FILM: Paranormal Activity 3 (15)

In 2009, Israeli-born film-maker Oren Peli wrote and directed a low-budget, supernatural horror at his own house in his spare time. Paranormal Activity became a box office sensation around the world with its deceptively simple narrative and grainy camerawork, captured by characters as they hunt for an evil spirit. Structured as found footage a la The Blair Witch Project, the film proved audiences could be scared to death without having to coat the screen in lashings of blood and gore.

Last year, a sequel continued the nightmare for Katie (Katie Featherston), who barely survived the events of the first film, as she endured more bumps in the night. With Halloween looming, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who made the acclaimed documentary Catfish about the perils of social networking, helm this third instalment of the nerve-shredding horror franchise, which traces the malevolent force that haunts sisters Katie and Kristi (Sprague Grayden) back to its origin.

The film unfolds in 1988 when the girls’ mother Julie (Lauren Bittner) has a new boyfriend, videographer Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith), who becomes intrigued by strange sounds in the family home.

So he sets up three cameras, each able to record six hours of grainy footage onto VHS, in the hope of capturing spooky goings-on when no one is around. Youngsters Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) become central to the terror that takes hold of the household.

Released October 21 (UK & Ireland), 84 mins