Paranormal Activity (2009)

Stars	User	Rating
15	omgfridge	0 _1%
Dreadful. I really hated this. It was boring. It was tedious. It was uninspired. WAIT LOOK OUT FOR THAT BLANKET! The atmosphere and horror was about as thrilling as that use of capitalization. Punching this film in the face would grant me much gratitude.
6	BeeDub	82 _50%
The marketing campaign was more memorable than the movie itself.
6	INDYATMN	84 _70%
Die, Blair Witch, die! This BURIES that indie con-job. The most obvious difference is the visuals -there are some. Instead of telling us "these pebbles have moved" the film does what film is supposed to do and SHOWS us. Smartly structured & thought out, it uses a timer to build dread & shrewdly avoids the traditional haunted house flick problem-as in y don't they just move out? There's also a brilliant bit w/ a paranormalist that isn't just hysterical, but dramatically raises the stakes.
5	SirVasil	40 _26%
They should have focused more on the spider, it was the scariest thing in the movie.
5	Pickpocket	1 _12%
Took Blair Witch Project and made it even dumber, which is impressive and sad at the same time. Impressive because I didn't think it was possible to find characters more unlikable than the ones in TBWP and sad because they actually made this and it made a shitload of money. Also the ending blew. Stop praising it, any moron could've written that predictable piece of shit.
5	drstrangeluv	35 _9%
Low budget horror lives and dies with the atmosphere it creates. Unfortunately, this film has very little to offer in the way of suspense. Flat, telegraphed scares, poor acting, and an abysmal studio-imposed ending remove all dread, leaving only eye-rolling boredom.
5	Farzan	67 _56%
With Paranormal Activity, I was quite bored with what was shown in the day time. What Paranormal Activity does best is deliver thrills and a rather creepy atmosphere which is shown all at night. During the day, it seems to me to have been a poorly done build up to what is to haunt them at night, but throughout the film, that was all I was looking forward to. The last 20 minutes or so was extremely well done, and was alone worth the price I paid for a ticket, but you will fine no masterpiece here
4	theficionado	50 _48%
Has an admirable restraint (up till the parting shot, at least) and Micah's alpha male posturing in the face of unknowable, intangible malevolence is pretty funny. Every time the night screen came up, I held my breath, but its decision to adhere to a stereotypical demon-possession outline (psychics, ouija boards, websites detailing similar exorcisms) is regrettable.
3	slidercc	0 _1%
Paranormal Activity is the worst movie of all time. My friends and I predicted the "plot", actions, and dialogue of the entire movie. NOTHING HAPPENS. NOT SCARY. I feel like i just got punk'd.
3	sebby	55 _35%
A few damn frightening moments, and I do like that Peli allowed the suspense to build. However, I still feel that a good 25% of the film was superfluous and could have been done without, which is a big problem for a film that is pretty short to begin with. It won't stand up to more than one viewing, either. Mixed bag-a-palooza.
2	filmfreak88	40 _15%
The last 20 minutes or so were eerie enough but most of the film was just plain boring. Seriously, people found this scary?
2	forehead1	50 _47%
A decent, eerie start gives way to a dull, predictable conclusion that takes far too long to arrive. Comparable to the Blair Witch Project in many obvious ways, it's let down by overlong, uninteresting 'downtime' scenes and a super-macho male lead chracter who exhibits some of the worst "Why is he...?" implausible behaviour seen in horror movies (always a sure-fire atmosphere-killer). Perhaps would have worked better as a short film, 99mins is just way too long for something this empty.
2	sophie	65 _47%
Waiting for this a long time, it couldn't live up to my expectations but it was quite alright. It is in fact creepy but by far not near any of the films I consider the scariest. It definitely has its scenes (I really liked the night scenes) but others seemed just a little too cheesy..
2	miss jesus	6 _0%
I can think of almost nothing to recommend this movie. The main characters aren't likeable, their behavior is nonsensical, and it's basically one big showcase of missed dramatic opportunities. Not the worst film I've ever seen, but awfully close.
2	Obdurate	90 _91%
The ending is a great climax and ties into the themes of the movie. The night scenes were always creepy and you felt safe during the day until they turn that on you. This is a really great, human flick that uses its low budget really well. If every movie was filmed like this it would get boring but they aren't, and also, this film is very psychological in a way a lot of horror movies aren't.
