Paranormal Activity

 

English(A)

Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

Director: Oren Peli

There are only a few horror flicks that will go down your spine and stay there for a long time and watching ‘Paranomal Activity’, which tells a couple’s date with an unknown force is a thrilling experience.

When Micah starts filming Katie in their house in San Diego they soon find out that there is some dormant force hovering around Katie while they are asleep. At first they seek the help of a psychic who tells them to seek the help of a demonist. But, Micah wants to do it his way. So, he records all the events in their bedroom,  only to anger the supernatural being.
Director Oren Peli’s minimalist film with a few characters emerges as a very strong thriller-horror movie. While most films in the genre employ gore and blood, ‘Paranormal Activity’ brings back the classic style in the likes of ‘The Blair Witch Project’, with sound and simple visual settings.

The filming is done with a hand-held video camera. This brings a sense of reality and it is not until the end that one stops looking for movements in the house. Everything in the setting, how simple they look, has their part to create a fearful atmosphere.

The day scenes are like any normal day. However, the night scenes get real spooky with wide angle shots showing possible playing fields for the force to move around in the couple’s bedroom, their doorway, and part of the hallway.

‘Paranormal Activity’ is as real as it can be. It is difficult to trace the dividing line between reality and fiction. This makes it a rare film which will give you both goosebumps and nightmares!

Review by Robert L Sungte (Decccan Herald)