Paranormal Activity 2

In 2009, Paranormal Activity took theaters by storm. What began as a micro-budget horror film became a box office juggernaut. Now in 2010, and just in time for Halloween, Paranormal Activity 2 has hit screens nationwide. What may seem like an attempt to milk a lucrative title (which it is) actually turns out to be an excellent piece of horror cinema.

Although billed as a sequel, the newest Paranormal film is actually a prequel that is directly tied into the events of the first film. The set up sticks to the formula, and the house, cameras, and night owl demonic presence brings you right back into the series. Using this foundation, the movie expands drastically on what we saw in the first film. Now we get to see an entire family being tormented, including a baby and a dog used to help wrench sympathy from even the most heartless audience members. This expanded victim group adds a much more interesting dynamic than the first film, as we can see many more reactions to this kind of event.

Another great addition to this Paranormal was the addition of more cameras built into the story. The first film relied exclusively on a one-camera gimmick. We could only see one angle, or one of the characters had to grab the camera and run to a new location. This time, the house in the story is wired with security cameras that give us plenty of angles and different rooms of the home. This allows the director to seamlessly let the audience jump around the house. The more stable shots allow the scares to become more intricate and effective than many of the shaky camera garbage from the original. As the movie plays and we continue to get in the pattern of changing from camera to camera, it almost allows you to watch the film from the demon’s perspective.

The technical superiority is obvious from the scares to the visual presentation of the film. However, the most dramatic improvement in the film can be found in the story. Paranormal Activity was a vignette film which was set up for scary moments, but never really achieved much from a narrative standpoint. This sequel is a much more effective film due to the focus on the script. The actors who make up the new family are brilliant, and totally believable. This helps pull you in, then the story broadens as we begin to learn information that sheds light on the origin of the demon, and why these people are targeted. These extra pieces of detail in the film keep it completely engaging even when the demon is wreaking havoc on the family.

It is no secret that the “torture porn” movement ignited by Saw and Hostel has dominated horror films in recent years. To see a film series like Paranormal that uses clever film making to create truly terrifying films is inspiring. The film makers behind these movies stumbled upon a long-lost ideal. Sometimes what we can’t see is far more terrifying than anything that can be put on a screen. Perhaps in the future, we can find film makers who can continue to innovate and push the envelope in horror. For now, I will just be thankful that there is Paranormal Activity 2, and hope for a third.