Movies
[Review] ‘Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin’ Is the Franchise’s Most Polished Film But Lacks Effective Scares
The long-running saga with the demon Toby finally reached a lackluster conclusion in its sixth entry, where we last left off with the Paranormal Activity franchise. Yet finality isn’t a word that horror understands, and the popular found footage franchise is back with a brand-new entry that promises to explore new terrain. On that, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin more than delivers. No longer bound by tired mythology, Next of Kin presents a new supernatural mystery through its most polished effort yet. If only it included tension and scares, too.
Margot (Emily Bader) wants to know about her biological family. More specifically, she’s curious about her mother. Her search connects her with a cousin, who invites her to meet the family in a secluded Amish community. Along with two pals (Dan Lippert and Roland Buck III), she decides to make a documentary out of the experience, chronicling Margot’s discovery of her ancestral roots. The trio soon realizes that the isolated farmland harbors some rather sinister secrets that put them in danger.
Tom Nowicki in Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin from Paramount Players. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Players.
Writer Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) and director William Eubank (Underwater) modernize the familiar Blair Witch setup, resulting in the most polished and visually coherent franchise entry yet. The documentary approach means that the camerawork is stellar. The use of drones allows for a broader scope while relying on the snowy countryside setting to enrich the production value. Outside of the found footage element and the tell-tale dates marking the timeline, nothing about Next of Kin looks or feels like a Paranormal Activity movie.
That extends to the story’s progression and atmosphere, too. In previous entries, time passage ramped up the supernatural elements and scared at a steady clip. Here, the dates serve a specific plot purpose rather than a scare meter. Next of Kin spends so much of its attention on the mysteries of Margot’s family and how she may or may not factor into their designs, and the truth about her mother, that it forgets its namesake. Subtle hints of paranormal creep in every once in a while, but most of the unsettling moments come from the family’s peculiarities and atypical customs.
The larger scale of this sequel means a much more intense third act. The slow, steady folk horror tale gives way into a full-blown horror assault, filled with impressive set pieces and unsettling imagery. The mythology introduced is relatively satisfying, too. But for all of the new ideas that Landon and Eubank present, Next of Kin still stumbles into the trappings of the found footage subgenre that stretch plausibility at points. The lack of suspense and scares make these moments less forgiving.
Eubank knows how to use the environment in a POV-style horror movie to enhance his storytelling. He knows how to deliver a thrilling, action-heavy finale with the format’s limitations. And Landon smartly unshackles this franchise from Toby and introduces something very different and unexpected while retaining just enough franchise characteristics to make it at home among the universe and fans. For all it does right, though, Next of Kin struggles to engender audience interest or engender empathy with frustratingly counterintuitive protagonists. That might’ve been easier to overlook if it offered fresh scares or a tense atmosphere. Instead, it’s a lovely yet mostly monotonous trip to the farm.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is available exclusively on Paramount+ on October 29, 2021.
One of the all-time foundational fixtures in horror is the vampire. That means over a century’s worth of bloodsuckers in film, in various styles and mythology, from across the globe.
As prominent as this movie monster is, with dozens of adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula alone, there’s an overwhelming selection of vampire fare that makes it easy for many worthwhile gems to fall through the cracks. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to underseen vampire horror movies worth seeking out.
As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Mr. Vampire – The Criterion Channel – Plex, the Roku Channel
This supernatural genre-bender from director Ricky Lau stands far apart from standard vampire fare thanks to its comedy, martial arts, and jiangshi. Taoist priest Master Kau (Lam Ching-ying) guards the realm of the living by maintaining control over the area’s hopping vampires, and other restless spirits. When Master Kau is hired to oversee the reburial of an affluent town elder, he and his two bumbling assistants find themselves in a supernatural battle to the death when the elder’s corpse resurrects as jiangshi. Produced by martial artist and Hong Kong cinema legend Sammo Hung, Mr. Vampire was a huge box office success in Hong Kong and launched a franchise. Still, it’s a charming, lively horror comedy that could use more love among contemporary audiences.
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To – Plex, Prime Video, SCREAMBOX
Writer/Director Jonathan Cuartas‘s feature debut feels like a spiritual sibling to We Are What We Are in many ways. Both offer meditative, brooding depictions of isolated families far removed from the rest of the world. Both families are willing to commit unspeakable acts on behalf of their loved ones. In this case, siblings Dwight (Patrick Fugit) and Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) find themselves routinely tasked with murder so their sickly younger brother Thomas (Owen Campbell, Super Dark Times) can have the fresh blood to survive. In the vein of The Transfiguration or Martin, this brooding debut feature grounds its vampirism in reality and focuses on the constricting, devastating toll of familial obligation.
The Night of the Devils – Kanopy
A disturbed man, Nicola, recounts the story of getting stranded in the woods, only to find refuge in a charming family’s house. The longer he’s there, the more he uncovers something is deeply amiss. Witches, vampires, and sordid family secrets ensue. Like Mario Bava’s anthology segment “The Wurdulak” in Black Sabbath, The Night of the Devils is also based on The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Director Giorgio Ferroni balances the gore and sleaze with haunting Gothic atmosphere and stunning cinematography. While it’s methodical in its buildup, the craftmanship and grim ending make this underseen Italian and Spanish co-production worth the watch.
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat – Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Plex, the Roku Channel
Director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork, Hellraiser III) has a blast with his high concept horror comedy that sees vampires living in the reclusive desert town Purgatory. They seek a peaceful life, with the plan to get an artificial blood factory in operation. Everything goes off without a hitch until Van Helsing’s descendant, Robert Van Helsing (Bruce Campbell), arrives in town. It’s a vampire western horror comedy that lovingly pokes fun at vampire tropes. The simple setup becomes anything but thanks to town politics, new tourists, and Van Helsing’s irresistibility to a vampire (Deborah Foreman). David Carradine presides over the vampire hijinks as Count Jozek Mardulak. For those looking for something fun and lighthearted, this pick is your best bet.
Vamp – AMC+, Plex, the Roku Channel, Shudder, Tubi
This highly entertaining horror comedy features a vampire that doesn’t get nearly enough attention; Grace Jones exudes raw power as vamp Katrina. Robert Rusler and Chris Makepeace star as two fraternity pledges that venture into the city to hire a stripper, all to impress their frat brothers. They find themselves in a shady part of town, unaware that the dive bar they’ve entered is full of vampires. Naturally, they find themselves in an all-night battle for survival. The neon haze-soaked urban setting makes for a refreshing change of pace. The bromance between the leads is as sweet as it is funny. Most of all, though, watch for Grace Jones’ riveting performance.
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