Movie Rewind: Paranormal Activity (2007)

Director: Oren Peli

Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs

The Deal: After moving into a suburban home, Katie (Featherston) and Micah (Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by a series of supernatural occurrences in the night. Hoping to capture evidence of the haunting, they set up a video camera in their room every night, but they are in no way prepared for the series of terrifying events that follow.

Thoughts: This isn't one of those films that tries to jump out and startle you, but rather the type that builds initial suspense and then keeps growing it to heightened levels every few scenes. There will be a crowd of viewers that find the film terrifying and possibly nightmare inducing. The camera work is the same style that was used in The Blair Witch Project, which for these types of films is really the best route to go. It adds a very realistic and believable touch to the story. There will also be a crowd that isn't necessarily frightened by this, but the film will still prove to be eerily satisfying and deliver the chills most seek when they look in towards the horror genre. Sure, it's predictable that the Ouija board would come to life when they left the room in one scene, but who could have seen the board lighting on fire? It's scenes like that that keep the film interesting and the viewer on the edge of their seat.

Paranormal Activity is entirely carried by two actors you've never heard of, and I think that once again, this works to the advantage of this type of film. These aren't Hollywood stars we see everywhere, but rather a couple of average citizens dealing with a set of terrifyingly real paranormal events. This is the aspect that makes the film so scary to some, because they can much more easily place themselves in the characters' shoes and believe this could happen to them. Katie and Micah, who keep their names in the film, both do an excellent job delivering their performances. Their emotions always seem very real, and their actions make logical sense.

I watched the original version from 2007. The version playing in theaters right now is mostly the same. There are a few scenes that are shown in a new order to fit a more theatrical audience, but the only big change occurs with the ending. There are multiple new endings to the film, though I've only really heard much about one. *SPOILERS* The original ending has Kate kill Micah downstairs then retreat upstairs where she rocks back and forth in a ball for days until the police arrive. The ending floating around in most theaters has her killing Micah and then dragging him upstairs and throwing him at the camera. Without seeing this ending, I can't comment on which is better, but I can say that the original ending is good, and the new one doesn't sound like it will ruin the film in any way.

Verdict: Paranormal Activity avoids the startling scares for a more believable and eerie direction that delivers heightened chills with every new scene. ☆☆☆☆