Is Paranormal Activity based on a true story? As the film series focuses on psychological horror, keeping most aspects close to regular life events, it’s no wonder that many think it might based on real events.
Source: Getty Images
Paranormal Activity is an American supernatural horror franchise directed and written by Oren Peli. Its original movie premiered in 2007. Is Paranormal Activity based on true events, as some people speculate? Here is the truth about the films.
Are the Paranormal Activity movies real?
No, all of the seven movies are fictional. However, the main idea of the films was inspired by a real-life event that the filmmaker, Oren Peli, experienced.
Peli relocated to a new home in San Diego alone without a family around. During the night, he could hear weird squeaky noises. According to him, he believed the house was not haunted, but it gave him an idea. He thought, what if someone’s home is haunted, and the person decides to put a video camera to know whether it is haunted or not?
In an interview, he explained how he was inspired by horror films such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Blair Witch Project, where one could use a basic video camera on a low budget. He also discovered that the audience could use their imagination more to get scared.
What is Paranormal Activity?
Source: Getty Images
Paranormal Activity is a supernatural horror franchise comprising seven films and additional media. It features a complicated timeline that jumps between different years and decades due to the sequels, prequels and parallel films. The paranormal horror is closely related to the demonic subgenre, focusing on characters who aren’t living beings.
The franchise follows the story of several families who are haunted by the demon called Asmodeus ‘Toby’ of the Book of Tobit. This demon stalks, terrifies, and ultimately kills various family members and other bystanders over the course of the movies. They use found-footage conventions, where production video cameras are set as security cameras.
What is the correct order to watch the Paranormal Activity movies?
Fans who have followed the films faithfully since the franchise began naturally watched them in the order in which they were released. The first movie was released in 2007. The second came out in 2010, followed by the third and fourth in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones was released in 2014, while Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension came out in 2015. The latest is Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, which premiered in 2021.
The release dates are irrelevant for those who would rather watch the film chronologically. The story often jumps around, and some films are prequels, allowing horror fans to watch them in chronological order.
Source: Getty Images
Considering the events that happen, one can begin with Paranormal Activity 3, then follow it up with chapter 2. The original film introduces a young couple, Micah and Katie, who are haunted by a demon. Then, chapter 4 and The Marked Ones follow. The Ghost Dimension can be watched sixth, and lastly, The Next of Kin.
FAQs
- Is Paranormal Activity a real story? No, the movies are not based on a true story.
- Who created Paranormal Activity? Oren Peli created the horror films.
- Where was the Paranormal Activity filmed? The movie was shot in San Diego, California, United States.
- How many Paranormal Activity movies are there? The franchise has seven films that include sequels, prequels and additional media.
- What are the Paranormal Activity movies? The seven instalments, in order of release, are as follows: Paranormal Activity (2007), Paranormal Activity 2 (2010), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011), Paranormal Activity 4 (2012), The Marked Ones (2014), The Ghost Dimension (2015) and Next of Kin (2021).
- What is the latest Paranormal Activity movie? The most recent film in the franchise was released on 29 October 2021.
Is Paranormal Activity based on a true story? While the franchise may not be based on a true story, it keeps the horror close enough to real life to have a psychologically scary effect on its viewers.
Legit.ng recently published an article on whether Man on Fire is a true story, and the existence of a real John Creasy. Man on Fire is a crime-drama film that premiered in April 2004. The film was directed by Tony Scott and written by Brian Helgeland and A.J. Quinnell.
Fans of Man on Fire film have differing opinions on whether it is an actual or fictional story. The movie is based on a novel of the same title published in 1980. The author was inspired by some real-life events to write the novel.
Source: Legit.ng