Every once in a while, an independent horror film comes and changes the game. The mid-2000s sawOren Peli’s supernatural found footage filmParanormal Activity, which influencedthe sub-genrein decades to come. The success of the first film spawned a franchise that has entertained fans around the world. Now, fans can enjoy the franchise as it arrives on streaming.
PerComicBook, starting this August, six out of seven movies intheParanormal Activityfranchise are coming to Paramount+. The original 2007 movie was written, directed, and edited by Peli and was a huge box office success. Whileit started out as an independent movie, it was acquired by Paramount Pictures after its film festival run.
It has an 83%Rotten Tomatoesrating and follows a couple, Katie and Micah, who are haunted by a supernatural presence inside their home. To figure out what’s haunting them, they then set up a camera.The movie elevated and revived the found footage genreand focused on atmosphere over special effects, which really distinguished it from other movies at the time. Its success propelled the 2010 prequel.
What Is the ‘Paranormal Activity’ Franchise About?
Following the precedent of the original movie, themovies in the franchiseare typically based around various families who become haunted by an evil demon known as Tobi, who stalks, terrifies, and murders several members and friends of the family.Paranormal Activity 2, a prequel, follows Katie’s sister Kristi and her family, who were haunted by the demon after the latter’s son was born.Paranormal Activity 3takes us further back in timeand showcases the haunting demon Tobi for the first time. All the movies use hand-held cameras to convey the atmosphere.
WithParanormal Activity 4,the franchise takes a turn as we meet Alex Nelson and her family, who experience something similar to Katie. The visuals of the movie mainly consist of footage from MacBook webcams, a video camera, and an iPhone camera, to give it a familiar but updated feeling. The fifth film in the franchise,The Marked Ones, focuses on a group of high school graduates dealing with the demon of a mysterious cult. The next feature,The Ghost Dimension,again focuses on a family andconnects its dots back to the second featurein the franchise.
The first six movies of theParanormal Activityfranchise are streaming on Paramount+. Check out the trailer above and stay tuned to Collider for more such updates.
