Now, in all honesty, I’m not much of a horror/thriller person when it comes to entertainment. I can tolerate movies like Scream, but that’s about it. When watching a horror movie, there could be one or two jump scares, but if there’s gore or more jump scares, I’m out. However, I have been trying to get more into the genre; it’s a struggle, but I’m getting there! With that, I had the chance to see Broadway tackle the thriller genre with the new show Paranormal Activity on opening night with a friend of mine. In this review, I will go over what I liked about the show and what held it back.
The show follows a married couple, Lou and James, played by Cher Álvarez and Travis A. Knight, who have moved from Chicago to London to escape their dark past. After settling in, Lou is certain that something isn’t right before they soon face the chilling realization: people are haunted — not places. While the show shares the same title as the movie series, you do not have to watch any of them to understand the show or pick up any extra details (thankfully). The cast also includes Shannon Cochran as Caroline, James’ mother, and Eva Kaminsky as Etheline Cotgrave, a podcast medium who tries to help Lou and James.
First, I want to start with the positives of this show. Probably the most talked-about aspect of this show is the special effects. Normally, when you’re watching a thriller movie, there will be jump scares and abnormal things that will happen, but of course, since it’s a movie, there are special effects that come together to make the haunting seem real. But how does that come together when doing a live show? Well, thanks to the incredible Chris Fisher, who has also worked on the illusions of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the illusions and jump scares in Paranormal Activity work just as if you are watching a movie. There is one specific scene that everyone calls “The Robe Scene” (if you’ve seen the show, then you know exactly what I’m talking about) that is personally my favorite jump scare in the show. I won’t spoil what happens in that scene, but if you are planning to watch the show, just know that scene will have you jumping in your seat. Speaking of that, this show did not hold back. There were moments when I had to look away or hold on to my friend because I felt a jump scare coming. There’s so much anticipation and anxiety that comes through when waiting for something to happen. Another aspect I really loved was the acting, especially Álvarez’s. We come to understand her character and what she has gone through, and I think Álvarez does so well. It sometimes makes you want to jump onto the stage and have a say in the situation. Obviously, you cannot, so don’t think about doing that. Lastly, the lighting in this show was on another level. Throughout the show, there were moments where you’re completely in the dark. But I loved how the lighting came together not just to tell the story, but also to emphasize the hauntings that occur throughout the show.
Now, moving on to the aspect that somewhat held the show back. This may just be a me-thing, but I kind of think the story felt a bit held back and rushed. As I’ve said before, we follow the couple, Lou and James, as they escape their dark past, and we see them come together through the hauntings. However, there were some moments in the story that kind of left me questioning or wanting more. Honestly, after the show, I kept asking my friend so many lingering questions. While the show did its best to answer most of them, I felt as though I was missing something. It had me thinking that I should go back and see the show again to get those questions answered (which I will not, because I don’t want to be scared again). The first act of the show really does place an emphasis on our characters and how they have been affected by these hauntings. While the second act tries to push our characters further, it does so by leaning into the special effects and hauntings. Personally, I felt the second act was a bit too short, but obviously, since the show is about two hours with an intermission, there’s no way to include everything.
Overall, this show was definitely a great experience for me as I tried leaning into the horror/thriller genre. I’m happy to say that this show did an excellent job. One piece of advice I have is to see this show with a friend if you are like me, but if you are the opposite of me and love the horror/thriller genre, definitely check this show out!