I’ve always loved horror, but October is when I really indulge in it. I love the colder weather, the darker evenings and of course the fact that Halloween is just around the corner. There’s something about this time of year that makes watching horror movies feel even better. Give me a dark room, a blanket and a really scary movie and I’m pretty much sorted.
31 days of horror
Hello, welcome to 31 days of horrorwhere I challenge myself to watch a horror movie every day for 31 days in October. Some are old favorites I haven’t seen in years, others are movies I’ve never seen before.
So this year I’m taking my love for horror a little further. I am challenging myself to watch a horror movie every day for 31 days, which will take me from October 1st to all of Halloween. Some of these are old favorites that I haven’t watched in years and desperately need a refresher, while others are movies I’ve somehow never seen before.
For day four I look “Paranormal Activity”, the iconic found-footage horror classic that turned an ordinary suburban home into a nightmare. I recorded my reaction and thoughts after watching it, so you can follow my 31 Day Horror Challenge below (along with a transcript of my video). Will I make it through the month? There is only one way to find out.
Latest Videos FromTom the guide
What is ‘Paranormal Activity’ about?
Look up
Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) are a young couple who have recently moved into a suburban home in San Diego. Katie tells Micah that a strange presence has been following her since childhood, and after some unexplained incidents around the house, Micah decides to investigate. He sets up a camera in their bedroom and begins recording it overnight, hoping to capture evidence of whatever happens while they sleep.
At first, the footage shows relatively minor disturbances, including strange noises, flickering lights and doors moving on their own. But the activity gradually becomes more intense, with objects disappearing, loud bangs throughout the house and increasingly frightening incidents involving Katie. Now the couple must find out what is happening to them before it gets worse.
My thoughts after watching ‘Paranormal Activity’
“Paranormal Activity” wasn’t as scary as I remembered. When I first watched it when I was younger, it absolutely terrified me, and I had countless nightmares about it. Watching it again now, the scares don’t have quite the same impact, but it still retains the same sense of tension and dread that made it so effective in the first place. A big part of what makes the film tick is its unique format.
We watch the traces unfold over a series of nights, allowing the supernatural activity to gradually escalate. Katie and Micah also feel like a truly believable couple dealing with something completely bizarre together, and the naturalistic performances make their relationship that much more convincing.
The filmmaking is remarkably effective considering how simple the setup is. The camera often remains completely static, leaving you staring into a seemingly empty space waiting for something to happen. The sound design also does a lot of the heavy lifting, especially the low, almost constant drone that appears during some of the night scenes. It creates an uneasy atmosphere without having to rely on constant jump scares.
It’s even more impressive when you remember how cheaply “Paranormal Activity” was made. The film had a budget of only 15,000 dollars and was shot in director Oren Peli’s actual house at the time. For such a small project, it ended up making a huge impact and became one of the defining found footage horror films of its era.
However, the film is now showing its age, and I don’t necessarily mean that as a criticism. Its impact has inevitably been diminished by the large number of found footage films that have followed, as well as the countless horror films centered around hauntings, demons and poltergeists. Some of what felt really fresh and terrifying when “Paranormal Activity” was released has become much more familiar.
I’ve also watched both the theatrical and alternate endings, and I’d recommend sticking with the theatrical version. It’s the end the audience originally saw when the film was released, it fits with the canon established by the sequels, and I still find it quite unnerving.
While it doesn’t scare me as much as it did when I was younger, “Paranormal Activity” remains one of the best examples of found footage horror and still feels like a staple of the Halloween watch list. There’s something impressive about how much tension Oren Peli was able to create with so little, and the film remains a great example of how you don’t necessarily need a big budget to make an impact.
With “Paranormal Activity 8” also on the way next year and reportedly bringing some upgraded camera technology to the franchise, I’m certainly intrigued to see if it recaptures some of that original magic.
follow Tom’s Guide to Google News in the add us as a preferred source to get our latest news, analysis and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom’s Guide YouTube and follow Tom’s guide entertainment TikTok in the Instagram.