For a few years in the 2010s, it was not Halloween without a new installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise. The titular film in the found-footage series ended up being a massive success, making $193.4 million on a budget of approximately $230,000. With profitability like that, it is no wonder that Paranormal Activity ended up being the first in a long series of low-budget but ultimately engaging horror films. The story of Katie (Katie Featherston) and the malevolent demon Tobi eventually spanned throughout five of the seven-part series, although plot points in other parts of the series also played critical parts. Despite its flaws, the Paranormal Activity franchise proves that even the smallest plot points can bring terrifying rewards.
After a six-year hiatus, the series is back with Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. If you are looking to binge the franchise, we’ve got the right guide for you. Here is how you can watch all seven Paranormal Activity films.
Paranormal Activity Films in Chronological Order
Paranormal Activity 3
Available on Showtime
The mystery over the origins of Tobi lingered during the first two films. However, it was fully revealed in Paranormal Activity 3, a prequel primarily set in 1988. Young sisters Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) are exhibiting strange behavior, leaving their mother Julie (Lauren Bittner) and her boyfriend Dennis (Chris Smith) to set up cameras around their home to catch them on tape. Kristi is then shown to have an imaginary friend named Tobi who might be far more real than anyone anticipated. Paranormal Activity 3 is perhaps most notable for fully introducing The Midwives Coven, which will continue playing major roles in the franchise.
Paranormal Activity 2
Available on Starz
Taking place a month before the events of the first film, Paranormal Activity 2 formally introduces audiences to Katie’s sister Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and her husband Daniel (Brian Boland). The couple recently welcomed a baby boy named Hunter, who is also the first male to be born on Kristi’s side of the family since the 1930s. This has invited sinister spirits into their lives that eventually possess Kristi. Daniel then uncovers his wife’s sinister past, with the film culminating in him making a terrifying sacrifice.
Paranormal Activity
Available on Starz
Let’s go back to where the series started with Paranormal Activity. Katie has recently moved into a new home with her husband Micah (Micah Sloat). However, this exciting time goes to the wayside when they begin experiencing supernatural hauntings. Wanting to figure out what exactly is going on, Micah sets up the cameras that would eventually become infamous throughout the series. Paranormal Activity’s effectiveness lay in the unpredictable fear that both Katie and Micah have, something that was rarely translated into its sequels.
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night
Unavailable to Stream
Have you ever heard of Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night? If not, don’t worry. This installment is both a remake of the first film and a sequel. Not considered canon to the mainline series, it takes place in 2010 and begins when study-abroad student Haruka (Noriko Aoyama) returns home from San Diego after a car accident. Alone with her younger brother Koichi (Aoi Nakamura), she begins to feel as if something is haunting her. As you might have already guessed, she’s not wrong. Even if it isn’t technically a part of Paranormal Activity’s timeline, it still showcases the fact that the first film was an international phenomenon.
Paranormal Activity 4
Available on Hulu, Paramount+, and Epix
Although released in 2012, Paranormal Activity 4 takes place five years after the events of Paranormal Activity 2. Alex Nelson (Kathryn Newton) is living with her family in a Nevada suburb when a friend of her brother Wyatt (Aidan Lovekamp) has to stay with them while his mother is in the hospital. However, it turns out that Wyatt isn’t the little brother Sam thought she knew thanks to psychic abilities and some creepy coincidences.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
Available on Paramount+ and IMDb TV
If there was one thing that was missing in this series, it was time travel. Thankfully, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones provides just that. This fifth installment in the franchise takes the hauntings out of Nevada and into Oxnard, California. When a mysterious murder takes place in his apartment complex, Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) ends up being stalked by a malevolent entity and begins succumbing to its forces. He’s become marked by the Midwives and unless a final ritual is completed, he’ll be a part of the witch’s army of possessed men.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
Available on Paramount+
If you have ever wondered where exactly Tobi comes from, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is the movie for you. Ryan (Chris J. Murray) and Emily (Brit Shaw) have moved into a new home with their young daughter Leila (Ivy George). However, it isn’t long before Leila starts talking to a new imaginary friend and Ryan finds a supernatural camera. It turns out that their new home is haunted in a lot more ways than one.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin
Available on Paramount+
Finally, we have the most recent entry in the franchise with Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, which is only connected to the original series if you’re familiar with ancient Jewish texts. Margot (Emily Bader) is making a documentary about finding her birth mother, eventually ending up in a small Amish community. However, this community is more than meets the eye and harbors one huge secret that Margot finds herself in the middle of.
Paranormal Activity Movies in Order of Release
We understand that every movie-watcher is different. If you don’t like viewing franchises in the order of their timeline, no worries! Here is the complete list of Paranormal Activity films listed by release date.
Paranormal Activity - September 25, 2009
Paranormal Activity 2 - October 22, 2010
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night - November 20, 2010
Paranormal Activity 3 - October 21, 2011
Paranormal Activity 4 - October 19, 2012
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones - January 3, 2014
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension - October 23, 2015
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin - October 29, 2021