'Paranormal Activity'

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'Paranormal Activity' — Directed by Oren Peli, Screenplay by Oren Peli

“Paranormal Activity” plays on the basic concept (and resulting fear) of being unaware of what is happening and unable to protect oneself while asleep. It is styled as documentary footage shot by a young couple as they cope with a haunting. They document each other’s conversations and leave the camera running while they sleep to pick up any strange occurrences that the nighttime has to offer. And there are plenty.

There are at least a few moments of true shock and terror to be found in the film’s 86-minute run time, but like “The Blair Witch Project,” “Paranormal Activity” operates on a bit of a gimmick. The whole pseudo-documentary approach can wear thin after a while, and the footage shot with a wobbly handheld camera isn’t always pleasing to watch for an extended duration.

Commendably, the film was made on the ultra-low budget of about $15,000 — a shocking figure, considering that most Hollywood productions run up budgets in the tens of millions.

What the film accomplishes with so little is actually quite remarkable; for despite the aforementioned shortcomings, it still holds the viewer’s attention and does deliver scares better than most big budget horror films.

The film’s two main actors perform with great realism. They know enough not to act like two everyday people who are scared but rather to behave like them. The effect of the performances is much more authentic than it would have been had their roles been played by two famous actors.

Unfortunately, the ending is a bit of a letdown. It resorts to a cheap thrill, instead of choosing a path that might be more psychologically disturbing, but the overall effect of the film allows for a fun night out at the movies and at least a few goosebumps.

Devin Vaughn resides in Princeton. He can be reached at dvaughn86@gmail.com.

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