Paranormal Activity 2: Movie Review

Paranormal Activity 2: Movie Review

Paranormal Activity 2
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Stoat, Brian Boland, Sprague Grayden
Director: Tod Williams
So how do you follow up a soaraway break out horror like Paranormal Activity?
As with the Saw franchise, the news that a sequel to the first would be in cinemas in time for Hallowe'en less than a year after the first frightened up an audience was greeted with a groan.
But I'm happy to report this sequel/ prequel is better than the first.
Once again, it's a doco style film where everything unfolds through CCTV around a house - this time, it's the home of Paranormal Activity's original victim Katie - to be specific it's sister Kristi (Sprague Grayden), a recent mother.
It begins 60 days before the death of Micah from the first film - the handheld video camera captures the return home of the new mom and her son Hunter as they begin their new life with husband Daniel and daughter Ali and their pet Alsatian.
But after the home is ransacked and despite the fact nothing's taken except a necklace, Daniel decides to get CCTV installed around to ensure the family's safety.
However, within a few days of the CCTV going up, Kristi becomes convinced that something is in the house as a series of noises, and unexplained phenomena hit.
Dismissed by her husband, Kristi confides her fears in her sister Katie (Featherston) that their family past is once again haunting them.
Things continue to get worse and daughter Ali starts to suspect something truly sinister is afoot - despite the skepticism of her parents&.
Consider this your warning - we're entering minor spoiler territory now.
Paranormal Activity 2 is sinister, creepy, and improves on the first one. Those involved could have simply once again ramped up the scares and gone for obvious horrors - but thanks to a degree of restraint, there's an ominous tone of creeping horror in this sequel (which is more prequel than anything).
The setting of a domestic bliss of a new family is disturbing and horrifying - particularly if you've seen one scene of what happens to new son Hunter in the trailer (watch that at the bottom of this review) - but it's that decision to set this within what would be a normally happy home that proves to be so freaky.
All of the cast are so ordinary and just seem to be going about their day to day business that you can't help but buy in and forget you're watching a film.
But as the film rumbles on, there's a hideous sense of foreboding and sustained tension within which this time round appears to be more effective - it's a deep rooted psychological fear and the reasons given for why what is happening may be a little hokey for some; but to others it will all be part of the experience.
And once again that's what Paranormal Activity 2 offers - one hell of a scary experience and one which grows on the first. You may find yourself sleeping with the light on when you get home - and sure, the shocks, jolts and frights aren't in every scene but thanks to the clever way you become part of their world, they're truly upsetting when the terrifying crescendo reaches its peak.
There'll be debate about the end - the way its callousness concludes the film is shocking and there's plenty of scope for a third film to wrap it all up.

It's good to see that in 2010 we can still be disturbed and frightened stupid by a mobile turning in a crib or a pan falling on the floor - the makers of this second film have done an excellent job in cranking up the fear factor and not destroying what they committed to screen in the first.