4. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Paranormal Activity was a surprise hit when it was finally - after a distended development cycle - released in 2009, cementing the commercial viability of the found footage genre, and making it clear that psychological thrills are much more palpable than merely drenching the screen in gore. A seemingly simply haunted house premise revolving around a couple who suspect paranormal activity in their home - and set up cameras to record the action - is smartly constructed, and builds a growing sense of paranoia in the viewer superbly. The majority of the suspense comes from the viewer scanning around the usually stationary camera, looking for small movements such as moving doors, and then later on, more obvious events, as things lead up to an expectedly horrifying conclusion. The theatrical ending, however - reportedly suggested by Steven Spielberg - is not a touch on the original ending, and seems to serve only to leave things open for the sequels that followed. Still, fans of the film can check out the DVD or YouTube to see the vastly superior denouement themselves. Whatever the close, it's most about the ride the film takes you on, and in that regard, it succeeds absolutely.