Paranormal Activity 4 Supernatural Horror
Paranormal Activity 4 The story takes place in 2011, five years after Katie killed her boyfriend Micah, sister Kristi, her husband Daniel and took their baby, Hunter. Story focuses on Alex and her family experiencing weird stuff since the new neighbors moved in the town. All Paranormal Activity films are connected.
Character Codes (symbolic/macro element) The Final Girl: Alex confronts the killer as she finds him in the cupboard however no one in these Paranormal Activity films survives. Paranormal Children: Within this franchise the child who gets possessed is always the ‘first born boy’. Son or Daughter: All the films involve a child getting possessed. Here there is the daughter Alex and the young boy Robbie. The boy starts to change and the older girl finds it easier to believe the unbelievable. Stupid/Immoral teenagers: this is mainly the boyfriend Ben as he doesn't’t take it as seriously as Alex.
Character Codes (symbolic/macro element) The Sex Appeal/Irritant: Alex, is the sex appeal because she wears revealing clothes and by the way she lays on the bed. Alex is also the irritant as throughout the film she is screaming and annoying.
The Unlikely Hero: Alex and her boyfriend research into what is happening however there isn't a hero as you cant escape a supernatural evil therefore everyone dies.
Narrative Codes and Conventions (symbolic/macro element) The Hero: Alex can be seen as the hero as she takes it upon herself to research what is happening, figures it out and confronts the supernatural being however she doesn’t survive. The Villain: The young boy Robbie who gets possessed can be seen as the the villain however he has been possessed by a greater evil. The Helper: Ben, Alex’s boyfriend, helps Alex to research everything however he does not take it as seriously. The Victim: Everyone within the house is a victim to the supernatural evil. The Doner: There isn't a doner within this film as Alex takes it upon herself to help her younger brother.
Narrative Codes and Conventions (symbolic/macro element) Psychological: this type of horror films usually rely on character’s fear, guilt, emotional instability and the supernatural. A common occurrence in a horror film is technology failing – for example the car breaking down. This can leave the characters stranded in unknown, isolated territory. In many cases a horror can involve a family moving to a new house/location. It then unfolds throughout the film that the location has a bad history of murder/death. Slowly the protagonists we follow start to play out the same plot as the previous residents of the house.
Locations Codes and Conventions Haunted House The house has a supernatural greater evil attached to it therefore every family that lives in that house one way or another gets killed by this supernatural being. Throughout all of the Paranormal Activity films the first born boy gets possessed, unnatural things happen within the house (objects move, toys start playing, doors slam shut) and these happenings increase as the film goes on. The evil being takes refuge in a specific part of the house for example the cupboard. As the family who lives in the house at that present time starts to do research of the house’s history they find stories of people who lived here before and how they were found dead, never seen again or haunted by the same occurrences that are happening to them therefore they’re suffering the same fate.
Props/Signifiers Codes and Conventions (symbolic/macro element) Weapons: as this film is supernatural and the antagonist cant be seen or destroyed therefore they have no means of hurting/beating them. Lost/Missing: a theme running throughout the films, people who previously lived in that house have gone missing and the cases haven't been solved since nor has the only survivor (possessed) been found. Dolls/Children: There aren't any dolls involved in Paranormal Activity however children play a crucial part. The first born boy always gets possessed and causes unnatural things to happen within the house or in Paranormal Activity 3 one of the young girls are able to see and speak to the greater evil, naming him Toby.
Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound (technical/micro element) There are many diegetic sounds that have been put into the film such as the unnatural breathing/whooshing sound we hear whenever the evil spirit makes a sudden movement. Although it is diegetic it can also be non-diegetic as it isn't real. Paranormal Activity is shown as if the people in the house were filming it themselves, like a documentary therefore there isn't any music involved. This makes the film more realistic and plays with the audience’s emotions (fear) All the diegetic sounds such as the doors shutting, objects falling and people getting dragged down the stairs are all in there.
Mise-En-Scene Codes and Conventions (technical/micro element) There isn't much Mise-En-Scene within this film as it is shown as a type of documentary therefore the clothes are normal, the make up is normal etc. There are a few props used such as the cameras used to film and the laptop used to research the house’s history/symbols.