At the core of the horror genre is the question, “What are people afraid of?” That question has been answered, giant snakes (“Anaconda“), evil clowns (“It”) and Jack Nicholson (“The Shining”). However, in the fall blockbuster “Paranormal Activity”, the question is answered by exploring the dark side of the supernatural in a very real way.

“Paranormal Activity” is Israeli filmmaker Oren Peli’s writing and directing debut, though you wouldn’t know it just by watching the film. The film is shot mockumentary-style (think “Blair Witch” or “The Office”) and doesn’t feature a traditional open or close. The film follows Micah and Katie and their attempt to figure out what is haunting their house. Micah buys a camera and attempts to capture the spirit or force in their house by filming them while they sleep. As the film progresses, the force becomes more agitated by Micah’s pursuit and occasional taunting and the situation escalates seriously, resulting in terrifying consequences.

“Paranormal Activity” is one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen. Despite the fact that I understood the film was fiction, the shooting style and the very real subject matter connects the audience to the characters in a very real way. Until the ending, however, the film doesn’t have many ostensibly scary moments. The fear comes in the anticipation of encountering this entity and in the aftermath of the film.

“Paranormal Activity” has kept me up at night. After seeing the film, when I laid in my bed and heard a noise coming from the scary Triplex attic, I wondered if there was something evil hiding up there. It’s the kind of film that gets caught in your brain. The skill of the filmmaker is that “Paranormal Activity” is scarier after leaving the theater than it is while watching the movie. If you love horror movies, see “Paranormal Activity”. However, if you, like me, don’t particularly enjoy this genre, don’t watch this movie. You can’t unwatch it.