Paranormal Activity (2007)

A bedroom door drifting a few inches on its own is the big special effect in Paranormal Activity, and it outscares most monster budgets. The setup is just a camera on a tripod aimed at a bed while two people sleep, a timestamp racing in the corner, and you’ll scan every dark inch of the frame. Daytime is the problem. Micah is the most irritating boyfriend in horror, a guy who answers every warning by buying more gear and picking a fight with whatever’s in the house. You spend those scenes waiting for night. Katie Featherston is great as the one who actually has to live with all this, and her fear feels painfully real. It’s all suggestion, no gore, and that’s smart. Oren Peli made it for a reported $15K, and it pulled in $193.4 million worldwide. A 6.2 because the nights are terrifying and the days are just an argument with a camera. $4,771 says you set your phone to record your bedroom tonight, watch zero seconds of it, and delete it at breakfast.

What works: The fixed bedroom camera turns tiny sounds and movements into real dread, and Katie Featherston’s fear feels genuine.

What doesn’t: The daytime scenes are mostly bickering filler, and Micah is so annoying that he drains tension from every argument.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who prefer slow, creaky dread over gore and are fine with watching a lot of a bedroom.