Paranormal Activity 2 2010

The cinematic journey begins with a poignant home video montage, showcasing the tender moments between Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden) and her newborn son Hunter (William Juan Prieto & Jackson Xenia Prieto), as she brings him home from the hospital. The film then segues into a visual chronicle of Hunter’s early months, weaving together a tapestry of vignettes that introduce the supporting cast, including Kristi’s husband Dan Rey (Brian Boland), Ali (Molly Ephraim) - his daughter from a previous marriage - Martine (Vivis Cortez), the family’s housekeeper and nanny, and Abby, their loyal German Shepherd.

As the calendar flips to mark Hunter’s first year of life, the family returns home to find their residence in disarray, despite both doors being locked. The only item missing is a necklace gifted by Kristi’s sister Katie (Katie Featherston), adding an air of mystery to the chaos. Dan responds by installing a network of security cameras throughout the house, monitoring the backyard, baby’s room, kitchen, living room, entryway, and exterior of the front door.

As night falls, the sense of unease intensifies as strange occurrences begin to unfold. The pool light flickers and eventually extinguishes in the dead of night, while the pool cleaner is mysteriously removed from the water. Pots start falling seemingly on their own accord in the kitchen, shattering the peace. Hunter’s slumber is repeatedly disrupted by loud banging sounds emanating from within the house and outside his window, as Abby stands vigilantly in his room, fixated on some unseen presence.

Following one particularly harrowing evening, Martine attempts to perform a cleansing ritual to rid the house of perceived malevolent energies. Her actions are discovered by Dan, who promptly fires her. As Kristi and Katie begin to share their own experiences with supernatural forces from their childhood, they reveal that they were tormented by an unknown entity or demon, which they had kept hidden for fear of ridicule. Ali takes it upon herself to investigate the mysterious happenings, leading her to uncover a dark secret: if a human makes a pact with a demon in exchange for wealth and power, the price is paid with the life of the family’s first-born male - an unsettling coincidence given Hunter’s status as Kristi and Katie’s first male heir since their great-great-grandmother.

As Kristi pours out her troubles to Katie, she attempts to revisit the eerie sensations they experienced as children. However, Katie’s ire is piqued by Kristi’s words, and she sternly advises her friend to ignore the unsettling events, warning that dwelling on them would only exacerbate the situation. The atmosphere begins to deteriorate further when Kristi ventures into the kitchen, only to find the cupboards bursting open, sending a chaotic cascade of contents crashing to the floor. The violence escalates, with the family dog, Abby, suffering a brutal attack and being yanked violently out of frame, rendering her unconscious. As Dan and Ali rush Abby to the vet, they leave Kristi alone with Hunter, who seems oblivious to the turmoil surrounding him. Kristi checks on the baby, noticing that a light has flickered off; upon re-igniting it, she’s abruptly pulled by an unseen force from the room, hurtling down the stairs before being released. The cycle of terror continues as Kristi is dragged back upstairs into Hunter’s room and then again downstairs to the basement, where she remains for over an hour. Finally, the cellar door creaks open, and a dazed, potentially possessed Kristi emerges.

The following day, Ali finds herself at home with Kristi, who remains bedridden. When Ali investigates the source of several loud banging sounds, she discovers Kristi sitting in the baby’s room, sporting a disturbing bite mark on her thigh. Hunter wails uncontrollably as Ali tries to comfort him, only to be rebuffed when Kristi warns her away. Fearing for their safety, Ali calls Dan, her voice trembling as she begs him to return home. Upon his arrival, she shares the unsettling footage of Kristi’s stairwell ordeal. Dan immediately contacts Martine, who prepares a cross designed to expel the demon from Kristi. However, she stresses that the demon must be transferred to a blood relative afterward, lest it return. Despite Ali’s pleas for caution, Dan decides to pass the demon onto Katie, convinced that this will ultimately save Kristi and Hunter.

As Dan cautiously approaches Kristi, she sits up in bed with an otherworldly gaze, her surroundings shrouded in a disorienting haze. With the cross held outstretched, he attempts to connect with her, but Kristi bites down hard, plunging the household into darkness. The sudden absence of light is mirrored by the vanishing act of Kristi and the baby, leaving Ali to ominously declare that they’ve taken refuge in the basement. Dan navigates the blackness with fumbling steps, stumbling upon Hunter as if by chance, only to be blindsided from behind by an unseen force - Kristi’s demonic possession.

As he struggles to maintain control, Dan manages to pin the cross atop Kristi’s chest, exorcising the malevolent entity and restoring a semblance of order. The basement floor begins to tremble, accompanied by cacophonous cries of demonic origin, foreshadowing the devastating consequences that will soon unfold.

Three weeks later, Katie pays a visit to Kristi, who remains oblivious to Dan’s heroic efforts, attributing her own recent paranormal experiences to mere coincidence. With an air of nonchalance, she advises Katie to disregard the inexplicable occurrences and instead focus on her own life. Little does Kristi realize that she is unwittingly passing on the demon’s influence to her niece.

The stage is set for the events of Paranormal Activity as Katie and Micah welcome a cursed presence into their home, gradually infiltrating their lives and ultimately claiming Micah’s life. The night after Micah’s tragic demise finds Dan settling in front of the TV, while Kristi comforts Hunter in the nursery. Unbeknownst to them, Katie - now a vessel for the malevolent force - slips silently into the foyer behind Dan.

With calculated stealth, she strikes, snapping Dan’s neck with a chilling suddenness. Kristi stumbles upon the gruesome scene, only to be met by an unhinged Katie, who unleashes a brutal assault, leaving Kristi lifeless and Hunter wailing in distress. The final act sees Katie calmly collecting her grandson as they vanish into the darkness, leaving behind a trail of devastation.

As the credits roll, Ali returns home from a school trip to find her father and stepmother coldly silenced. Katie’s fate remains shrouded in mystery, as if she had vanished along with Hunter - leaving behind only an eerie sense of uncertainty.