Film Review: Paranormal Activity 2

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010; Directed by Tod Williams; Written By Michael R. Parry)

So: does the sequel equal the original in terms of horripilating, heart-pounding thrill?  In a word, no.  But in some ways, Paranormal Activity 2 might actually be the better movie.

The follow-up to last year's box-office phenomenon takes a broader approach, which at once enhances and hinders the film.  Here the cast is much larger: the house is crowded with husband Daniel, wife Kristi (sister of the original's Katie), teen stepdaughter Ali, newborn boy Hunter, a pet German shepherd, even a Spanish nanny.  The film gets off to a slow start, since it takes time to establish these various characters, but once things start going thump in the night (and sometimes in the day as well), more complex interaction between the family members is enabled (vs. the strictly two-person dynamic of Paranormal Activity).

Literally, the sequel adopts a more wide-angled perspective: while handheld camcorders are still wielded by the characters, the bulk of the footage is captured by the security cameras (installed throughout the house after the family mistakenly believes it has been the victim of a break-in) positioned high in the corners of rooms.  Such set-up allows more domestic territory to be covered simultaneously (and suspense-building jump cuts to be employed), but it also makes for a much less intimate viewing experience than in the original, where the audience keeps a bedside vigil throughout a significant portion of the film.  The sequel's nocturnal sequences instead tend to focus on Hunter's crib in the nursery, and again, there are both pros and cons to this variation.  On the one hand, watching a helpless infant form the target of the demon's evil intent naturally instills terror, but on the other hand, Hunter is forced by the circumstances of his age to serve more as a cipher (Cute Baby) than a full-fledged character.  Inevitably, the audience cannot relate as closely to him as it does to Katie as she undergoes her own ordeal in the original.

Paranormal Activity 2 might not create the same overwhelming sense of dread as its predecessor, but it still offers plenty of frights.  The film's skillfully-crafted startle moments are some of the best I've ever experienced (even the most jaded horror-moviegoer is guaranteed to jump).  Also, the climactic scene is more extended and immediate than its (largely-offscreen) counterpart in the first film, and in its frenzied nature is reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project.  It's followed by a coda that is devastating in its bluntness--and horrifying in its implications.

Where Paranormal Activity 2 truly excels is in terms of its storyline.  The film is actually a prequel, set two months prior to the events of the original.  Katie (sometimes with Micah in tow) shows up for repeated visits at her sister's house, a fact that automatically sets the viewer to wondering to what extent the two movies will intertwine (incidentally, there are some moments of clever innuendo here, such as when Katie kids with Ali's boyfriend that she's the wicked step-aunt: "Well, not really evil, but I can be evil, that's my point.").  Filling in crucial bits of backstory, the prequel not only offers an explanation for the demon's present misdeeds but also fosters a greater understanding and appreciation of the strange events in the first film.  In its retroactivity, Paranormal Activity 2 forms an ingenious narrative arc.

So while audience members expecting to be simply scared out of their wits might be (slightly) disappointed, more discerning fans will relish the approach the filmmakers have taken here.  For the latter group of viewers, Paranormal Activity 2 will defy the sequel curse and prove to be one helluva entertaining movie.