Paranormal Activity - 2009

The latest in a string of handheld shaky cam films which try to justify the use of such a technique by implying firstly that the material is real (Blair Witch) and secondly having the characters actually holding the camera (Cloverfield) is another horror film which scares more when you see nothing, than it does when the film tries to use actual physical events to terrify.

The trailer and the marketing campaign almost guaranteed Paranormal Activity would be a success. A clever trailer which showed audiences screaming and trying to hide behind loved ones, and an endorsement and aparently a reshot ending suggested by non other than Steven Spielberg, who was quoted as saying he had to wait until morning to watch the films climax helped to raise word of mouth before there actually was any.

But is the film any good? And more importantly perhaps, is it actually scary? The short answer is no. It never captures to originality of The Blair Witch Project or the sheer terror of the Unknown that Cloverfield managed. Instead Paranormal Activity has distracting out of focus, shaky camerawork, which rather than unsettles just brings on nausea. There is far too many scenes when the is no sense of danger or peril, and despite their best efforts, its not until the final few minutes that the film actually creates a genuine increase in tension.

The acting is however, very good, the relationship feels real and their interactions and the increase in tension within the couple is palpable. But none of this makes up for the complete absence of genuine scares. There are moments; a shadow here, footprints in talcum powder, and a door slightly opening and shuting. The whole premise of a demon haunting a single person also works well as it removes any chance for the characters to escape. Their fate seeled and at the mercy of a creature which neither of them can comprehend.

Ultimately though, despite the fanfare, or because of it, Paranormal Activity is a major dissapointment and even worse actually gave me a feeling of nausea which made me want to leave the cinema after about the first 20 minutes.