Movie review: Paranormal Activity (Next of kin)
Is the Paranormal Activity franchise back?
Directed by: William Eubank
Starring: Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert and Henry Ayres-Brown
Paranormal Activity: Next of kin is the seventh installment in the Paranormal Activity series and has absolutely no connections with the rest of the movies in the franchise.
The movie synopsis on IMDB is as follows:
Margot, a young woman who was abandoned by her mother as a baby, travels to a secluded Amish community with a documentary film crew seeking answers about her mother and extended family.
The first half of the movie is a bit boring and is just a set-up for the events to follow. The movie does have some very creepy and tense moments in the second half of the movie which can get under the skin of the viewers. The actors manage to give decent performances. However, at times I found myself screaming at some of the decisions taken by the characters. The movie works well in the found footage format. Nevertheless, I must confess that some of the camera angles were too jarring and could have been handled in a more efficient way.
The climax of the movie is well shot and moves at a breakneck speed, keeping the viewers constantly at the edge of their seats. The lead actress, Emily Bader puts in a decent effort, but I found her performance to be a bit loud and shrill in the screaming sequences. The rest of the cast is decent at best.
The final 10 minutes make up for some of the flaws of the movie and leave a lasting impact on the viewers. The movie is a decent addition to the found footage genre but ultimately fails to rise above mediocrity. The movie just felt like a lazy attempt by the makers to cash in on the success of the previous films in this franchise. Would have been great if it was a separate standalone film.
My final rating is: 6/10
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