Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
Written by: JASR
Edited by: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director(s): Christopher Landon
Writers: Christopher Landon, Oren Peli
Producer(s): Jason Blum, Oren Peli, Steven Schneider
Date Released: January 3, 2014
Cast:
Andrew Jacobs as Jesse Arista
Jorge Diaz as Hector Estrella
Gabrielle Walsh as Marisol Vargas
Renee Victor as Irma Arista
Gloria Sandoval as Ana Sanchez
Richard Cabral as Arturo Lopez
Carlos Pratts as Oscar Lopez
Rating = 2.5/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
Recent High School graduate Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) and his friend Hector (Jorge Diaz) start experimenting with a new camera. They record their antics that summer – including how they spy on Jesse’s strange neighbor, Ana (Gloria Sandoval). One day, after learning that Ana died, the two boys investigate her apartment where they find some unusual items. Soon after, Jesse discovers a mysterious bite mark on his arm and starts having superhuman abilities. He gradually becomes sinister and hurts the people around him. Jesse’s friends, Hector and Marisol (Gabrielle Walsh), must figure out how to help their friend before it’s too late.
Gore Factor
Some shocking parts of this movie fall under the gore category – such as the scene where one character falls and crashes onto a car. Another particularly gory scene was when one of the characters was pushed down the stairs and we briefly see a puddle of blood. Even so, there aren’t that many gruesomely bloody scenes in the movie – making it bearable for those who are not fans of gore.
The Grave Review
One impressive thing about the Paranormal Activity movies is that they are all connected. Installments that give homage to previous ones are entertaining as they seem to give a nudge to fans of the franchise. I appreciate Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones for doing just that. In this film, we see some elements from previous movies – such as the young Katie and Kristi. The ending scene was the most chilling one for really bringing us back to one of the earlier movies.
While the movie effectively encourages viewers to develop interest in the other Paranormal Activity movies, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) can still stand alone – which is another important factor.
Just like the other Paranormal Activity movies, this falls under the found footage sub genre. It realistically captures Jesse and Hector’s adventures and misfortunes. I would say that one spooky thing about this movie is the fact that Jesse’s believed “superhuman abilities” actually involve the demon already. The scenes show naïve fun and games between the two buddies – but if you think about it, an evil entity is around to make those “abilities” possible. That’s a creepy thing hidden behind the laughs of Jesse and Hector. That being said, the scares in this movie mostly manifest in Jesse’s actions rather than the images of entities themselves.
The fact that most of the scares manifest in a human being may not sit well with some horror fans. They are usually after the supernatural and eerie images that seem to be very minimal in this movie. More than that, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) barely had any memorable scary scenes. The final scene was the most memorable one for me – which says a lot about the rest of the movie. Also, the movie may not please everyone – only viewers that prefer humanly scares than supernatural ones.
Unfortunately, I would label this movie as forgettable. It’s still, however, worth the praise for staying realistic and showing how it connects to the rest of the Paranormal Activity movies.
Because of the above reasons, Grave Reviews gives Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) two and a half graves out of five graves.
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