2	whatismyname	70 _77%
Paranormal Activity is one of the few films I can remember where I actually got goosebumps. The film is more about psychological frights, and works great as such. The movie, however, is not without flaws. The dude was a lil too much at times, thinking he actually can do something, come on buddy. If you can forget about the slight plot holes and annoying parts, you got yourself a good watch.
2	pewbeng	83 _77%
It's nice to see what you can do with $15,000 and a psychosis. While not a top-notch movie, it did as promised and scared the crap out of me a bunch of times. People didn't seem to enjoy the ending much, I found it absolutely okay (saw the cops one). A fair warning: This is not a fast shocker. It's relatively slow paced and you'll be scared the most when you have the least reason to - which is great in my opinion, but I can see how some people get turned off by that.
2	Jeb	65 _45%
An exaggerated and overhyped horror film with a rather neat and cool ending. Paranormal Activity starts out boring, but gradually fleshes out into a decent movie. During the day it was mind-numbingly bad. I felt like walking out on this movie when it went to daytime. Then when night hits, the movie turns into quite a joyride. I like how Peli waits to build up the fear slowly until the viewer is completely insecure. Other than that, wait till it comes out on DVD to rent it.
2	XakkMaster	78 _56%
I will start off by saying that for me, how "scary" it was has been over-stated and exaggerated. It was much "creepier" than scary. But I will note that I have a pretty strong personal connection with some of the events that took place in the film and that I greatly appreciated the realism. There are a few scenes that will stay with me for a long time, though the very ending added some unwanted cheese. It's gonna have me thinking for a while, but not necessarily giving me nightmares.
2	Anselmi86	54 _29%
Thoroughly disappointing. Unlike 'The Blair Witch Project' (and I'm sorry to make the comparisons, but its kind of impossible not to with this film), the film never creates a truly disturbing atmosphere, nor a powerful sense of dread. The actors, resembling real people, are not very good. The After Effectsesque effects were terrible. And the film ultimately does not deliver much scare. There were perhaps two or three moments that left me impressed (the dragging away). Simply not worth it.
2	SirStuckey	55 _28%
It was being billed as this incredibly scary movie that was making theater audiences scream the nation over, but it's not that. It stayed too long on the build up scares: moving doors, loud noises and unexplainable little things. When it finally did graduate to some moments that actually accelerate the tension it seemed way too rushed and made me feel like I could have just watched the last 30 minutes and got the same effect as watching the whole thing. Could not live up to it's hype.
2	boredoms	17 _1%
It goes without saying that the worst kind of horror film is the kind that isn't, in fact, scary. But at least a lot of those films are unintentionally funny, granting the viewer some sort of entertainment. This one isn't. It's just agonizingly dull and ultimately pointless. And not scary.
2	hellsditch	82 _73%
Probably the best horror film that I've seen in years, which is a little like having the best penmanship of a bunch of chimpanzees. Although I was not overly-creeped out by anything on screen here, the actors play "real life" astonishingly well and manage to generate real sympathy. Still, even this low-budget dynamo can't shake the genre's cliches. I spent the last 20 minutes wondering, 'What the hell? Is there only ONE demonologist in CA?! How about getting another referral, huh?'
2	TheRealJ-Ro	90 _93%
All obvious comparisons to TBWP aside, this was just a genuinely creepy film. I will warn you, most of this flick is atmosphere, which apparently turns people off. I absolutely loved the whole ambiance of the night scenes, then also the daytime scenes once that security blanket gets taken away. Some may consider it "too slow", I think that's bullshit, the pacing is perfectly methodical; it mirrors the methods of the demon. Micah is a very self-indulgent character, but that is a minor gripe.
2	keysercomp10	1 _0%
While the previews may portray this film as a horrifying experience. It's not worth your time. You may find yourself on the edge of your seat at some point while watching this movie; however, I assume it will be to pick up your bag up popcorn rather than out of fear. This film was simply a poor attempt at a homemade documentary that will scare only few people. Suspense may help you stay interested in this film to see what happens next, but the events that follow will leave you disappointed.
2	Paxton	70 _63%
The second, maybe third worst sex tape I've ever sat through.
2	CCLZA	25 _2%
Stay away from this poorly acted and horribly directed crapfest.
2	Kojiless	34 _35%
Video of an exorcist performed in the 70s, posted on Youtube by a priest who smuggled it away from the church. If you just said 'Cooooooool!' Then stop reading this comment and watch the movie. It is waiting for you.
