Paranormal Activity 2
The sequel to last year’s low-budget hit about supernatural forces takes place in a bigger home, with more dark corners, more cameras, and more characters.
Directed by Tod Williams
(R)
***
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Paranormal Activity 2 is a “shrewd sequel a touch better than the original,” said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune. With little but a single surveillance camera and a methodical sense of suspense, last year’s low-budget hit put us inside a suburban couple’s bedroom and then cleverly exploited our innate fear of things that go bump in the night. The sequel “cannily expands” the concept by moving to a bigger home with more dark corners, and adding more cameras and characters. After a mysterious break-in, the family in the new film has installed a security system that begins capturing evidence of supernatural forces at work, said Keith Phipps in the DailyBeast.com. As the video cuts between cameras, the stillness “threatens to produce unspeakable terror,” and sometimes does. “Nothing here is as unsettling as the original” because the “malevolent force never feels like a real character,” said Dennis Harvey in Variety. But if the worst that can be said about this sequel is that it’s a letdown, that sure beats a “franchise-killing disaster.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 fun Easter activities from The Week Junior
The Week Junior Easter Activities Looking for some fun, simple Easter activities to do with the kids? Look no further – The Week Junior has you covered with these five fun and family-friendly activities.
By The Week UK Published
-
A Taste of Honey: 'wonderful' revival remains 'vital and relevant'
The Week Recommends The 'period-perfect' production features a 'universally excellent cast'
By The Week UK Published
-
Bormio: 'a great Alpine getaway'
The Week Recommends From snowy slopes and hot-spring spas, to high-end food and wine, this Italian town has something to offer everyone
By Asya Likhtman Published