Paranormal Activity

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Paranormal Activity

R

2009

1h 26m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

209 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural presence. Hoping to capture evidence of it on film, they set up video cameras in the house but are not prepared for the terrifying events that follow.

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Critics Consensus

Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.

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Julie and Brandy

Autostraddle

it was awesome in the way that it was extremely, horrendously and torturously stressful... worth it.

Sep 1, 2021

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Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

[Paranormal Activity] is way more scary than Blair Witch because it takes the old conceit of things that go bump into the night, and brings it slyly into a well-to-do, middle class suburb.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 17, 2019

Full Review

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

This is a scarily well-made scary little film, although it certainly isn't flawless... But the acting is supremely naturalistic and, for such a small-scale project, it does have an amazingly heightened effect.

Aug 30, 2018

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

The found footage horror premise has a certain originality in evoking a few chills in domestic atmospheres, but, in general, the little substance there is goes out like the lights in the bedroom. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Oct 19, 2025

Full Review

Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

...Before every douchebag had a ghost hunting tv show, this tapped into the suspension of disbelief around “real hauntings”... Ghosts [aren't] reaching through tvs stealing children, but [they are] knocking things off of shelves like housecats.

Rated: 10/10

Sep 23, 2025

Full Review

Joseph Tomastik

Loud and Clear Reviews

I had my bets on liking the film … I did not expect it to be one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen.

Rated: 4.5/5

Dec 4, 2024

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Deshawn F.

Ok movie nothing to crazy watching them all let’s see how it holds up

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/27/25

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Benjamin H

While it does benefit from its low-budget filmmaking and it has some decent acting and creepy moments, Paranormal Activity is overall a pretty tame and predictable horror movie that overuses its own found-footage style and becomes rather repetitive as it goes on.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/24/25

Full Review

Dylan F

I honestly think this was a really amazing accomplishment. They shot it in like a week with a dirt budget, managed to really lift the entire found footage genre, and made millions off of scares earned through suspense and atmosphere. Some may find it silly, but I personally liked the creepy vibe and appreciated the ways they built suspense. Not a lot of jump scares, and the home video part felt real when it first premiered. Probably the best of the whole franchise.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/23/25

Full Review

Warren H.

Honestly, this movie is really suspenseful. But in a good way. The fact that the entire movie is filmed from an older camera makes it so much better. And while it takes a while to get in its feet, it definitely pays off. As for if it’s scary, it’s not necessarily scary as it is suspenseful. Overall, a must watch horror movie!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/07/25

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Aidanlee W.

Classic movie, good scares and good tension. The movie created a series of interesting tales and characters.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/30/25

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Alejandra C

back in the day it traumatized everyone. OG. Watch

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/06/25

Full Review

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Oren Peli

Director

Katie Featherston

Katie

Micah Sloat

Micah

Amber Armstrong

Amber

Mark Fredrichs

Psychic

Ashley Palmer

Girl on Internet

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Synopsis

Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural presence. Hoping to capture evidence of it on film, they set up video cameras in the house but are not prepared for the terrifying events that follow.

Director: Oren Peli
Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli
Screenwriter: Oren Peli
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse, DreamWorks Pictures
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $107.9M
Runtime: 1h 26m

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