Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin gives the franchise a welcome jolt of fresh air by trading suburban night-vision dread for an isolated, old-world setting that feels both eerily beautiful and quietly hostile. Director William Eubank shoots the “documentary” footage with unusual polish, letting the mystery of Margot’s family history tighten like a noose as every creak, flicker, and off-limits doorway hints at something rotten beneath the plain clothes and polite smiles. It’s a slow-burn investigation that steadily earns its scares, and when the film finally turns the corner into full-on horror, the momentum and payoff hit with real force. If you want the exact same minimalist rhythms as the earliest entries you may find it more adventurous than expected, but if you’re on the fence, this is one of the later Paranormal Activity films that actually feels like it has somewhere new to go.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is clearly trying to reboot the franchise by swapping suburban night-vision dread for a folk-horror mystery inside an isolated Amish community, and on paper that’s a fresh angle. The problem is it often feels like a different movie wearing the Paranormal Activity label, with thin character work and a story that hints at big, creepy ideas but doesn’t develop them into sustained tension. Scares come in bursts rather than building momentum, so if you’re here for the slow, relentless escalation the series is known for, you may find yourself waiting a lot. Still, the setting and documentary setup have moments of atmosphere, so it can work as a one-off “what’s going on in this community?” watch—just don’t expect a sharp, deeply unsettling franchise high point.