Paranormal Activity 2 – review

It can be tough to repeat the "found footage" routine that the first Paranormal Activity used. It's quite limiting; the bag of tricks can be pretty exhausted after one hefty dip into it. Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 dropped it entirely in favour of making a more conventional horror film sequel that hardly anyone could be bothered with, while the Spanish film [Rec] 2 was more successful in replicating its source's charm by having two teams of video recordists at play.

Paranormal Activity 2 follows the "bigger and more" ethos of sequels, while sticking to the ground rules laid down by the first surprise hit of a film. Of course "bigger and more" is a relative term. Here we get a slightly bigger home to be confined in and more people: two parents, a teenage daughter, a maid, an infant and a dog. The latter two make good use of the rather spooky thing that babies and pets do when their attention is fixed on something invisible to others. More cameras too: instead of the one image of the bedroom we get to cycle through six static security cameras (brought in by the family when they return to find their furniture and belongings in disarray, seemingly following a burglary, although nothing was taken). These changes aren't enough to distort or taint the basic premise.

This time out we are with the family of Kristi (Sprague Grayden), the sister of Katie (Katie Featherston) who surprisingly pops in for a visit very early on, looking like she hasn't a care in the world. It's quickly revealed that the events we are watching are happening 60 days before the climax of the previous film.

The sequel goes for the same slow burn and build up. There are plenty of times where there is very little activity, paranormal or otherwise, but these are there to lull you into a routine, to get the viewer used to the quiet, to scanning the slightly more elaborate framings, to lean into the movie. It all pays off when things start going bump in the night (very loudly. Like the first one this has a great soundscape, up there with Robert Wise's The Haunting).

They could have very easily got away with a straight rehash, but here they've tried to expand on things, successfully, with a film that complements and connects, in both story and style, with its predecessor. As well as playing on the common fear of all the noises a house can make during the night – this time, with a baby involved, it's even more harrowing for parents – there are also some nice nods to Spielberg's Close Encounters and Poltergeist, effectively adapted to this far less showy film-making technique.

It was never going to have the same shock of the new that the first had, but there are at least half a dozen moments that really suck the air out of the room with a collective audience gasp, and plenty of scenes that string out the dread. It has to work a little harder and, with more characters and cameras as well as a little more humour, it really pays off.