History YMMV / ParanormalActivity

* CompleteMonster: The demon.
** The grandmother in ''3''. Even more so than the demon, who is probably just following its very nature. The grandmother, however, [[spoiler: tortures and kills her own daughter, sets it so so that her two granddaughters are also tortured and killed, and also intended to give either her grandson or great-grandson to the demon. All of this just for a get-rich-quick scheme.]]

* AccidentalAesop: For no. 2: [[spoiler:Never foist your problems on your in-laws.]]

** The grandmother. Even more so than the demon, who is probably just following its very nature. The grandmother in the third film, however, [[spoiler: tortures and kills her own daughter, sets it so so that her two granddaughters are also tortured and killed, and also intended to give either her grandson or great-grandson to the demon. All of this just for a get-rich-quick scheme.]]
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Dennis of [=PA3=], probably for being more competent and likable than Micah and Dan. Also, Ben from [=PA4=].
* HellIsThatNoise: This is a large part of what the demon does in the film. It spends most of the film just fucking around with Katie and Micah until the last 20 minutes or so when the demon decides to go for full-blown NightmareFuel.
** The ambient rumbling noise that always accompanies the demon.

** [[spoiler: [[NothingIsScarier Some viewers found the cutoff end of the scream and the span of time before the final scene scarier than the scream itself.]] ]]

** And let us not forget: [[spoiler: during the day in the second movie you get about a minute of silence before everything in the kitchen flings open and falls]]

** The fourth movie coming up kindly removes this--while the haunting still centers on [[CreepyChild Hunter/Robbie]], the targets are Alex and her family, his new neighbors who didn't know any better.

* TheWoobie: Ali. First her parents don't believe her when scary things begin to happen, [[spoiler: one day her stepmother wakes up acting like a cross between a wolf and a serial killer. Then, oh, things are looking up! No horror for three weeks! Until you come home to find your family brutally murdered.]]

** Kristi. The events of 2 and 3 would have been prevented had they just listened to her. Also, Dan (in the second) and Katie (in the third) are mean to her for little reason.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Dennis of PA3, probably for being more competent and likable than Micah and Dan. Also, Ben from PA4.

** The fourth movie coming up kindly removes this--while the hauntings still center on [[CreepyChild Hunter/Robbie]], the targets are Alex and her family, his new neighbours who didn't know any better.

* CompleteMonster: The demon, of course.

** Katie.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: An already common criticism of ''Paranormal Activity 2'' is that it too frequently uses familiar scenes from the first movie.
** It might be justified, though, since it's [[spoiler: almost certainly the same demon at work]], with the two movies taking place within a very short span of time.

** Kristi. The events of 2 and 3 would have been prevented had they just listened to her. Also, Dan (in the second) and Katie (in the third) are mean to her for little reason.

** In an early jump scene, the protagonists listen carefully after Katie thinks she hears something. After a few moments of dead silence, there is what can only be described as an extended scream, followed by a massive ''thump''. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Bricks were duly shat]].

* NightmareRetardant: Although the movie is quite terrifying, close examination of its premise actually leaves quite a bit of hope for the viewer: Any evidence of [[spoiler:demonic possession]] in your family? No? You're free, go out and enjoy life! [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Not that it helps much when you're trying to sleep, of course.]]

* HellIsThatNoise: This is a large part of what the demon does in the film. It spends most of the film just fucking around with Katie and Micah until the last 20 minutes or so when the demon decides to go for full-blown HighOctaneNightmareFuel.

** Any heroic dog in a horror movie is almost contractually obligated to be the most sympathetic character in the movie. Hence, Abbey.

* TearJerker: This troper actually got a little choked up in the third movie. [[spoiler: Right around the end, when Dennis is doing damn near everything he can to get himself and the girls out of the grandmother's house, it hits you that we already know how this all ends. Even if we know the girls do survive that night, no matter what he does, no matter how hard he tries to protect them, there's absolutely ''nothing'' he can do to save them in the long run. And it's absolutely heartbreaking.]]

* FridgeHorror: [[spoiler: "You ''always'' said you wanted a son."]] Not a line that would immediately freak you out, until you remember the trope directly above this one.

** Dennis in the third film. [[spoiler: He did cared for his stepdaughters and wife and wanted to find out about the demon and save his family. Yet his wife dies in front of him and is killed by his mother-in-law. All while trying to save his stepdaughters.]]

* FridgeHorror: [[spoiler: "You ''always'' said you wanted a son."]]

* TearJerker: This troper actually got a little choked up in the third movie, right around the end. [[spoiler: Right around the end of the movie, when Dennis is doing damn near everything he can to get himself and the girls out of the grandmother's house, it hit me that no matter ''what'' he does, no matter how hard he tries to protect his family, they're ''all'' well and thoroughly fucked. And it's absolutely heartbreaking.]]

* EldritchAbomination

** Any heroic dog in a horror movie is almost contractually obligated to be the most sympathetic character in the movie. Hence, Abbey.

* TheWoobie: Ali. First her parents don't believe her when scary things begin to happen, [[spoiler: one day her stepmother wakes up acting like a cross between a wolf and a serial killer. Then, oh, things are looking up! No horror for three weeks! Until you come home to find your family brutally murdered.]]

** It might be justified, though, since it's [[spoiler: almost certainly the same demon at work]], with the two movies taking place within a very short time.