Paranormal Activity ****

Before you start reading, if you haven't seen the film and are planning to DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW! You need to know as little as possible to really enjoy the impact it creates.

If you haven't heard of this yet... Where have you been?! Advertisements in America started off the marketing campaign for the film, getting audiences demanding their cinemas to show it. And now it's moved on over to England. Is this a good thing? I'd say so.

You've probably read all over that this is the scariest film you'll ever see, and to an extent it's true. But when you're watching it you really wonder why every one's created such a fuss about it. Yes, it's quite original in a sense of a handheld camera and pretty realistic special effects, but the scare factors aren't particularly compelling. The scares don't make you jump constantly; it's more the tension the film builds up throughout the hour and a half it's on to a pretty dramatic climax which leaves audiences feeling scared and vulnerable.

The film shows a couple who's life has been tormented by some sort of spirit trying to make contact. Yes, it all sounds a bit ridiculous to understand, but its the fact that their acting, the way they go about their life and the little conversations they have all seem so real that makes this film all the more scary. You see doors move while they're sleeping, footprints, shadows and whispers. Some nights nothing happens, and others are just truly terrifying. The variation of the activities makes it seem even more realistic because it's not all getting worse, it's just showing something that's a little strange.

It's the ending that really gets to you. All of a sudden, within the space of about 5 minutes, the events become so dramatic that you really don't know where to look. You leave the room looking over your shoulder, and when it's time to go to bed you just can't bring yourself to turn off that bedroom light.

The director, Oren Peli, has made a film not intended for the big screen, but created a great effect. After seeing the original which has an alternate ending, Steven Spilberg even saw the greatness of this film and created the more Hollywood ending the latest version has. He stated he couldn't watch this alone, and thinking back to it now, I don't think I could. With plans for a second movie, the demon in this film just isn't going to leave us. You'll never want to hear the name Katie again.

So, make sure your light bulbs are fresh because they'll be getting a lot of use once you see this film.