Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Screenplay: Christopher Landon, Oren Peli
Starring: Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown
It runs in the family
The statistics alone for this trilogy are frightening. A total outlay of around $8m for all three movies is a drop in the ocean compared to the $500m gross that they are expected to end up making. Financially it is a complete success. But is the hype justified? The first film was a Blair Witch style hit that grabbed the attention of an audience eager for some scares. The second instalment was a steady yet unspectacular addition to the series. But what of the third?
I must admit I tried to avoid the trailers for this. Sometimes it's nice to go into a movie with no idea of they key action sequences. Something young Directorial duo Joost and Schulman seem to agree with as all of the clips in the trailers are not actually in the film itself. The interesting Catfish may have got them noticed but PA3 will probably be the film that propels these two talented film-makers to the big time.
The film is set in 1988 when the sisters from the first two movies (Katie and Kristi) are young girls. They live with their mum and step-dad, a struggling wedding photographer, in a typical suburban home. The young girls befriend an invisible entity and it's not long before strange things start happening in the house and their step-father begins to document it on camcorder.
I'll be honest, most horror films do not scare me. I want to be scared, in fact I love being scared but there are so many films that have no clue how to go about it. Blood and guts and torture may get a visceral reaction but real fear is about the anticipation of something bad.
The threat is usually more terrifying than the pay off. And PA3 is a master-class in how to play on an audiences fears and expectations.
Sequels and Three-quels generally face a big problem. They have to maintain the essence of the previous entries but they also need their own identity. They need to bring something new to the table. We have gone to watch the film because we liked the ones before it but likewise we do not want to sit through an exact replica of them. PA3 passes this test with flying colours. Not only does it offer the jolts and scares of the original, it adds a depth to the story and changes the direction of the series.
PA3 plays with it's audience like a cat does a mouse. The camera angles are inventive (especially the one attached to a rotating fan!) and it manages to build up the tension at a slow but purposeful pace. The constant feeling of dread that I felt in the first movie especially is ever present here and the last ten minutes or so are particularly nightmarish.
The two young girls put in impressive performances and the family are portrayed in a very realistic yet sympathetic way. There are some great moments of humour to be found in here too which is a nice surprise.
I know that some may criticise the format or the fact that the story is all too familiar but PA3 is such a carefully shot, inventive and ultimately tense affair that any minor flaws it has should be readily overlooked. If you don't like films that have you lying awake at night wondering if there is something hiding in your wardrobe, then it may not be a good idea to watch this.
RB
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