Neither complex nor enduringly frightening, the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise is nevertheless the most venerable horror franchise of the last 20 years. The third installment delivers more consistent frights than its predecessors without sacrificing slow burning suspense, the films’ signature hallmark.

Exactly four years since the first film, ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ is not an excuse for Paramount to print money, but a shockinglyfitting and substantive addition to the franchise. The film is reflective, focusing on the childhood of Katie the protagonist of the original ‘Paranormal Activity,’ and her sister, Kristi, the lead in ‘Paranormal Activity 2.’ But it isn’t remotely sentimental. Rather than complicate the set narrative or add new twists to the well-defined structure of the films, directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost stick to the principles established by ‘Paranormal Activity’ creator Oren Peli.

Sisters Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) Strider, both in elementary school, slowlybecome immersed in a reel of terror that will destroy memories of their youth and follow them to their various homes throughout their adult lives. The girls’ parents, Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith) and Julie (Lauren Bittner), learn that Kristi has been communicating with an imaginary friend. They become distraught when they realize Toby has told her she cannot share her secrets with anyone but him.

Kristi soon becomes an unwilling ally of Toby’s, and he promptly makes her a subject of inexplicable psychological and physical torture. Growing concerned with their daughters’ safety and the reality of the apparent paranormal activity in their home, Julie and Dennis wisely flee with the girls. They take shelter with Julie’s mother, only to realize the haunting entity is essentially inescapable.

Though not as uniquely terrifying as the first iconic film and less interesting than the second, ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ is the scariest of the bunch, and the unbearable tension is as palpable as ever. The parents are fairly lifeless characters and even Katie is somewhat dull, but the ‘Paranormal Activity’ films have never boasted sophisticated characterization. The fast and cheap production of Peli’s distinct brand of horror trumps all else.    

                           

Peli stumbles upon the perfect way to shake up the formatting in a subtle but exciting way. In the ‘Saw’ series, the previous heir to the crown that the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise claimed, each new Halloween release was defined by increasingly absurd plot twists while the creativity driving Jigsaw’s torturous tasks stagnated. Peli would likely admit that he is enhancing a fairly simple story in a fairly plain manner, but he’s not done innovating. Filmed with just one camcorder, ‘Paranormal Activity’ flaunted multiple security cameras to capture more footage. ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ not only boasts multiple cameras, but also an ingeniously placed video camera that rotates left to right on a makeshift tripod fashioned out of the base of a fan, an understated visual innovation that amplifies the horror of the film.

Even if they are not masterpieces, the ‘Paranormal Activity’ films are something of a treasure in Hollywood. Not one drop of bloodshed and violence — a rarity — these films boast an unnerving suspense and patience that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. With shots that routinely last longer than a minute, the films achieve a higher level of artistry. They encourage the viewers to thoroughly explore the frame until an object’s sudden movement — which their eyes weren’t trained to catch — stuns them. Hitchcock once said, ‘There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it,’ a theory that the ‘Paranormal Activity’ films subscribe to religiously.

smlittma@syr.edu

Published on October 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm