It is absolutely fine. Those who have paid attention to the trailer will note that people in the audience are shitting themselves because a door slams shut. The fuss seems mostly unwarranted. The only aspect of it that appears to be innovative is the ‘found footage’ thing.
Remember how awesome Cloverfield was? It was. Remember the first half hour where everyone was like ‘HEY SO YOU’RE FILMING THIS LEAVING PARTY? EVEN ME TALKING TO YOU ABOUT HOW YOU’RE FILMING THE PARTY? HOW AWESOME!’? It was shit. Everyone wanted the monster to tear them apart already.
And so Paranormal Activity beings with a ‘OH SO YOU’RE FILMING MY EVERY MOVE NOW? THIS CAN ONLY BE AMAZING’ setup. They have a full discussion about how awesome it is going to be to film the hauntings in their house and how they can totally afford industry level equipment.
There are only so many horror films that can go down this route, especially since the first one was so bloody brilliant. I’d like to see the found footage thing taken into other genres, comedy and about two thirds of a science fiction film, for example.
The film runs thus:
1. Boyfriend films terrible shit happening to his girlfriend
2. Boyfriend antagonises demon and girlfriend
3. ???
4. PROFIT
This is a film about a girl being tormented by a demon. Unlike the very understanding Justin Long in Drag Me To Hell, this girl’s boyfriend is entirely unreasonable, playing the entire situation like it’s his own personal episode of Most Haunted rather than the personal hell of the love of his life.
Thankfully, things play out very much according to the ancient laws of horror. Genre nerds will be particularly pleased with the final ten minutes. But a slow building sense of ominous dread throughout was bitterly lacking, not helped by the boring, smug, whiny leads.
Much like Blair Witch Project (and very unlike District 9), nothing that happens before the shakycam terror pads the characters out as real people, like the ‘found footage’ tag somehow gives you a pass on personality.
If sudden movements and loud noises scare you, get someone to blow into a bag of crisps and explode it with their hands. It’s cheaper.
If you want a film to tap into deep lying psychological fears and leave you pondering on the transient nature of existence, the dispensability of life and the existential horror of the void, buy Moon.
