'Paranormal Activity 3' review

Chloe Cserngey and Jessica Tyler Brown (Credit: Paramount)

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Back in 1988, when sisters Katie (Chloe Cserngey) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) were just children, they had their first encounter with the demon spirit that would haunt them their entire lives. And it’s all captured on VHS thanks to their mom (Lauren Bittner) and her wedding videographer boyfriend (Chris Smith).

The buzz: Trailers for the low budget “found footage” horror sensation’s third installment in as many years revealed the movie would be another prequel, but beyond that, much of what’s been shown in advertising is deliberately misleading. Shots and scenes were created just for the marketing campaign, preserving some of the mystery in a series that relies on the unexpected.

The verdict: “Paranormal Activity” remains a gimmicky novelty as a horror series, but one that’s more creatively durable than anyone could have reasonably expected. These are exercises in sustained tension for audiences waiting and willing to be scared. The formula is now established—steadily escalating spooky antics caught on tape—but instead of fizzling out with bad imitations, the franchise powers along by offering just enough tweaks to keep the concept intriguing. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (“Catfish”) and screenwriter Christopher Landon (“Disturbia”) make up for the format’s familiarity by increasing the “action” relative to their predecessors—there are more main characters, bigger setpieces, slightly faster pacing, and even an almost sex scene—which cuts down the tedium without losing the series’ trademark slow burn tension. As in “Paranormal 2,” the performances strike a balance between professional polish and credible naturalism, with little Brown a standout as the young girl with a not-so-imaginary friend. There are obvious echoes of “Amityville Horror” and “Poltergeist” in the girls’ interactions with the spirit, but cliché or not, Joost and Schulman still get maximum creepiness from the juxtaposition of innocence and evil (as well as clever use of popular ‘80s toy Teddy Ruxpin). We know Katie and Kristi will be safe (this is a prequel after all), so the real suspense comes from what might happen to the adults in the cast—including Dustin Ingram as a videography assistant and Hallie Foote as the girls’ grandmother. Then again, “Paranormal” has never been about high body count, just the classic fear of what might be lurking in the dark—watching and waiting.

Did you know? Due to a fluke of timing, “Paranormal” lead actress Bittner has two movies opening the same day. She also appears in the inspirational women’s basketball drama “The Mighty Macs,” filmed back in 2008 but finally hitting theaters the same day as “Paranormal 3.”

Follow Metromix's Geoff Berkshire on Twitter: @geoffberkshire

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