Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin

Whether by attaching itself to the Paranormal Activity franchise or some other reason, this film commits itself to being a found footage style horror film. This works great for most of the Paranormal Activity films, and even works out nicely for many parts of this film.

The problem is that this film was unwilling to fully commit to this, and thus ends up making some really stupid camera decisions that completely draw you out of the immersion of the film and even prompt laughter.

The film itself is straightforward: a woman, Margot, who is adopted discovers her birth family is apparently Amish and goes to visit them, all the while bringing a camera, boommike, and two friends, Chris and Dale, to film for a documentary. Who she is and why she apparently warrants a documentary is unclear and ultimately irrelevant.

It follows the typical routine of Our Dumb Heroes getting themselves in trouble by ignoring pleas and orders to not do stupid stuff and go exploring forbidden areas, all to further the plot.

None of it was particularly interesting. What really stuck out horribly for the film is that, despite the aforementioned commitment to the Paranormal Activity franchise of found footage, the film goes and does so many stupid things that break the format.

The most blatant and stupid incident, which I had to rewind just to make sure it actually happened and wasn't me misinterpreting something, involved the cameraperson backing away from "something" in a dark hall. They are alone and have the ONLY camera. The camera then cuts to an object BEHIND the "something", a location the cameraperson was nowhere near and completely unable to film at any point in time.

These sorts of impossible camera cuts start to pile up closer to the end, until at one point the camera just seemingly disappears, and we get conventional movie-style shots.... only for the film to somehow return to the "camera"'s framing, as if the camera had been on and filming everything the whole time despite no one holding it.

These stupid camera decisions constantly ripped me out of the immersion of the film, and there was one incident in particular where for no reason at all the camera went into a gratuitous slow motion sequence during a scary bit that was too laughable to take seriously and absolutely should have been cut.

I might be somewhat biased cause I enjoy Eubank's works to a certain extent. I think he's consistently almost a good director. The Signal was an interesting starting project, Underwater was too rushed and too focused on Steward though.

As for the PA franchise, I watched 2 or 3 of these when there was a hype going on, but as it went on it grew old fast so I eventually dropped it.

I don't know if this one follows the story or is a standalone film, but as far as these go, it was ok.

I enjoyed its atmosphere, the overall look, and, surprisingly enough, the dated found-footage gimmick was certainly used well in this.

Obviously, the movie loses a lot if you just ask yourself "why are they still filming?", but in this installment, they seem to mix found footage with a couple of cinematic shots. I actually think that this is a good idea, not wholly original though, since I've seen this done in REC 3: Genesis.

Yes, it was predictable and very reminiscent of the first REC or Quarantine, but all the good stuff I mentioned earlier was enough for me to watch it.

I think that for a franchise this stretched it was an ok addition.

Fans of the franchise might not enjoy it, horror fans might find it too predictable, but it is certainly watchable for the least.

Tracked down by a distant relative after being abandoned by her mother, Margot (Emily Bader) gets a documentary crew to get a first-hand account of where she is from. Traveling to Amish country alongside Chris (Roland Buck III) and sound guy Dale (Dan Lippert), Margot discovers the way of life her true family lives. Night after night of unsettling encounters, Margot soon discovers why her mother may have given her up.

The paranormal crew has now traveled to Amish country, and the result adds an extra layer of dread. There is an eerie quality to being in the middle of nowhere with no modern technology, leaving you vulnerable to anything that passes by. The homestead where they stay is vast, and each creak of the floorboards has you gripping your seat. The team behind this builds the tension in grand fashion.

The cast involved all carry the story towards the finish line. Dan Lippert as Dale steals each scene he is in and is the life behind the film. Emily Bader and Roland Buck III have good chemistry between them that can get you invested in their relationship. Some of the family members are dialed in but flat in their presentation.

While the POV found footage can add that extra layer of tension, which this film does at times, there are moments where things feel staged. Even though they are filming a documentary, areas that should be caught in the moment seem to have perfect blocking and everything falls perfectly into place.

Next of Kin tells a story that is a part of the Paranormal Activity franchise, but could have worked as its own entity. A tweak here and there could have elevated the suspense of the film. Since it is a part of this franchise, you already have an idea of the outcome. This is still a film that should be watched by fans of the franchise, and it could also attract a new audience because of its separation from the series.

This franchise was loved or hated by the fans. Still it was original in it's concept and due teens being afraid of the first entry it became a succes.

So 14 years after number one we are left with this one. Why it's called paranormal activity is still a riddle for me. It's more about some myth surrounding the Amish and it's there that the story starts. A crew staying at home with an Amish family but they have a secret.

The score used is the same as in the franchise. But it isn't a found footage like the franchise was all about.

It isn't bad at all, do has some scary parts but another title would have been better.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5.

'Paranormal Activity' films used to be the staple of every Halloween. They were remarkably consistent right up until the very unfortunate 'Ghost Dimension' which killed the series. Now, years later, we have another entry in the 'Paranormal Activity' series. The only problem is that it is a part of the series in name only. It has no connection to the previous films and it has nothing that demands it be a 'Paranormal Activity' movie. It could be any old found footage film - and not a very good one at that.

The original series was so good because it was set in an ordinary looking house like yours or mine. And the thought of your partner spending hours through the night standing over you and staring was simply terrifying. A film set on an Amish farm isn't scary in any way, because who of us is ever going to go to one?

A couple of things I did like. They were able to recreate the feel of the series in the first half of the film. It was actually building up quite nicely for a while there until it decided to go well off the rails at the end. The other thing I liked were the main three characters. They were very likeable and people I could get onside with.

I feel like I'm mentioning it a lot in films lately, but it needs to be remembered that less is more. This film goes so hard and in your face that it can't possible be scary. What we don't see is always scarier than what we do. This film completely forgets that at the end.

I so desperately wanted to like this movie, with the hope that it would reignite a series that I love. This wasn't the storyline to do it with though. This feels like a random found footage film that needed a selling point, and so chucked 'Paranormal Activity' in front of its title. Very disappointing. 5/10.