Those familiar with the “Paranormal Activity” films could easily know them to be some of the most mediocre horror films of all time. “Cheesy”, funny (as opposed to scary), and dull, “Paranormal Activity” neglected to meet the expectations of film fanatics everywhere. Even in a creepy, horror-movie-appropriate atmosphere, the movies hardly frightened many of their viewers, and left them wondering how anyone could find the films terrifying to any extent, save for the few (not always so unexpected) moments of loud noises or movements “popping out” at the audience.

A prime example of one of the films’ poor attempts at horror occurred during the second film, when the main character attempts to run up the stairs and is dragged back down by an unseen force. The scene was so poorly created, the character seemed to simply fall flat on her face and slide down the steps. In fact, the scene was borderline hilarious due to strange special effects and horrible acting.

The entire goal of the series was to create suspense, then frighten the viewers with a loud noise or sudden movement, and very few of these scares appeared throughout any of the films until the last ten minutes.

The latest installment in the series didn’t change any of these aspects with its plot or originality. Composed of the same type of scenes and characters as the first three, “Paranormal Activity 4” consisted of an unsuspecting, superstitious camerawoman, disbelieving parents, and nighttime scenes filled with abrupt noises and strange movements, as well as the occasional creepy kid stalking around the house.

“Paranormal Activity 4” was one of the most difficult movies to sit through out of the entire series, and not because it was frightening or disturbing, but because it was just the same routine as the first three. A post-credits scene hinted to a fifth installment in the series, but there is hope the bland films have truly reached their finale with the fourth movie. If you’re looking for a quality horror film, “Paranormal Activity” is not the way to go. Just know this: once you’ve watched one of the “Paranormal Activity” movies, you’ve watched them all.