Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

The original Paranormal Activity was something of a surprise hit. Eschewing nearly all of the recent conventions of the horror movie, it instead relied on a slow build of tension and a strict policy of ‘less is more’. As such, even at its most graphic the film showed you very little, instead it played on people’s own fears, using the found footage genre to achieve a realism not often favoured in a genre which in recent years has gone more and more for the outlandish gore of Saw, Hostel and Final Destination.

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Horror is a cyclical genre though and so the film has already spawned a sequel, it is now poised to be the new annual franchise of choice and on this evidence it could have some legs. PA2 is no radical departure, but it is a successful sequel in many ways that ties in neatly to the first film in ways I was not expecting. The film is actually set over a period of time a few months before the events of the first film, we follow the Rey family whose mother Kristi is the sister of Katie, the star of the first film. To get around the home video concept from the first film the sequel opens with a burglary attempt, which prompts the installation of surveillance cameras around the house. This then allows a lot more freedom for the filmmakers, who no longer have to invent reasons for a camera to be turned on whenever something unusual happens in the house.

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One thing I appreciated in this film as opposed to the original was a more rounded and likeable cast, as a family unit there was a comfortable sense of realism and familiarity between the characters and the film again takes its time building the atmosphere and mood before things really kick off. As such it remains a slow film; it’s always a brave choice to rely on a lot of silence in your film and this does mean the film is paced in a way that can lead to some dull stretches, especially if you are not in a cinema / crowd situation with all the inherent atmosphere that comes along with that.

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As before when the strange events start happening they are effectively pulled off, from pans falling from shelves to TV’s turning themselves on they are subtle but creepy reminders that all it not right. The stakes are also raised as early on it seems apparent that whatever it is that is causing these events has its eye on the family’s 2 year old son and the shots of him alone on his bed are effectively disturbing at times.

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The film deviates very little from the template laid down by the first film, even using much of the same iconography but I still think it works as an effective companion piece. What is less certain is how long this format can last, I am very wary of a third film in this style unless they find a way of mixing things up. Still for what it is, and given the history of horror sequels Paranormal Activity 2 does an admirable job, it has some effective scares and retains the original’s restraint for the most part. I don’t find these films to be the most compelling experiences but I appreciate the return to the haunted house template and the emphasis on building mood and scares through character not just buckets of blood. Time will tell where the series goes from here, but on the whole I would probably say that PA2 is slightly better than the original, as a film, and that was possible the biggest shock of them all.