Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Directed by: Tod Williams | 91 minutes | horror | Actors: Katie Featherston, Gabriel Liotta

It’s usually not a good sign if a sequel can be described as a repetition of moves, but with ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ it actually works out well. Director Tod Williams resisted the temptation to shift into a higher gear (more blood, more scares, extensive explanations of the hows and whys) and maintained Part 1’s subtle approach. Like its successful predecessor, the film gives the impression that you are watching found footage. Usually the home videos and surveillance footage of the haunted house in “Paranormal Activity 2” shows nothing special, but sometimes something does happen: a door that opens on its own, a dog that watches by a crib and suddenly starts growling. As a viewer you create your own suspense by waiting tensely for what is to come and scanning the screen for things that are not right.

‘Paranormal Activity 2’ is actually not a sequel but a prequel, as the events take place before the events of the original. The scene is the house of Kristi, Katie’s sister from part one. After a burglary that looks suspiciously like revenge, Kristi’s husband Dan decides to install a camera in every room in the house. The idea that someone has touched your things is never pleasant, but with Kristi the indefinable feeling goes much further. She senses a hostile presence, her superstitious housekeeper mutters about evil spirits, and her one-year-old son Hunter sometimes peers tensely into the void. At first, there’s an innocent explanation for everything, but when CCTV footage shows that objects in the home have a life of their own, Dan and Kristi’s stepdaughter Ali must admit that mysterious forces are at work. But what now?

‘Paranormal Activity 2’ follows the pattern of its predecessor closely, and even manages to score better on many fronts. Visually, there is more to experience, with images of more spaces than just the somewhat static bedroom from part 1. A nice find are the mirrored surfaces in the baby’s room, which reflect Kristi and her child in triplicate. Now that a toddler seems to be the target of the nighttime haunt, the stakes are higher, and the fact that Hunter is too young to tell what’s happening to him makes the story all the more haunting. Furthermore, the reactions of the characters are more logical. Instead of an annoying boyfriend trying to anger the demon, there’s a husband who puts his wife’s well-being first. As icing on the cake, ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ also reveals how sister Katie got her demonic stalker, giving the events of part 1 a sour aftertaste.

The prequel has a few weaknesses. The most important are the climax, which feels rather rushed and messy due to the chaotic handheld images and therefore less shocking than it could have been, and the fact that the surprise is already a bit over with part 2 of course. Also the denouement will not be to everyone’s taste. It should have been a sledgehammer blow, but a blow that you see coming hits less hard. Nevertheless, ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ is at least as effective as the original. With this prequel you know what you get. People too sober to be under the stress of a slamming door and a clattering frying pan will find the film boring, but if you’re willing to fill up dead moments with your own premonitions, ‘Paranormal Activity 2 a real nail biter.