2	frederic_g54	5 _21%
More of the same, more of the same, more of the same. How come all these movies share a similar beginning and ending ? Anyway, 'Blair Witch Project' was the first in its genre, while [Rec] got it right; this is just 'BWP' meets 'The Exorcist' and I'd rather revisit these 3 than having to endure anymore of these found footage bullshit movies.
2	tinelove	10 _4%
95% of the movie takes place in the bedroom where the scariest occurrence is a door slamming. I have no idea why this movie did so well.
1	Blair	79 _28%
I don't think it's the scariest movie ever, but it's definitely better than half of the other horror movies that came out in the last couple years.
1	Yiannos	30 _2%
(Viewed on 16/02/14): Why it took a decade for the found footage horror film to become a 'thing' after The Blair Witch Project is anyone's guess, but this no budget stinker cemented the horrible trend that is thankfully well and truly over. Paranormal Activity might haved work in a festival setting if you went in blind, but as hyped studio fare it just doesn't cut it. Hats off to the writer-director for his unlikely success, but there is no real merit here, artistic or otherwise.
1	LookJabba...	3 _14%
Paranormal Activity for a short period re-invigorated the found footage horror concept and I remember all the hype surrounding this film. But I honestly couldn't see what all the fuss was about. There's building tension and then there's such soul destroyingly slow pacing that just loses your attention and takes you out of the experience. And the finale is more laughably jumpy as apposed to genuinely scary. It's safe to say that I haven't bothered with any of the sequels that have since followed.
1	donnishark	19 _17%
Paranormal Activity is a found-footage film that tries to scare you with things that most people are skeptical of even in real-life. Understandably, it doesn't work. Seeing a bedsheet move by itself in real-life is scary, because you have a hard time comprehending it. But it's completely impossible to be able to suspend your desbelief when the concept is exactly this... Paranormal Activity sounds like a good idea, but it's not. The concept is broken and the movie sucks.
1	aney	15 _7%
Boring and not creepy or scary at all. Big disappointment.
1	CaptTesticle	60 _30%
There's a demon in my house, but we get on just fine. It's all about compromise. He lets the dog in and out while I'm sleeping and in return I masturbate vigorously and often - just as I assume he wants me to.
1	brandons	69 _51%
Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.
1	FrederikA	55 _42%
It gets initial goodwill for the underlying entrepreneurmanship, and even though it does mimic Blair Witch both in contend and its gimmicky claim to fame, the plot actually worked better than I'd expected. And really: How can anybody be mad at someone who makes a $15.000 ghost story in his own house, and grosses almost $200 mill.
1	blazewide	100 _96%
when i saw this in theatres today, i was definately impressed with how intense it was, and there were some seriously gnarly jumpy moments of this movie. as the story developed it kept getting more and more intense. but the scare factor of this movie is a very sneaky fellow. after being home for a few hours, and it being 2 am now, i am getting very creeped out after seeing this. i keep seeing images from this movie and it is truly scaring the shit out of me. this is scariest film ive ever seen.
1	catfacer	10 _13%
ridiculously boring.
1	Leonardis	81 _38%
I cant say much about the actors but for the the most part, Paranormal Activity is pretty scary and it's pretty much a very haunting movie. For low budget, the scares work.
1	Sience	8 _8%
This film bored me to tears and was incredibly unscary, and the ending is just awful. I'm really at a loss to understand how anyone finds this frightening.
1	Bagger	74 _59%
A good scare with little no cheating. That's all I can ask for.
1	mangoluver4u	30 _23%
This movie was nothing more than a big steaming pile of demon shit. All through the movie we are subjected to the main female characters bitching. I felt as though i had been pussy whipped, but the fuck tard of a boy friend in this movie deserved it. He got what was coming to him in the end, but come on the ending sucked more than a bag full of dicks. Happy Holidays!
1	CMonster	10 _2%
I hate this movie. They actively cut the suspense by telling you when a "creepy" moment was coming. The marketing gimmick was based on the single jump scare of the film which is neither horrific nor creepy, just surprising considering nothing happens the rest of the film. I openly laughed when the ouiji board set itself on fire. Worse than all that, the leads are 100% unlikable twats. The girl was useless and annoying which was nearly endearing compared to the tool that was Micah. Fuck that guy.
1	Cinema_Asia	35 _3%
The horror scenario had loads of potential but descends quickly into director amateur night Ouiji board movie territory. Everything reminds you of 19th century psychic parlor tricks performed by a mustached snake oil salesman. The scares are also all predictable. This is an over hyped movie with good marketing involved. Also the wife is fat and whiny and the husband is a pampered suburban idiot. In the end the best thing you can do is to cheer for the demon to savage both of these tools.
