Paranormal Activity (2007)

About Paranormal Activity

Directed by Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity is a found-footage horror film that was released in 2007. The movie's plot revolves around Katie and Micah, a young couple who move into a suburban residence where they become disturbed by a supernatural presence, leading them to set up a camera to capture the strange occurrences. The film delivers its horror not through monsters or grotesque visuals, but through the causality of suspense and the unseen danger that lurks within familiar surroundings.

Making / Production

Paranormal Activity was made on a shoestring budget of $15,000. The shooting of the film was completed in 10 days at the director's home in San Diego. Such stark and restrained use of setting, character, and effects resulted in a film that was remarkably effective in both its subtlety and its ability to shock.

Actors

• Katie Featherston as Katie - Featherston's naturalistic performance of a woman increasingly terrified by supernatural happenings in her home was a driving force behind the movie's success.
• Micah Sloat as Micah - His stubborn refusal to leave the house and insistence on provoking the unseen entity provided a terrifying contrast with Katie's increasing fear.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Director Oren Peli used his own house for filming Paranormal Activity.
• The movie was filmed in just 10 days but took almost a year to edit.
• Much of the dialogue was improvised by the actors.
• The film originally ended with a police shootout, but the ending was changed after Steven Spielberg suggested a less violent and more suspenseful conclusion.

Quotes

• "You're not in control - it is in control." - Katie
• "I feel it - I feel it breathing on me." - Katie
• "This is not just happening. Okay, it's not just happening. There's something going on." - Micah

Music, Soundtrack

• "Paranormal Activity," the movie, does not have a traditional musical soundtrack. Instead, the film utilizes diegetic sound (sounds occurring within the context of the film) to enhance the sense of reality and tension.