Paranormal Activity: How The Franchise Lost The Magic Of Its First Entry

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The Paranormal Activity franchise began in 2007 and quickly became a cornerstone of Blumhouse Productions. The low-budget found footage film captured audiences and kept them up at night, while revitalizing the found footage sub-genre. With a minuscule budget and a simple but effective approach to the haunted house trope, the first movie became a huge hit.

Now, 15 years later, the franchise has been flagging in popularity. The last few entries in the series have been badly received by critics and fans alike, with the most recent entry, 2021's Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, even receiving a damning review from the founder of Blumhouse Productions Jason Blum, who called it terrible. So, what went wrong with the series, and is it recoverable?

RELATED: Why Critics Are Wrong About Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin

Releasing in 2007, Paranormal Activity was an almost one-man show from filmmaker Oren Peli, who wrote, directed, and shot the film. The plot centers around the young couple Katie and Micah, who begin to experience supernatural occurrences in their home, which escalate to a frightening intensity. In order to prove what is happening around them, the couple begins to record what is happening in their home with stationary and handheld cameras.

The first film was made for only $15,000, and ended up totaling $193 million in earnings. A sequel was inevitable. In 2010, Paranormal Activity 2, both a sequel and a prequel, was released, and the Japanese language film Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night was also released.

The second film takes place in the months leading up to the events of the first film and follows Kirsti, the sister of Katie, and her husband Daniel. Similar events occur to those that happen to Katie and Micah with