Paranormal Activity

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Paranormal Activity

R

Released Oct 16, 2009

1h 26m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

207 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

Full Review

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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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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Emilie Black

JoBlo's Movie Network

The cast is solid, the directing is great, the set-up works, the scares are built up just right.

Dec 14, 2023

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Its strengths come in its subtlety, it's a roller-coaster ride that audiences buy into knowing full well that the narrative will take a backseat to being frightened with effective jump-scares.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 22, 2023

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Sophie P.

i was holding my breath the entire movie… the demon is a better boyfriend than this man!!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

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Jen W

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 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

Full Review

Nick O

When I first saw this in the theater, I didn’t think much of it. Later that night, alone in my apartment, every little noise made me jump out of my skin! Since then, I’ve come to love it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/03/25

Full Review

Alexander T

If your looking for a found footage movie, this is the one to see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/11/25

Full Review

Yash B

I am starting to realize that found footage horror can be deeply affecting for me if it's done right. The classic horror movie "Paranormal Activity," is a very good one. I think the movie is inherently scary because most of the creepy things happening happen while the characters are asleep or in the middle of the night. Watching this on a quiet night with a friend made for a truly terrifying experience, and I have to give it props for genuinely frightening me. I do think the two characters in this can be a bit ridiculous in their actions and some of the things they say, but I also think they are intriguing. Overall, it is an effective movie made with a shoestring budget yet is scarier than a lot of the big-budget horror out there, and I'd recommend it to genre fans.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

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Audience Member

I love this film, it should have a higher rating!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/24/25

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

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - We Need Your Help

1:11

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - Powder Footsteps

2:11

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - How Did She Die?

1:53

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - Dragged Out of Bed

2:04

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - I Feel it Breathing on Me

1:41

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - The Sheets Move

2:10

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - Slamming the Door

2:06

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - Paranormal Ending

2:13

Paranormal Activity: Official Clip - Ouija Board on Fire

2:11

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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: Blumhouse
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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