1	Ray	70 _62%
I originally gave this a 50, but I've watched it again and I like it. It does a lot right. It has stupid moments, sure, and it is remarkably slow...but there's something captivating about it. It's atmospheric, it builds up tension well, and the ending scared the absolute shit out of me. Some of the plot points, like Micah being an idiot at the end, are ridiculous and sometimes it can be a bit dull. That being said I still really enjoy it, and it freaks me the fuck out.
1	AlexBrisson	70 _28%
A woman is plagued by the world's most annoying boyfriend.
1	MArkjp	40 _15%
The problem with this film is, that it showcases it's tricks in the first half and the second half is just more of the same...which isn't that much actually. Anywho: shot on a small budget and hyped to be the scariest film ever. Bad movie but great pr-stunt. I think Peli could have saved some money, shooting this on a Canon 550 instead of that large camera, but what do I know..or care
1	knyttelol	100 _97%
the movie that has scared me the most in my whole life deserves a full score, no matter what. This is the horror experiance I have personally been looking for since blair witch project changed my life as a kid. The makers of PA understand you have to give more than just shaky footage of scared people to truely terrify someone who has seen it all (in movies at least), they have accutally picked out and used what no other genre than mockumentary horror can use to reach that almost too true horror
1	Zozan	85 _87%
I liked this movie in the sense that it differs from the more common horror movie type which aim to make you jump in your seat by throwing a scary figure in the screen along with a scary noise at an unexpected moment. This had none of it. Instead it tells you when something supernatural is about to happen and still manages to build up the tension piece by piece and and keeps you wondering what is gonna happen next. It almost felt like real.
1	mr rigard	32 _9%
Boyyyyyyyyy, how pissed off I would have been had I listened to the "professional" movie critics who hailed this mess to be "terrifying". Luckily for me, I didn't rush out to the theaters to see this WHATEVER-IT-IS; instead I paid a buck for it at Redbox. Unfortunately, that dollar would have been better spent buying a few loaves of day-old bread!!
1	CatScandal	33 _2%
awful. i was sick of the no-budget camcorder style ten minutes in and it never got better. the whole thing looks like it was made for a freshman video production class, and there's absolutely nothing scary in it. "don't use a ouija board, you'll make it angry!" is anyone old enough to drive actually frightened by that?
1	PirateJason	90 _91%
While made on a budget, the movie excels in capturing a feeling of subtle scares. I wasn't scared of the movie when watching it, but couldn't sleep in my own home that night by myself. Because of this lasting impression, I'll call it the second scariest movie I've seen (after the Exorcist).
1	bizort	5 _1%
Polarizing film. I found it to be terrible but there are people out there who genuinely enjoy it somehow. It takes things that should be subtle and makes them so literal that it's annoying. Plus, if you're still scared of ghosts at your age then you need to grow up. Plus plus, watching a couple bicker through 95% of the film isn't my idea of horror or quality.
1	gogokain	55 _56%
Painfully slow at times, but the few good moments are enough to make it worth a viewing. Theatrical ending is scarier but predictable, and the screener/film festival/original/whatever ending fits the pace of the movie better. Same score for both.
1	PeaceAnarchy	72 _32%
I find what this film is doing creepy so in that sense it works well. Whether I found it a good film, is a more open question. The actors come off really natural and the cinematography is just the right mix of natural without being jittery shakycam. I also like the up and down flow of the pacing, that builds up to the ending but provides plenty of respite in between to keep the film grounded.The actual premise is doesn't really grab me, though, and I found the characterizations ineffective.
1	Radres	70 _47%
Technically and visually it's better then Blair Witch but i found Blair Witch more disturbing than this. But it had a very unique and powerful marketing strategy , unfortunately the focus lied on the horror elements which were a bit disappointing. It has more suspense than horror and unfortunately if you watched the trailer you saw them all.
1	Murravener	94 _95%
This film has completely mastered the art of building suspense. There isn't excessive violence or gore. It is purely psychological. You can try and disregard it and pass it off as implausible. But when you lay in your bed after finishing it, you will never be quite as comfortable as you were before, whether you choose to admit it or not...
1	Spunkie	60 _65%
I am literally flabbergasted right now, had to open some music and come here to write this to knock some sense back to myself. While easily dismissable if watched on a third person perspective or a cinematic distance, if you just give into it and actually be there; it's damn powerful. Praise goes to psychological tension built up minute by minute.
