I find it rather strange how many people can find flaws with this movie.
Many people may think the little girls' acting was too calm for someone her age (if she was actually in the situation of the film). To you I would ask were you just judging the actors abilities or trying to watch the film? If you were watching, you would have seen and understood that she had some sort of connection with the aliens. I did not watch the movie from the very beginning (I missed about 20 minutes), but throughout she was telling the family how to act, as she knew what the aliens were doing. She kept running upstairs, as if by force, trying to see the alien. When Tommy put down the camera she unloaded the shotgun so that if the aliens did come within firing range, they would not get hurt. If you were watching her carefully, you would have seen her drawing aliens, even though she never saw them (correct me if I am wrong, as I said I missed the first 20 minutes). And the concluding story to her so called "calm acting" was when at the end when the aliens walked in she didn't even get drawn to the aliens like the rest, she just walked to join her flock. And if you didn't pick up on this, the choice of putting her photo last out of the whole family (when if you think about it, it should be Tommy), and giving that image more on screen time than the rest shows she had some significance.
When I was about 11 years old, at the time of Blair Witch came (not being able to see it though), I was drawn into the hype as I didn't fully understand how the world worked. For people of about 14 and upwards, you should understand even if video footage was found of a family who have been abducted (and nowhere to be found), the government would never allow it to be released for TV (at least not after many years of working with it). I think most of you already knew this. So you shouldn't watch the movie and complain about the obvious fact its a film made for entertainment! For the time you part of the movie, it is meant to seem real as it makes you emote more. But afterwards you leave the film and realise it was a movie and thought it was a great one at that. The film makers would not deny it was just a film. That phone number before the credits just helps to keep you part of the film.
I can understand how for some people the cuts in the film (where it fades to black then to an expert) can be very annoying, but it effectively heightens the suspense. Just as something creepy happens because of the aliens, the frame pauses just on a really interesting picture. After this you are on the edge of your seat trying to see the aftermath.
I never knew any of these actors when I saw the movie, so maybe I was at an advantage rather than always thinking "Thats the guy from Stargate!". I thought overall it was a great movie, and I was watching in constant suspense. So I think this movie is for any suspense seeker, especially for those who have a craving for some alien invasion.
Okay, now I would like to make the flaws of the movie that are actually important known.
The amount of the light that the camera has available is too much for any flashlight (I believe he is holding one whenever he is outside). Instead I think the night-vision capability should have been used (which is widely available on the market of DV cameras these days). This would have enhanced the element of being made by a teen with a cheap camera. Thats it. After all, again, it was a film, and not real life.
Genuinely scary and gripping from start till end, though still requesting more footage, this film gets a 9/10. A must see, but do not buy (as its one of those films you don't want to regularly watch).
