Review of Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) by Ruairí C — 31 May 2014

Continues to utilise the franchise's sequel formula, developing/further complicating the series' mythos to distract from the protracted parts where the audience is waiting to be spooked. While this still works to a certain extent, upping the eerie factor, it starts to feel contrite.

Some of the spook tactics are new - one involving a sheet is particularly effective - but the rest are played out by this stage and the fact that you can see a lot of CGI has been employed for these only further pulls you out of the film; a film, it should be pointed out, that is set in the 1980s yet filmed on a ridiculously high resolution home video camera that seems to have a limitless battery life and a mysteriously disappearing/reappearing time stamp.

A third act attempt to switch the action from Poltergeist Home Invasion film to something more "Blair Witch" is commendable, but very rushed.