1	3rdman	2 _15%
Silly as opposed to scary. Go rent The Shining instead.
1	saucyjack	86 _79%
Just a damn good horror film; one of the best in years. Don't miss this.
1	dsaos	87 _76%
Shows a surprising amount of restraint for a horror film, and follows a great, great formula that is just about fully (and no more) explored. Horror veterans will appreciate the structure here, although they may only be genuinely creeped once or twice. Newcomers to the genre will probably find it incredibly scary.
1	KasperL	40 _20%
Gets very repetitive.
1	Jarmann	68 _36%
As a mini-budget movie it's fun to watch how they've managed to do a lot with very little. The movie itself is fair enough. Creepy at times but never really scary.
1	vodenikrmak	67 _56%
Movie makes a good use of interesting filming technique ala "home made" camera recording. This adds the element of realism that many newer movies exploit (district 9, public enemies) and pulls the viewer into the world of characters. Great acting, filming, sound and editing. Film should have been longer, and should have stayed away from the very cheesy ending.
1	recklessmess	38 _21%
The scariest thing about this piece of shit is that it got made in the first place. Thanks a lot, Blair Witch Project.
1	Biedronski	70 _46%
I heard this was all jump scares going into it. it's more than that. The night scenes just get creepier and creepier as the movie goes on. And you have your typical loud noises that make you jump but all the suspense is there. They coulda cut out a lot of the day scenes and had the same effect with a short movie, cause the day was kinda boring. The ending was just ok. I read the other 3 or 4 they were gonna go with, they made the right choice but it still coulda been better.
1	KMcNeil	4 _33%
Did not connect with me like it obviously did with a lot of others. Too slow in the build-up and simply not scary enough. Good ideas, great use of limited budget and a razorsharp ending makes it worth watching though.
1	ZombieBuffet	60 _49%
The bedroom scenes were genuinely creepy... but overall this movie is rediculously overrated. Feels like they took a bunch of "hey, check this out" clips from YouTube and ineffectively stretched it into a feature film. Worth a watch for creepy scenes, but doesn't work as a whole movie.
1	Barthalen	60 _38%
It's nice to see a horror that creates an atmosphere with just a few sounds and creaks. While nothing happens that we haven't seen before (done better), I thought the idea that this was 'just' a home video worked well for the story. The daytime segments are slow, but I was genuinely nervous during the showing of the night recordings. Was hoping for a more interesting finale, now it just.. ends. Seeing this at home, alone, just before bedtime added to the experience.
1	Luna6ix	72 _40%
Admirable for what it accomplishes with a minimal budget, but it's lacking in good writing and for the majority of the movie the ghost basically just moves crap around, which isn't really scary unless you're in the same room as it.
1	Timon88	13 _4%
The Blair Witch Project's "found footage" gimmick spawned a whole slew of shitty imitations, and this is one of them. At least the girl's true nature finally surfaces at the end.
1	dst7175	0 _1%
so boring and predictable. not scary at all more stupid funny.
1	Zealot185	82 _76%
Just like Blair Witch Project made you afraid to enter deep woods, this film uses its low-budget camerawork to great effect and will make you afraid of unexplained sounds that you hear at 3AM in your home, as well as afraid of having a girlfriend (especially one that sleep-walks).
1	Coolkow19	75 _45%
More creepy than scary is the best way to describe this movie. A couple of scenes gave me the chills but this movie was overhyped. Not as scary as I was told. Good for a rent but that's about it.
1	jswinder	65 _34%
A properly made horror film that attacks the thought rather than probing a reaction. I agree with the others, the ending lacked grace and restraint.
1	WA7S0N	70 _8%
Very Very Disappointing. This movie had tons of hype from the beginning, but it never really delivered. You wait and wait for the climax thinking it's going to be a crazy ending, but it never comes. This was just another sub-par horror.
1	ewp805	60 _27%
How on Earth was this movie so successful? The last 30 minutes or so are somewhat spooky, but I'm definitely not losing any sleep over this. Lead lady was a bit annoying as well. "MEEEEECAAAAHHH!"
1	vv238	45 _47%
It's a little more than just Jump Scare: The Movie, which is what all the sequels are. Paranormal Activity does manage to occasionally have some good tension and makes decent use of its shoestring budget but the formula wears very thin by the end and there are no worthwhile characters to save it.

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Average Percentile 34.66% from 5490 Ratings