatchable to me. The awkward dialogue, the dull scenes where we watch the couple sleep, and the “scary” moments that are almost laughable made this movie one hell of a chore to finish. Honestly, I can’t figure out why anyone would enjoy this movie. The “acting” in this one is fucking rough. The characters are unlikable and painfully generic. The performances fall flat for me and their emotional range feels like it was modeled after Kristen Stewart. The cast is small but their interactions with one another feel forced and not natural at all. The story for this one is simple and has so much potential to be something more than what it is. I know it’s an extremely popular found footage film but from a movie standpoint this movie fucking sucks. The snail’s pace the story unfolds, and the awkward dialogue makes this movie feel like it is a lot longer than it actually is. What makes this movie so boring is it’s attempting to seem like a legitimate found footage film by over doing the bullshit scenes of them talking, gasping as noises throughout the house, and laying in bed. The film would be top tier horror if it explored the entity haunting her instead of focusing on bullshit scenes that lead to nothing. Finally, if you sit through this mess of a film and expect to find some blood and gore then you will be very disappointed. The film has some cheap gags here and there to make you think the house is haunted but those of you looking for some fun practical effects and memorable kills will be very disappointed. Overall, Paranormal Activity is one of the biggest found footage films to date and one of the most lucrative franchises but I don’t see the appeal. The movie was barely watchable and the story is a huge missed opportunity. This is one I cannot recommend.