The Road to The Ghost Dimension: The Top Moments of the Paranormal Activity Series
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
The third installment takes us back in time to 1988, when all of this paranormal activity started. These past ghostly troubles were mentioned in the first film so it was a logical next step for the story. This is also the point in the series where the entity is given the moniker Toby, expanding the lore behind both the demon and the witches’ coven. Shooting the movie proposed a unique challenge and opportunity, as the technological limitations of the time period wouldn’t allow for things like handheld night vision or digital playback. How they play with this is pretty ingenious, with clever additions like the camera on a swivel fan delivering some of the best scares.
5) Ghost in the Sheet
Simple and effective, the scene where the swivel camera comes upon a mysterious figure draped in a sheet tickles my black little heart. Even though you know something is bound to happen as the camera swivels slowly left and right, it still makes you sit on the edge of your seat when you see it. It is one of the more subtle scares of the series and undeniably predictable. However, it encapsulates what fans love about Paranormal Activity: You know something is bound to go bump in the night, but it still scares you when it happens.
6) Invisible Force
This is one of my personal favorite moments in the series. It isn’t the most intense, even in this film, but it shows us that Toby is expressly capable of hurting you. While we were no stranger to people being dragged or furniture being flipped, the physicality of the scene brings the movie to a new level. It is clear that real deadly bodily harm is on the table, even for the kids. The wait is unbearably tense, and the force when Toby pulls Katie’s hair is both shocking and terrifying.
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
Returning to the modern era, Paranormal Activity 4 springboards back in terms of technology. Free from the limitations of the 1980’s, they go whole hog with modern inventions. Things like Skype, camera phones, and the Kinect are heavily incorporated. Focusing on a new family several years after the events of Paranormal Activity 2, it is slowly revealed how the two are connected. For much of the movie, we are left wondering if this was all planned or just an unfortunate chance encounter. By the end of the film, all these questions are (mostly) answered, as we once again face the murderous coven.
7) Garage Assault
A twist for the series, the danger is much more worldly this time. While certainly a supernatural force is responsible for the attack and blocking Alex’s exit, the threat is more realistic. Rather than being launched across the room or bitten by an unknown creature, Alex is in danger of suffocating. For a series that built itself on the unexplainable assaults of an invisible force, making the danger much more earthly was a bold choice. Her solution is also practical, as she rams her way out of the garage. For a series where everyone has always seemed helpless in the hands of an unstoppable monster, it’s a change of pace to see a practical solution to a threat.
8) Trail of Toys
Another one of the series’ subtle scares, the trail of toys leading to Wyatt’s room builds tension. Early in the film, the action hasn’t quite ramped up yet to the point where the family seems in immediate danger. At this point, most of the scares are delivered through the creepy statements and flat affectation of Robbie. The trail of toys leading to a child-size bed in the closet raises even more questions about the obviously strange little boy. Did he do this himself to frighten Alex, or was it the result of a much more sinister force?
