Horror movies have made us fear that shadow on the other side of the shower curtain, that suspicious ripple in water and the eve of Halloween. But few movies accomplish what this horror film has. Paranormal Activity is about a young couple plagued by what seems to be a dark force lurking in their house. Paranormal Activity asks us to fear something far more tangible than what’s offered by standard horror-movie fare. It gets its audiences to shudder and shriek at every bump we hear in our own homes late at night. Creaking stairs, dripping faucets, a door swinging from a breeze; these are the signs that something is wrong. Such commonplace noises take on a whole new meaning in Paranormal Activity.

Filmed mockumentary style, the male lead Micah sets out to film the strange happenings in their new home. Girlfriend Katie admits to being a little too familiar with strange occurrences, and it’s not long before both realize that there’s something dark and invisible following Katie. What begins as an attempt to film a door or two opening mysteriously turns into a mad search for clues to restore normalcy to their home and save their own lives. With this force following them everywhere, Micah and Katie are trapped and what was once a home becomes a death trap.

Newbie filmmaker Oren Peli has found himself with a surprise hit on his hands, much like The Blair Witch Project. When Paramount agreed to help distribute it for wide release, the film’s website received a massive response to its “Demand it!” option for cities not playing the movie. Part of the mass appeal of Paranormal Activity seems to be its plausibility. It doesn’t require a psycho killer to be on the loose, or heads to turn 360 degrees to terrify; it uses sounds and sights the audience already knows and attacks them in their own homes.

Like most horror flicks, Paranormal Activity still has a sense of humor, but not at the expense of scares or characters development. Not unlike the audiences watching the film, Micah turns to humor to lighten and ease the situation at hand providing some relief, but this doesn’t last long. Every time the sun sets, fear rises both on and off screen.

Ultimately, Paranormal Activity is a refreshing film that truly stands out among the gory sequels, remakes and torture porn to create a monster for us to really fear. The characters might be keeping their limbs, but it seems a safe bet that it’s us that will be losing sleep.