While on one hand it might add some depth to the setting of the movie, on the other hand it feels unnecessary and forced. I didn’t like the addition of the gangs in the neighborhood. I thought there was a lot of cheap dialogue in this one. Nothing really noteworthy for me in this category. Sound design here was normal pretty much throughout. That was a great twist and probably the strongest tie to the franchise of the entire movie. One thing that I did like however, is how Hector ends up in the first movie's final scene after running through the door. Unfortunately, this is another reasonably predictable movie. It all adds to the direness of the situation. We see Jesse kill his grandmother and his sister get dropped through a glass roof. There still isn’t too much to judge off of but I appreciate the more brutal approach they take here.
#The marked ones series
I liked their attempts to bring something more to the series after the previous weak installment.įinally we see some kills in this series. We see a lot of demonic influence such as the botched exorcism. With this they add way more in the special effects department. It’s way less home camera look and more of a typical found footage film.
#The marked ones movie
They definitely take more liberties in this movie with their style.
That gives us a fresh perspective on the series and while there isn’t as much of a tie, it is a decent standalone film. I think what works to the benefit of this film is the fact that they don’t directly try to tie into the last story. I was worried that with a January release and after an extremely disappointing second movie that this one would also flop.
Surprisingly this is a better film than number 4 in this series. It stands out for the attempt, but still drowns in the wave of (arguably) far better found footage films. There was an attempt at something different, but ultimately this is a Paranormal Activity movie through and through. I appreciate the change in location, but there isn’t much else new. Renee Victor is always great to see, and the young cast are believable in their roles, despite some weird lines. It was great to see some returning stars, especially since I wasn’t expecting them to be involved with this installment at all. The acting in this installment is good, about on par with the rest of the series. The same scares get old, and they got old two installments ago. That sucks, and I would like to see better representation. It felt like the writers relied more on stereotypes, rather than authenticity, when it came to the Latinx characters. I like some of the dialogue, but many lines in this installment end up being cornier than those in previous ones. Things sound as they should, despite the lack of soundtrack. The one change made late in this film doesn’t even make sense until the next installment, which in turn feels like it was only made to explain this nonsensical addition. The reliance on techniques and ideas from the original haunt this franchise, and result in a far more predictable experience. It felt like a shift in the right direction. Weak all around.Īs stated earlier, this movie starts off great. The one onscreen kill that looked good is one that was already counted in the first movie. Offscreen, ugly effects, and a reused kill negatively affect the score in this department. This movie gives us more in the kill department, but they all look bad. This area can absolutely look better given the inflated budget. I’m not sure if it is the makeup used or the digital effects, but it just looks bad. Many effects surrounding the actual paranormal activity are in the weak category. There is a mix of both strong and weak effects. There was so much opportunity, yet it ends up just another cliche. Unfortunately it quickly returns to the Paranormal Activity playbook, delivering the same scares and the same story. This difference felt like the series trying to revitalize itself, and for most of the movie it seems like a different franchise. I love to see Latinx representation in horror, with a cast far different from the main cast of the franchise. I felt engaged much faster, and felt far more connected to the characters in this film. I felt that this installment in the franchise had the best start to date.