Paranormal Entity (2009)

Paranormal Entity

Rating: 2 stars out of 5.

Notice: No spoilers until noted.


Here we have one of Paranormal Activity's various mockbusters, films produced specifically to capitalize on a major picture's popularity. Generally their production values are low and their scripts are crumby, but I found this one at a used CD store and it looked so creepy, I just had to see it!

I can't say it was as good as I hoped, but it also wasn't as bad as I feared. The plot is fairly weak and it gleams most of its scares from Paranormal Activity (accomplished much less effectively here, of course). But it does get genuinely scary at a part or two, setting it leagues above other cash-in attempts such as Strawberry Estates (believed to have been an attempt at capitalizing on The Blair Witch Project).

If you're an absolute Paranormal Activity junkie, I could recommend this film after you've gone through the best found footage films. But before you go for Paranormal Entity, you may want to check out Lake Mungo. It's not as scary as Paranormal Entity -- it's more spooky and atmospheric than scary -- but it's a better film.

(SPOILER WARNING)

The early spooks were ineffective because they didn't show any scenes or lengths of time that didn't culminate in a ghostly occurrence. It would say "Night 1" and show something happening, "Night 2" and something small would happen, etc.

But as the film carries on, the scenes actually get more subtle and it becomes a occasionally scary. Maybe they were trying for the classic found footage build-up from mundane to terrifying, although that's a little more effective when you don't immediately start out with paranormal occurrences, instead starting out skeptical and then allowing terror to dawn on the audience. But the two scenes of the brother home alone, walking around the house in the dark, going from room to room.... is very creepy and much appreciated.

The movie does tend to drag after that, though. The point where they get so scared as to flee the house happens about half-way through, which should have set off the climax, but instead we're treated to half a movie of diminishing returns.

Naturally it doesn't expand much past what Paranormal Activity forged. However, the initial premise of the demon's interest being incurred first by the mother trying to write to her deceased husband, and instead end up corresponding with a demon, is pretty interesting and creepy. And *ehem* it may be a better premise than certain turns the Paranormal Activity series may or may not have recently taken.

Overall Paranormal Entity shows just how much craftsmanship is really in the original Paranormal Activity, crafting the plot and the scares so much more effectively than does this film. But Paranormal Entity has some good scares of it's own and it's a fun film to watch if you're an absolute found footage junkie like myself.