Paranormal Activity Review

4.5 out of 5 stars

After a disappointing sequel last Halloween, the Paranormal Activity franchise has returned for a third outing. Considering the repetition of scares and inferior storyline in last year’s installment, the big question was whether or not the latest in the series could recapture some of the originality and strong story of the first film.

Fortunately, Paranormal Activity 3 manages to blow away expectations, providing a solid sequel and one of the best horror movies of the year.

Paranormal Activity 3 takes the series back 18 years, and follows the protagonists of the previous films, Katie and Kristi, when they were little girls and first had contact with the demonic entity that haunted them in the previous two installments. The events are filmed courtesy of Dennis, a wedding videographer and the live-in boyfriend of the girls’ mother.

The events in the movie begin as usual for the series, with the first 15 minutes setting up the characters and introducing important plot points and locations. Soon, the first moments of strange happenings lead to Dennis setting up cameras around the house to try and find out exactly what’s going on.

It’s here that Paranormal Activity 3 begins to break from the established formula developed in its predecessors. Though there are some familiar scenes, most of the scares on display are clever and inventive, and bring a new level of ingenuity to the franchise.

The creativity is in no small part thanks to the unique camera work. Unable to film enough of the house with the few cameras he has, Dennis disassembles an oscillating fan and attaches his camera to it. This creates the effect of the shot slowly panning back and forth between the living room and kitchen, a set-up that ratchets up the tension beyond anything the stationary cameras can allow.

Furthermore, the demon proves more active this time around, with numerous events occurring in the daytime as well as the late hours. This “anything goes” nature of the scares in the film is refreshing, and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats more than ever.

The increased activity of the demon also allows for a higher number of scares throughout the film, which in turn leads to a faster escalation in the amount of action. Unlike the previous two films, the bombastic moments far outweigh the subtle ones. As such, the last half- hour of the film provides the greatest amount of sustained tension and dread yet in the franchise.

The film also continues to expand on the franchise mythology, answering questions first posed in the second movie, and setting up new plot points for further sequels to explore. This may seem like little more than sequel bait to some, but the revelations remain intriguing throughout.

Of course, the film wouldn’t succeed without a strong cast, and Paranormal Activity 3 has managed to build a strong one. As always, the series has attracted some of the best unknowns in Hollywood, actors who are able to sell the “found footage” concept by coming across as genuine, believable characters.

Particularly impressive are the two girls who portray the young Katie and Kristi, who possess an immense amount of talent for such young ages. Both girls manage to portray terror and humor, depending on what each scene calls for.

On the subject of humor, Paranormal Activity has always managed to garner a few laughs between its scares, and the third entry sees the best balance between the two. The 80s setting allows for jokes at the expense of Back to the Future and the Teddy Ruxpin doll, as well as more conventional sexual humor.

Overall, Paranormal Activity 3 is another strong entry in the franchise that has come to define the “found footage” horror sub-genre. If the last two entries in the series didn’t interest you, then there’s nothing here that will change your mind. However, for fans of the series, Paranormal Activity 3 is a great step forward, and will likely leave you counting down the days until the next film.