Critics Say 'Paranormal Activity 4' Isn't That Scary: Do You Like the Movie Franchise?

I love the Paranormal Activity movies. They show a dedication to slow and methodical pacing and establishment of atmosphere that few other modern movies have. The first one particularly joins "The Ring" as the only movies to ever make me stay creeped out long after the movie ended. The problem is that the movies rely heavily on the sense of total mystery and discovery. When you find that the flour that the husband left out revealed hoof prints, and when creepy, inexplicable burned pictures started showing up, the complete newness was terrifying. The sense of scale of the horror we were watching was driven home when the exorcist guy came over, and basically said, "Nope, I can deal with hauntings, but this is something profoundly different, you are screwed". But now, no matter how they pace it, it feels like we are just watching the episodic adventures of the same demon thing. It is now a known quantity, thanks to the previous movies. Theres no longer a good way to raise the stakes and keep tension high.

When the arrogant male lead starts prodding the entity, its no longer the believable act of a curious skeptic, it feels like when we want to yell at a stupid lead in a slasher flick. The explanations of why they have Cameras all over the place feel more and more forced, and more like a gimmick that they need an excuse to include. It doesn't matter what they do, the monster is less scary with each movie. And this latest trailer looks like it is trying to be a bit more mainstream. Less pacing, more shock moments, and interjection of hot chicks. It feels less like a terrifying event that just happens to be caught on tape, and more like, well, a movie. It still looks fairly entertaining, but I feel like I will probably be able to watch this movie before bed without any terrible repercussions.