Here at BGME, we judge “Paranormal Activity” films by the quality of their last 20 minutes. In that vein, this one is one of the best of the series.
In one of the stranger turns of the series, we see our couple venture into the snow-covered forest to explore the origins of our protagonist Margot. Shocker, she hails from a cult. (Shocked Face) There are bonfires, a hole-in-the-ground portal to Hell, strange extended relatives, and a tie-in to the original saga. This one checks all of the boxes after committing all of the jump scare reliance that the originals do. You take the good with the bad, and you get a decent scary movie about some paranormal activity.
Nothing about this should have felt as fresh and exciting as it did… but here we are.
The cast has terrific chemistry. The ridiculousness factor is at an 11, but I still binged the entire thing in one day and can’t wait for season 2! A classic whodunit, set in the quirkiest apartment building in New York City, with three of the most unlikely friends on the face of the earth and more dead bodies than a season of “Game of Thrones.” It was like Wes Anderson meets Quentin Tarantino, and it was a thing of beauty to behold. The three main characters rounded each other out as an ensemble much better than expected. I have been known to have a soft spot for Selena Gomez and watch pretty much anything she’s in (including the fantastic HBO Max cooking show). Still, she rises to the occasion and brings a sense of dry humor to the group that ever so naturally balances the goofier 2 of the tripod and makes it all work like a well-oiled machine. I was taken aback by how much I loved this one, as I haven’t laughed this hard since I stumbled upon “Letterkenny.” Hulu truly outdid themselves!
The sister film to “Censor” from earlier this year.
From the first frame to the last, you will be on the edge of your seat with your head cocked, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I’m going to be honest; you probably still won’t know when the credits roll. If you do happen to figure it out, let me know. I’m still processing what I just saw.
In a tale reminiscent of the “Max Headroom” broadcast signal intrusion in the ’80s, this film journeys down the rabbit hole to explore human nature, obsession, love, friendship, paranoia, and our need to make sense of the world around us. The reason I compare it to “Censor” is that it also analyzes what happens when one envelopes themselves in the darkness of the world for too long and the effects it has on them and their interactions with the world. Spoiler alert, it gets weird.
The most effective part of this film to me was the tie-in to an actual life event that haunted us as a society in real life. Something is unsettling about the still-unsolved crime. The way it fractured our peaceful plane of existence and was never fully resolved makes for a strong base for a horror movie. Silly as the prank may have been, there’s something rather sinister about it that makes it feel discomforting. That feeling of unease covers this entire film, bathing it in well-earned intrigue, waiting to see where the twists and turns will lead next.
Strong “Words on Bathroom Walls” vibes, in the best possible way.
The art of cinema can be a compelling force. Helping us, as a society, to look in the mirror and reflect on our treatment of those with mental health issues can be a great force for good. This film struck a delicate balance between ensuring the extremes were felt and not getting too silly and over the top. They paid homage to the original Wes Craven trick of “is this the real world or is this a dream?” highlighting the unease and tension that fills the world of someone stricken with one of these terrible ailments. Not in such a way that it causes one to recoil and wish upon them a lifetime of confinement, but important steps to opening our hearts and minds to making a good faith effort to better understand and empathize with each other and the unique struggles we each may have.
Technically speaking, I felt like everything was exceptionally well balanced and that the twists that filled the third act were well earned and impactful. A term I’ve used with other films, this one keeps you in a state of productive discomfort. The edge of your seat feeling leads to the points of the story being that much more impactful by the time the credits roll. A very emotional tale and definitely a thinker of a movie. A great deal of nuance and interwoven clues that collectively form a beautifully complex piece of cinema. Extremely well done.
My contempt for the second installment finally killed it. It completely murdered my love for this adorkable series. So much unnecessary drama, such an unoriginal story, such an out-of-date soundtrack, such poor decision-making on the part of Elle. They seriously try to retcon Noah as not being a complete asshole and worth choosing over Marco?!?! What the hell, Elle? You know what? I’m happy for Marco. He’s finally free of this stupidity. Go live your life, my man. Don’t you dare look back. These 3 (4 if you count Rachel) deserve each other’s misery. My lord… so much cringe. Burn the beach house down and salt the earth on which it stood. Sprinkle it with holy water. Please leave this as a trilogy. Instead of capturing lightning in a bottle, this series is like being struck by lightning three times in the same spot. I had to finish it, but my ride along the sunset coast ended with me pulling a Thelma and Louise into the Pacific to free myself from this crew as the credits began to roll.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 