PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009)

Reality entertainment is buzzword today and from voyeuristic mobile camera clips to reality shows on television everything draws attention to our basic intrinsic nature to peep secretly into other’s life. Almost shot with limited budget of mere $ 15,000 and shot with hand held camera in documentary style this film has already gathered much popularity and publicity of being realistic horror film of the year.

Just two characters-a couple in a house, a single setting of house and a hand held camera recording. Debutant director Oren Peli has created something off the hook and made a fine haunting creepy film with whatever available resources proving his talent. The film looks damn real like watching real news footage. Even both Micah and Katie acted their parts so naturally without being screen conscious anywhere. They look absolutely real and convincing as couple. What’s a breakthrough is that the camera here isn’t handled by any third person but by one of the partner which makes it so believable and real and that’s make it spooky signifier.

Director has played creative role with weird sound at night which I think the mother of all fear. It happens to all of us when we hear some normal things at abnormal time of midnight i.e.-creaking of door, somebody’s footsteps, rattling pipes or sometimes a strange refrigerator sound at night, unheard in broad day’s routine life. Undoubtedly it’s a bedroom set up of camera recording which gives us scary moments but apart of it there’s so much intriguing part lies in audio-visual investigation and tricks by Micah. Oren has given credit to ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘Open Water’ in an interview but he made it original and single handedly handled the whole project with direction, editing and audio mixing.
What is it? A ghost, a demon, a witchcraft or just genuine manipulation of your senses with subconscious?
Better experience on your own strictly on multiplex to feel the chill…

Ratings- 8/10