Paranormal activity and the Horror of Abject Consumption

Abstract

The essay analyzes how Paranormal Activity (Schneider, Blum, & Peli, 2009) and Paranormal Activity 2 (Peli, Goldsman, & Williams, 2010) render consumption as a site of abjection. Our analysis begins by noting two prominent interpretations of the films: as genre-changing minimalist works and as soothing morality tales in which overleveraged suburbanites are punished. Putting these readings into conversation, we maintain that these films entrench audiences in the grip of consumption – the drive that fuels consumerism and materialism. Using Julia Kristeva's work on abjection, we argue that the films' much-praised minimalist style positions consumption as abject, as that which both disgusts and attracts audience members but offers no release from the dizzying drive for more. We maintain that these films display consumption as an urge for possession that cannot be stabilized or sublimated. They accomplish this end by using stylistic strategies that violate horror conventions and ask the audience to become enraptured with consuming the films. Ultimately, we use this analysis to suggest how abjection is theoretically enriched when it is coupled with an understanding of the contemporary movements of style.