Paranormal Activity

Micah and Katie are a young couple living together for the first time. We first meet them through a camera that Micah is manning himself, and soon learn that Katie has been having issues of the supernatural variety. Micah has purchased the expensive camera in order to film them while they sleep, so that they might catch whatever has been whispering into Katie's ear at night. What they find is truly terrifying and only gets worse the more they try to find a solution. It seems they're attempting to capture the Sean Penn of demons, as both throw hissy fits of epic proportions when caught on camera.

This is a thriller that works primarily because of the patient build-up. Writer/director Oren Peli is smart enough to realise that the peril these characters are in is what is truly frightening. If we like them, then we buy the setup and become enthralled in their extreme predicament, which is where the movie would live or die. With the lack of budget and therefore suitable sound and visual effects, a lot rests on the shoulders of the actors, and both of them are really marvellous and deserve credit.

Peli's execution is what really makes this worthwhile, though. Shot entirely on camcorder, he knows how to build tension, and it'd be interesting to see what he does with a heftier budget. Hugely atmospheric and creepy stuff, just don't expect a continual barrage of scares, this is something else entirely.