Let the Activity Begin!

Review: Paranormal Activity 3

The first Paranormal Activity was something of a phenomenon; a little known movie made for $11,000 in 7 days received some interest at the 2007 Screamfest Horror Film Festival, was picked up by Paramount Pictures, had the ending changed at the recommendation of Steven Spielberg, and went on to gross almost $200 million worldwide after an intriguing “Demand It” distribution program.

Paranormal Activity 2 pulled off the same feat of grossing lots of money, while being made for very little. And its prequel/at-the-same-time-as-the-first-movie timeline was interesting. But unfortunately most of the scare tactics were the same old bumps in the night and viewers, while scared, were disappointed that the second film didn’t explore new make-‘em-jump territory. The second film was also criticized for taking too long to introduce any really good scares.

Paranormal Activity 3, the latest installment in the franchise, avoids these mistakes while continuing to expand the series’ plot. It’s another prequel, this time set in the 1980s, following the haunting of the child-versions of franchise characters Katie and Christie. Kids in horror movies are creepy, always have been, and Paranormal Activity 3 is no exception. It is the corruption of Katie and Christie’s childhood innocence which adds tension to this film, as little Christie is manipulated by her imaginary friend who lives in the attic, Toby, the name finally given to the demon that haunts these films. Toby’s relationship with Christie is disconcerting at best and as the demon steps up his antics, Christie joins us in realizing how dangerous her “friend” is.

Toby’s antics tread new water in this film and, while it begins with the usual bumps in the night, the scares are certainly more innovative this time. The father figure this time around (let’s be honest, everyone else’s names don’t really matter) owns a wedding video company and sets up the cameras around the house. Contributing to the mounting tensions is a camera he sets on the base of an oscillating fan which pans back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the filmmakers behind the phenomenal Catfish) replace franchise creator Oren Peli, who stayed on as a producer, in the director chair(s) and turn up the creepy factor as they dig deeper into the origins of the family’s haunting. They even make a trip to grandma’s house a terrifying event. Yet as we get more hints than ever before as to the beginnings of the family curse, the film wraps up and leaves us feeling as though we still needed a more complete conclusion.

That's good and bad. It’s bad, because I think they could have more fully wrapped up some loose ends. But it’s good because there’s obviously a lot of story left to be told and we can look forward to seeing a fourth film which will undoubtedly show up next Halloween. Let’s face it, we’re all still wondering, “What happened to Hunter?!?” But that’s how the Paranormal Activity series will end. For now, go and enjoy this effectively scary beginning.

The Final Word (if you're a "Paranormal" fan): Go buy a ticket.
The Final Word (if you're not that familiar with the series): Wait to rent it.