The horror genre is kind of a literary minefield. There are academics who refuse to acknowledge the merit of horror and there are others that find value in the genre. So a stand-off exists between horror-enthusiasts and those who use words like 'penny-dreadfuls' to describe some of the best horror. I think that horror is best when it reaches into the collective subconscious of people. This is horror that plays with anxieties that exist within all human-beings. The most successful horror films and books are not scary because of the things that go bump-in-the-night, but because the things that do go bump-in-the-night remind us, even only on a subconscious level, of the anxieties that we all feel. This is the horror that can be considered valuable.
'Paranormal Activity' is unsuccessful as a horror movie. I'm actually astounded at the amount of money that it has made considering how frustratingly bad it is. The problem doesn't lie in the acting, though both actors are appropriately annoying. It also doesn't lie in the fact that it's an idea that has been delivered before (and much, much better) in 'The Blair Witch Project.' The problem with 'Paranormal Activity' is its complete lack of mythology and its inability to tap into any subconscious anxiety.
First off, let's look at the style of 'Paranormal Activity'. The gimmick it uses has been attempted so much in contemporary popular culture that it has become cliche. The idea of experiencing the narrative from the point of view of the protagonist via video-camera, is so tired it makes insomniacs jealous. Its reliance on an old gimmick may have been forgiveable had there been some kind of substance to the story, but there just isn't any. Instead we are treated to the standard 'haunted house' narrative that can be found in thousands of other ghost stories.
The reason that 'The Blair Witch Project' was so successful was because it transcended the horror genre by relying on the burgeoning technology of the Internet as a narrative device. The truth behind the film was deliberately left hazy by the film-makers and the idea of whether or not the events were real was played with. At one point, the IMDB listed the actors of the film as 'deceased'. This coupled with a realistic web-site depicting a rich, fictional mythology and history of the Blair Witch gave the audience something to go into the movie with. The ninety minute fragment that was the feature film, probably only complimented the back-story that had already settled into the viewers subconscious.
'The Blair Witch Project' played with the idea of film as a method of distancing the individual from reality. The three characters in the film were Blair-witch skeptics from the outset and it was almost as if the act of filming a documentary was a barrier to any danger they might encounter. This was the idea that was left burning in the minds of the audience, like some indistinguishable cigarette. Despite skepticism and scientific rationalism, maybe the film was real. And if 'The Blair Witch Project' was real then the paranormal could exist and we would be left without the safety of modern logic and rationalism. In this sense, 'The Blair Witch Project' is a vastly superior horror film to 'Paranormal Activity'.
'Paranormal Activity' lacks the cleverness of 'The Blair Witch Project'. It doesn't manipulate any anxiety apart from the obvious fear of the paranormal. It is the worst kind of low culture. Everything about the movie is conventional and the narrative events quickly become predictable. You go into the film expecting a 'shock' ending and you receive an ending that tries to be shocking but isn't. Despite a few disturbing moments, 'Paranormal Activity' doesn't reach us on any truly frightening level. You may be scared by this film, but if you are, ask yourself whether or not you are truly disturbed by it. Nobody will answer 'yes'. This is a dud folks. If ever there was an example of low culture that is worthy of ridicule, it is 'Paranormal Activity'.
