Composed entirely from documentary-style footage of a couple’s investigations into the strange occurrences that disturb their sleep, Paranormal Activity, currently the most lucrative independent horror film ever made, bears a striking resemblance to previous record-holder The Blair Witch Project. While certain elements do impress such as the acting (apparently improvised by the cast with just a brief outline of the story for guidance) there are few other positives to be derived from directorial novice Peli’s first effort which is so deliberately prolonged in its build-up that the eventual pay-off, or lackthereof, inevitably disappoints. The ending, allegedly one of several versions that exist, is so incredibly tame it seems a puzzling decision to have settled on this one. A testament to what can be achieved on a virtually non-existent budget without resorting to gore and clichéd shock-tactics it may be but Paranormal Activity otherwise fails to live-up to the hype generated by its clever marketing.
