Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity

Director - Joe Bandelli (Cabin Fear, Gone Viral)

Starring - Jason Blum (Get Out, Halloween Ends), Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity, Area 51), and Kate Featherston (Paranormal Activity, The River)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’ve reviewed several horror docs over the years with almost all of them being docs that I was interested in. A few were rather redundant and went over facts that have infiltrated pop culture, but they were still enjoyable for the most part. If you would have asked me what film series deserved a documentary about it, I would have never in a million years suggested the Paranormal Activity franchise yet someone decided this was a good idea. When I was sent the Ultimate Chills, box set for review I didn’t know it included the doc Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity. However, I was looking forward to checking this out over the actual films and once I finished the series I decided to go ahead and knock the doc out. 

      The documentary explores the limited beginnings of found footage from Cannibal Holocaust to The McPherson Tapes before we jump to video game designer Oren Peli who decides to cast unknown names and film a movie in his home. From there we move into Jason Blum getting attached and the impact it had on the genre before moving down the line and taking a look at each installment including a small look at last years The Next of Kin. 

      Unknown Dimension is one of the many horror documentaries that kind of sniff their own farts. They praise the franchise from every stand point while not delivering a different perspective on the franchise. Regardless, it was an informative doc on a franchise that I just spent three months grudgingly watching. I respect it for what it was able to accomplish but it’s not a fun series of films. The interviews are from various producers, directors, actors, and fans. I loved hearing how the franchise started and spiraled into the found footage juggernaut that it is. However, I know that as popular that the film series is that there is still at least half of the community that dislike it. It would have been pretty entertaining to hear genre fans talk about what they don’t like about it. The topics explored were interesting, but I feel like it was a bit one sided. Now, hear me out before you head to the comment section and start blasting me because I was disappointed in a doc about Paranormal Activity spent too much time discussing PA. The film begins going over the history of found footage in general but that is only a brief moment. I would have loved if more time was spent on this. I did like the history behind each PA film but it does become a bit repetitive once we reach the behind the scenes of the third or fourth film. Finally, this is a well put together doc with a lot of polish and smooth transitions. We have great pacing and the chronological approach to the topics made it easy to follow. Overall, Unknown Dimension may not be a Paranormal Activity film but I would rather watch this over five of the films in the franchise. It’s informative and highly entertaining which is more than most of these films can say. Check it out especially if you are fan.