Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
Director: Oren Peli (directorial debut)
Running Time: 1 hr 39 min
Release Date: Sept. 25, 2009 (Oct. 16 in Milwaukee)
Budget: $15 thousand
Average Critics’ Score: 79%
“An ingenious little horror film…” Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“An excruciatingly tedious YouTube gag…”Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
If you want to see a horror film that will truly scare the wits out of you, look no further. Filmed in newcomer director Peli’s home three years ago in just seven days for $15 thousand dollars, Paranormal Activity tells the horrifying tale of a young, idyllic couple (the extremely believable Featherston and Sloat) who set up an omnipresent camera in their house to catch the demonic spirit that’s haunting them during the night. Though it eventually grows a tad tedious and it’s psychologically exhausting to sit through, Activity is extremely engrossing and affective because the faux-documentary style and unknown actors with their easygoing, realistic relationship make you believe the story is real.
