Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 2
By Megan Carroll
The prequel to Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity once again proves that less is more. Director Tod Williams hits this spot on: Paranormal Activity 2 is a heart-pounding good time!
In a Hollywood era of in-your-face blood and gore, Williams allows the audience’s imagination to take the driver’s seat and prepares you for an unnerving film experiences. Tod Williams, using Michael R. Perry’s script, stays true to the first film’s method. This is extremely important because this film takes place two months before the first movie and provides more background information on both films. Those who saw the first film will be immediately chilled to the bone when Micah and Katie (Micah Slot and Katie Featherston) appear on screen. We all know what happened to them and now we get to see what happened beforehand.
Sticking with the theme of “less is more,” I am going no further into detail as I might give too much away! The movie is extremely sparse and has a slow pace, but this allows for the tension to build and envelope its audience, making the jolts of terror even more unexpected. I latched onto my boyfriend’s right arm and I know by the end of the film he had no feeling left in his fingers.
Another positive aspect of this film is the acting and I would like to tip my hat to all who stepped in front of the camera. The film is supposed to be a mix of handheld camera shots taken by the family and surveillance footage. To make the story believable, the actors had to come off as real people. Being aware of the camera in some scenes and not in others, being annoyed by it at one moment and totally oblivious the next. This is not an easy task, but they made it look effortless.
Paranormal Activity 2 was a blast and I enjoyed every terrifying moment. If you don’t catch it while it’s in theatres this would make an excellent rental, especially on a rainy day!
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