Paranormal Activity (2007)
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A young couple's attempt to document a haunting in their home leads to a terrifying confrontation with a supernatural presence.
The story
After Katie claims she is being haunted by an evil presence since childhood, she and her boyfriend Micah set up a camera in their bedroom to document the activity. A psychic, Dr. Fredrichs, warns them that they are being haunted by a demon that feeds on negative energy and advises them to seek professional help. However, Micah remains dismissive of the warnings and continues to film and provoke the presence. As the weeks pass, the recordings begin to capture increasingly disturbing occurrences, ranging from minor noises and flickering lights to violent physical manifestations, escalating the tension as the couple struggles to understand the nature of the entity in their home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Katie and Micah set up a camera to document a haunting in their home. Despite warnings from a psychic that they are being haunted by a demon, Micah continues to provoke the entity. The recordings capture escalating disturbances, including loud thuds and demonic sounds. One night, Katie enters a trance and wanders outside, while later, Micah finds a burnt photograph of her from a past fire. After a failed attempt to contact a demonologist, the situation turns violent. On Night #21, Katie enters a trance again, and a struggle ensues. Micah is eventually hurled at the camera, and Katie is seen standing over him with blood on her shirt, before lunging at the camera with a demonic snarl. The film features several versions of the ending; the theatrical version shows Katie lunging at the camera, while an original 'Festival Cut' ended with police officers finding her and one officer shooting her after she stood up and asked for Micah.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 86
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Oren Peli
- Writers
- Oren Peli · writer
- Cast and characters
- Katie Featherston · a fictionalized version of herself; Micah Sloat · a fictionalized version of himself; Mark Fredrichs · Dr. Fredrichs; Amber Armstrong · Katie's friend
- Genres
- supernatural horror; psychological horror; psychological thriller
- Themes
- supernatural haunting; possession
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; frightening
- Premise and plot tags
- found-footage; haunted house
- Franchise connections
- Paranormal Activity
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, praised for its suspense and use of the found-footage format, though some critics criticized its reliance on jump scares.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 209; Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Awards and nominations
- Best First Feature · Independent Spirit Awards · 2009 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- It is often cited as the most profitable film ever made, based on proportionate return on investment.; The film was shot for $15,000.; The film's marketing strategy inspired subsequent horror films to use similar methods.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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