The sixth and supposedly final installment of the popular horror franchise ‘Paranormal Activity:The Ghost Dimension’ debuted with a limited release where fans of the film saw this intertwined story come full circle. ‘Activity’ wasted no time in a build up and dives right in, rushing to get to the macabre and thrilling scenes the film promised in the promos.
The story now focuses on a brand new family which moves into a beautiful mansion in Santa Rosa, Calif. where things start to go bad. Soon after the father, Ryan (Chris J. Murray) and his inquisitive brother, Mike (Dan Gill) discover an old, mysterious camera along with VHS tapes while trying to decorate the house for Christmas. Staying true to the formula of the film, Ryan sets up multiple cameras throughout the home when his wife Emily (Brit Shaw) reluctantly grants him permission. The mysterious entity begins to terrorize the inhabitants but primarily begins to target the couple’s young daughter, Leila (Ivy George).
The film has come a long way since the first movie by not only having a much larger budget than, but by adding dull CGI special effects in to the mix, attempting to give this enigmatic force a face. The story attempts to put its demons to rest by starting anew and focuses on how the past and present are directly linked, leaving the tangled storylines behind. The cast of unknown actors try their best to keep up with the rushed storytelling, especially the film’s youngest star whose realistic performance will make viewers’ skin crawl. The long awaited explanation regarding the entity that had tormented so many throughout the series is disappointing, and still leaves audiences wondering what it is. The murky mythology behind the demon could have had potential to leave viewers wanting more, but the rushed and vague storytelling fell flat.
The infamous Katie, the haunted woman whom the franchise had revolved around, was unfortunately MIA in this installment and is only seen through old home videos as a child along with an honorable mention. Having the antagonistic character make one final appearance would have given the story some solidarity and could have potentially added a bit of excitement with one last showdown.
The activity stirred up generic scares and ultimately leads to an unexcitable ending which has the potential to either wow or disappoint fans of the film. Either way, the franchise offered closure to original characters and whether it will live to see another day, all that oomph and subtle horror the first film unleashed seem to have moved on to a better place long ago.
