Blumhouse has released some impressive horror films over the years. But while the company has put out many great movies, including many impressive films with one sequel, the company is also behind some of the most popular horror franchises, most notably Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Insidious, and Halloween. Many of these are still going strong, with Halloween Ends hitting theaters in October 2022, and an eighth Paranormal Activity movie coming soon.
Each of these four well-known franchises has one movie that stands out as being particularly dull and it's fair to say that it doesn't live up to the rest of the movies.
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
The Paranormal Activity franchise will be rebooted, and while there have been seven films so far, with number eight coming in 2022, the fourth entry from 2012 feels like the worst. The first movie is fascinating, allowing audiences to visit the home of Katie (Kathie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) and see the evil spirits that are there. It's fresh, new, and something to talk about.
The first Paranormal Activity film from 2007 is also one of the highest-grossing Blumhouse horror movies. After this movie, Blumhouse began releasing tons of movies in the genre, putting out slashers, ghost stories, comedies, and reboots and remakes of popular and beloved stories. However, the fourth movie, which has a 23% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, is one of the more forgettable from the franchise.
The film stars Kathryn Newton as a teenager named Alex Nelson who begins recording the strange things happening in her house. While the movie is connected to the others, as fans know that Katie murdered her sister Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and her husband Daniel Rey (Brian Boland), there is nothing here that hasn't been done before in the franchise.
The Purge (2013)
There are a few problems with The Purge, the first movie in the franchise. The first is that the concept seems better than the actual execution. The second is that the whole film takes place in the main characters' home, which makes it feel like a home invasion thriller instead of a dynamic and terrifying horror movie. The Purge asks the question, would society be better off if people could only commit crimes once a year? There are no easy answers here, but the 2013 film doesn't really attempt to answer the question, at least not in a clear and engaging way.
While the other movies in The Purge franchise solve this problem, as the other films focus on the outside world and show how a major city like Los Angeles is faring, the first movie just isn't that exciting or interesting. The Purge: Anarchy is the best film in the franchise in contrast to the first one, which doesn't feel compelling.
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
When comparing Blumhouse horror franchises, Insidious is definitely a popular one, but the first film from 2010 seems to be the most creative one. This sets up the Lambert family and the evil spirits that begin haunting them and ruining their lives. Of every film in the franchise, the third entry, which is a prequel, is the most lackluster.
Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) can sense ghosts, and Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) talks to her about being in touch with her mother Lily (Ele Keats) in the first scene of the movie. The film's villain, "The Man Who Can't Breathe," causes Quinn to get hit by a car, and she continues to see him in her home.
There are many great supernatural and slasher films but this Insidious prequel doesn't offer up anything new. Fans are familiar with the fact that these characters can see demons and spirits who have unfinished business and there is nothing fresh or thrilling here.
Halloween (2018)
Fans were curious about the 2018 Halloween movie and it does have the elements that everyone loves, from villain Michael Myers to final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). The most interesting part of the movie is seeing Laurie with her family: her daughter Karen Nelson (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Alison (Andi Matichak).
Besides that, however, it's hard not to think that Halloween feels like a dull remake of the 1978 classic. The original film is so loved because it's shot beautifully, has a great overall eerie tone, and introduced Jamie Lee Curtis as a huge talent. The 2018 film just doesn't feel the same and while it makes sense that Laurie would be a miserable, hard person after decades of suffering and trauma, she doesn't feel like the same character. Halloween Kills raises the stakes and sees the residents of the town fighting Michael, which is a bit scarier to watch.