Follow-ups to successful horror films are generally approached with a degree of cynicism and are often perceived as cash-grabs. Some films fuel that prejudice as they are unable to add to the first film or franchise in a meaningful way. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is an infamous sequel that is so tonally removed from the original that fans struggled to appreciate it, especially since the two movies were held together by a tenuous meta link.
On the other hand, prequels like Exorcist: The Beginning approach the cult classic's origin story in a convoluted narrative that also diminishes the original's sense of intangible evil. Among these notoriously poor examples is the second installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise, which avoids these prequel/sequel blunders by engaging with the first movie in a thoughtful and respectful manner.
New Jump Scares are Crafted in 'Paranormal Activity II'
The issue with Blair Witch 2 is that it tried to increase the ante and grandeur of the first film, but in doing so, eschewed the suspenseful tension, realism and ambiguity that made The Blair Witch Project successful. Additionally, the idea of setting it in a world where the original exists as a film is intriguing, but with the archetypal characters, the abandonment of the found footage format, and overly schlocky scenes, it is difficult to even associate it with the cult classic. It's seen as a blatant cash-grab, especially since it was released a year after the first, arguably staking claim on one of the worst horror sequels made.
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In comparison, Paranormal Activity II is set within the same year as the supernatural events in the first film and follows Katie's (Katie Featherston) sister, Kristi (Sprague Grayden), and her family, though it initially functions as a prequel. Unlike Blair Witch 2, this found footage follow-up retains the same format and tone that drew fans to the original movie. It only subtly increases the magnitude of the horror, mainly through new camera angles and creative jump scares like in the kitchen or basement that still echo the quality and level of the first film. Most significantly, Paranormal Activity II retains the franchise's quiet and slow-burn tension through a similar narrative structure and culminating bumps-in-the-night.
While the film directly and linearly feeds into Paranormal Activity, especially as Katie and Micah (Micah Sloat) occasionally appear in the film (while also giving effective performances that give away no indication of future events), it also does so through time-stamps. The ongoing clock in the left-hand corner of the screen subtly becomes a source of anxiety as it feels like a doom-laden countdown. In the prequel, this is exacerbated by frequent reminders of when Micah eventually dies in the original, tying together the two films in another more foreboding and inevitable way.
'Paranormal Activity II' Expands the Original's Lore
Generally, one of the main goals of a prequel is to add context to or expand on the mythos of the original work. Paranormal Activity 2 achieves this in an interesting and seamless way that avoids The Exorcist's prequel's mistakes of over-rationalizing the origin of the evil spirit and subsequently, stripping it of its spookiness. The film builds on its lore through Ali's (Molly Ephraim) research, which theorizes a demonic deal for power that demands the sacrifice of the firstborn son, who may be Hunter in this case. Snippets of nostalgic conversations between Katie and Kristi also reveal strange occurrences in their childhood where people would come and go while supernatural events happened. However, nothing is ever fully confirmed, still enshrouding the entity and the past in eerie ambiguity.
The film also contrasts this more abstract evil with Daniel's (Brian Boland) concrete decision to pass on the spirit to Katie, changing the way we view the first film forever. This decision is truly what makes Paranormal Activity 2 a masterclass in follow-ups, as it still retains what made the original so effective, but crafts a provocative and reverberating shock by including a familial betrayal. The supernatural spirit is an enduring terror, while Daniel's decision is an immediate moment of pure horror, made even more powerful as the prequel deftly turns into a sequel, giving us a glimpse into the ultimate result of his choice while our jaws hang listlessly at the hushed scenes.
Image by Nimesh Niyomal
English (US) ·