Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) is a horror film directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman and written by Christopher Landon. It is the third Paranormal film produced.
The horror genre as Robin Wood (2004) points out, is conventionally characteristic of the phenomena of the ‘return of the repressed’. This phenomenon is based on the idea that, everything that civilization represses, suppresses or oppresses always strives to return. So in Paranormal Activity 3, the ‘return of the repressed’ manifests itself in the form of history delving into the past, because it takes viewers’ back to 1988 when Kristi and Katie were children living with their mother Julie and her boyfriend Dennis. A past which the sisters, in Paranormal Activity 2 repress and try to conceal.
Dennis notices that since Kristi has been communicating with her imaginary friend Toby, strange things have been happening around the household. It is interesting to note, that a sense of intertextuality becomes apparent here, as Kristi’s friend Toby becomes reminiscent of Danny’s imaginary friend, Tony found in one of the most popular horror films – The Shining (1980). The family’s normality is threatened by unseen spirits and demons and out of curiosity Dennis sets up cameras in the house hoping to capture the true essence of the recent ‘uncanny’ events.
The hand-held camera style and amateurish home video footage are used effectively to enhance realism and believability. As a result, the visuals will have the hair rising from your skin, build nervous nail-biting tension and produce frightening ‘jump out of your seat’ moments.
The end of the film is somewhat frustrating as it doesn’t seem to offer any sense of narrative closure by providing answers, but rather leaves audiences with a whole new thread of unanswered questions. You’ve simply GOTTA see this movie!
-Shanawaaz Sonday
