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I refuse to believe I’m crazy; Grave Encounters is fucking scary.

Like, really, genuinely scary. Fright is certainly a subjective thing, and many factors figure in to my extreme reaction to this 2011 found footage movie. But even with all the baggage I carried into my viewing, I still assert this film is infinitely more effective than say… Paranormal Activity.

Based on TV shows like Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures, Grave Encounters follows a group of “ghost hunters” as they explore a “haunted” mental hospital. As a regular viewer of Ghost Adventures, I was immediately sold. The beginning of this film is a solid parody. Host and lead, Lance Preston (Sean Rogerson), channels  Zak Bagans to hilarious effect. It’s clear that the filmmakers had a firm grasp on the reality ghost TV formula. 20 minutes in and I was set on enjoying the experience, whatever it ended up being.

The camera angles and cuts mirror the actual shows the film is playing off. It is this mimicry that manipulates. If you watch enough of these ghost shows, you know the deal. Sure, something may move, kinda. And someone may shriek that they’ve seen something and take off running. But all the things we fear never materialize. As eerie the setting and circumstance, there is never a payoff. So when things start going down during this faux ghost hunt, you are more than ready to buy it.

Things start off subtlety enough: Windows open, someone’s touched, and all this is frightening. And yes, it works so well because it is taking the next natural step, exploiting our vulnerability. Like clock work, things begin to escalate. And while certain turns may be predictable, the tension and atmosphere manipulates that predictability.

There are certain aspects I found especially frightening and nightmare inducing, but I truly don’t want to spoil this. I didn’t know what to expect going in, and that served me well. As things reach a head, I could see some viewers checking out. A few of the visuals are less than subtle and pretty CGI heavy. But by the time they showed up, I was a wiggly mess. A kitten could have run at the camera and I would have hollered. So none of these effects caused me to roll my eyes judgmentally.

The long and short of it is this: I have never been so frightened in my adult life. Towards the film’s end I was covering my eyes, looking off to the side, and checking my phone. It was just too much. I haven’t felt that sublimely disturbed since I snuck downstairs and tucked myself behind the couch to secretly watch A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The set-up was as perfect as the execution. This is truly found footage at its best. The cameras and filming always made sense, as did the character reactions. I can’t say enough good things. I loved this awful, scary, exploitative movie.

Oh, and it’s on Netflix instant.