Paranormal Activity Movie Analysis

Paranormal Activity is a Supernatural/Horror film released in 2007. Initially it was an independent film however it was later acquired by Paramount Pictures and released in 2009. It was written and directed by Oren Peli.

The plot revolves around a young woman who has been haunted all her life by a spirit and moves to a new house in San Diego with her partner. To confirm any paranormal action in the night, they set up a video camera in their bedroom to record them while they sleep. As the nights progress, the activity becomes more aggressive and frightening, which leads up to the horrific ending involving demonic possession.

This unique selling point for this film, which makes it original in terms of a horror film, is that it is all filmed on one home video camera instead of the usual cameras used for films. The reasoning behind this was to make it appear believable, as if it were recovered footage from the camera that was found days after the climax of the film. This therefore makes it seem like a "home movie" type of recording, due to the lack of professionalism in the filming and realistic behaviour of the characters as the film continues. This of course was seen on another successful budget film, the Blair Witch Project.

The characters used present authenticity to the audience, as they are a relatable young couple who have just moved into their new home but find themselves vulnerable and unaware from the beginning. During the day, the man records any relevant events, such as meeting experts for help or the current state of his girlfriend as she suffers the most throughout the nights. Again this type of film was mostly new in terms of what it offered for thrills and expectations, whilst maintaining a sense of realism and horror simultaneously.

Its use of camera shots and angles is hard to determine due to its home movie style camera work, which then leads on to the use of a soundtrack, whereby there isn't one. The effects of this horror come solely through its content and story.

Finally the setting and prop usage are quite cliché, seeing as though it stands alone in other aspects. It uses a big suburban house as its primary location, with plenty of space and rooms, leaving it with enough space for paranormal events to occur. Meanwhile its props are minor, conventional house related objects that simply add to realism, the main prop however is obviously the camera, which serves as the audience's only method of witness to the events in the house.

In my opinion, it is a strong horror film that conveys its thrill through a realistic and relatable manner, and because of this the film is very effective for its purpose.