Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin – Review (4/5)

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: NEXT OF KIN on Paramount+ is a new horror movie in the hugely popular franchise. This time around, we’re getting a spin-off that can easily stand alone. Read our full Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin movie review here!

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: NEXT OF KIN is a new Paramount+ horror movie in the Paranormal Activity franchise that started more than a decade ago. The first movie came out in 2007. This addition is essentially a spin-off that fits very well within this universe. However, you can watch this as a standalone movie as well.

Also, while this is still in the found footage subgenre, it also borrows from a few other iconic horror movies. In fact, you could say that it has Easter Eggs throughout, which many horror fans should catch. There’s also a bit of humor – mostly by way of a very silly haircut on Dan Lippert, who plays the sound guy. You’ll see!

Continue reading our Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin movie review below and find it on Paramount+ now.

A faster pace and more creepiness

While Paranormal Activity was all about keeping your eyes on the screen at all times to catch every small thing, this one moves a lot faster. Admittedly, I actually enjoyed that very first super-low-budget movie. However, I also know that some found it to be too slow.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is creepy almost from the first moment. Also, there are little elements throughout that should make you jump or wince. This is not all about jump scares. It’s also very much about things being extremely uncomfortable in other ways.

And sure, you’ll guess certain developments, but it feels very much like you’re supposed to. There is foreshadowing all over this movie in ways that feel like it’s nudging and winking at us horror fans. Always saying: You know that this will become important later, right?!

Its opposite is the use of a red herring that tries to trick the audience by lying to it. Which I loathe! This feels like the filmmakers are including us on the ride instead. Personally, I love that kind of thing.

A tribute to the franchise and other horror movies

As mentioned above, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin manages to be a standalone movie in the franchise. Much like both Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) were.

For this 2021 Next of Kin addition, we’re also getting vibes from a few other truly iconic horror movies. There are shots that seem straight out of The Blair Witch Project (1999). Also, the entire plot revolves around the main characters shooting a documentary. Just as it was the case in The Blair Witch Project.

In the final part of the movie, there are shots very reminiscent of [REC] which is another huge horror franchise. Finally, you’ll see a shot of a young woman screaming while looking back on the horrors she’s leaving behind. This shot should be eerily familiar for fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

For the record, I most definitely see all these little Easter Eggs as tributes to the above-mentioned movies. This new Paranormal Activity 2021 movie feels like a huge tribute to horror in general. And its own genre in particular.

Watch Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin on Paramount+ now!

William Eubank is the director of this new Paranormal Activity movie. He previously directed Underwater (2020) which definitely has not gotten the appreciation it deserves. Hopefully, that won’t be the case for this movie as well.

The screenplay is by Paranormal Activity alumni writer (to say the least), Christopher Landon, who even directed the 2014 spin-off movie as well. He also wrote and directed horror movie hits like Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) and Freaky (2020).

YOU MIGHT LIKE

Our review of Freaky by Christopher Landon here >

The absolute star of this Paranormal Activity 2021 movie is Emily Bader, who you might recognize from House of the Witch. She could easily go on to have a huge career in horror movies as a final girl.

The release of Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin just in time for Halloween weekend really is perfect timing. You should definitely watch this as part of your Halloween horror movie marathon and have fun with it.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is out on Paramount+ from October 29, 2021. 

Details

Director: William Eubank
Writer: Christopher Landon
Stars: Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert, Henry Ayres-Brown