Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston) are a young couple who seem to have a bright future ahead of them. They've recently moved into their first house, and have plans for marriage. Before that, however, they want to take care of something that's been bothering them since they've moved in. Late at night, strange things seem to happen. Lights flicker on and off, a loud banging or scratching sound can be heard from within the walls, and certain small objects (such as keys) are in different places when they wake up then they were when they went to bed the night before. Micah buys a video camera and microphone set up, hoping to capture whatever goes on when they're asleep.

This is the simple set up to Paranormal Activity, an ingenious little horror film that plays upon our natural fears of the dark and the unknown. We witness what happens when Micah and Katie are asleep. We also witness the mounting tension between the couple as whoever or whatever is in their house begins to take its toll on them. The incidents that occur in the middle of the night start out small, but increase in intensity. So does the film itself. I don't remember the last time I was this involved or this on edge watching a horror film. The movie is masterful in how it plays upon our fears and our expectations. Even when things seem relatively calm, there is a constant mounting sense of dread. We feel it, and so do the characters. When the film starts out, Micah treats the whole thing more like an adventure. He's actually curious about the bizarre things going on in their home, and wants to capture them on film. Katie is more apprehensive, and she has good reason to, as she's had past experiences with this sort of thing. She's afraid Micah might anger whatever is in their house if he goes too far. It's the first signs of a feeling of helplessness that grows stronger as the nights pass.

The movie has already made a lot of press of how writer-director Oren Peli shot this film in his own home, during the course of a single week, for a budget that's less than some Hollywood studios probably spend on catering their projects. The movie was a big hit on the festival circuit, fell into the hands of Paramount Pictures and Steven Spielberg, who have released the film virtually untouched, except for a new ending that was created at the advice of Spielberg. One of the brilliant things about the film is the illusion of reality it creates. It's done in a documentary style, similar to 1999's The Blair Witch Project. But unlike that film (or other recent "docu-horror" films like Quarantine and Cloverfield), there are no credits at the beginning and ending here. Not only does this help with the illusion that we are watching live video, but it creates a sense of dread in the viewer after the last scene has cut to black. There's no music or credits to bring us back to reality.

This is not the only way that Peli shows his skill in manipulating the audience. Since we are watching the entire film through the eyes of the camera, we can only see what it sees. What we do see is enough to frighten us, but sometimes it's what's lurking just outside our field of vision that scares us the most. Paranormal Activity creates an aura of gripping tension, in a day and age when most Hollywood horror films are starting to resemble self-parodies. When we do get to see some of the strange events going on in the house during the night, it is effective both in frightening us, and on a technical level. At first, we almost find ourselves scared for the sleeping couple in the bed, who are usually not even aware of what is going on around them. But then, we try to think of how the effect is being accomplished, especially on such a low budget. Clever editing was obviously the key to most of the film's memorable scares, but it's still impressive. Once again, we are pulled into the illusion of reality. The only time we're pulled out is with the arrival of a psychic (Mark Fredrichs), who serves mainly as an exposition device, and also brings with him a plot hole that threatens to derail the whole venture.

But we stay intrigued, because the movie so successfully keeps us on edge. Even when it falters, we never lose our interest. The small cast of actors seem honest here, and seem to genuinely believe that their lives are in danger. This is important in a movie such as this, as if we ever seem to think that they are "acting", the spell of the film would be broken. Paranormal Activity goes for broke, and doesn't let up. Some have accused the movie of being too slow paced for mainstream horror audiences, but it does such a good job of bringing us inside its world and into the lives of its characters, I never felt the movie dragged. I cared more about Micah and Katie than I did the campers in Blair Witch. This, combined with the effective scare moments, are what got me so involved. I don't know if it would work as well on repeat viewings, but sitting in that theater, I was completely sold.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not recommending this movie just on the experience alone. I genuinely believe that it's an effective thriller, one of the more effective ones to come along in years. It certainly unnerved me more than psychotic orphan girls and the umpteenth return of Jigsaw. Paranormal Activity is the kind of movie that leaves you feeling tense, even when you know things are okay. It doesn't need to rely on cheap jump tactics. Once the movie gets under your skin, it stays there long after it's over.

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