Paranormal Activity is a low-budget smash.  Made for a rumored $11,000 to $15,000, depending on the source of the information, so far this film has grossed over 61 million dollars.  Paramount, who purchased the film, is laughing all the way to the bank.  Apparently the completed film was shown to Paramount with the hope of them purchasing the rights to the story and financing a bigger budget remake.  The savvy studio opted to just purchase the film as is, saving millions of production dollars, which undoubtedly included highly priced talent.

As a low budget success, Paranormal Activity is a masterpiece in concept and execution.  As a horror film that can scare, it is pretty successful as well.  Shot in one location with only four actors (two major, two minor) this little gem plays upon the fear of what is unseen.  The feeling of doom and dread permeates in the claustrophobic world of two young lovers, played by Katie Featherston and Micha Sloat as they try to unravel the truth of the entity that haunts Katie.  Both actors use their real name in this film and this adds to the documentary feel of the film.  Set entirely in one house and shot mostly with a handheld camera at night, the fear in Paranormal Activity is the kind of fear you cannot escape, unless you sell your house and move. Filmmaker Oren Peli remarks that he wanted to do for the bed and sleeping what Psycho did for the shower and Jaws for swimming in the ocean.  It does, I fond myself constantly thinking, “you idiot, don’t go to sleep.”

The concept of placing a video recorder in the house to record any abnormal activity is brilliant and economic and is enhanced by the clever use of a time code at the bottom right of the screen.  The camera is totally subjective and everything seen on screen is either photographed by Micha as he moves through the house with the camera, or is something photographed by a static camera running on a tripod when Micha and Katie are sleeping or out of the house.   This plays on audience expectation of what you can see, what you can’t see (off screen), and what you do and don’t want to see. It’s this waiting and imagining that creates an incredibly edgy, scary feeling. Filmmakers that rely on gore for shocks and thrills could learn a lot from the lack of blood in this truly terrifying little flick. 

Paranormal Activity redefines the concept of horror filmmaking.  Tightly plotted with a well written story line and some truly frightening perception shifts it doesn’t resort to excess and sideshow violence.