When Paranormal Activity opened in cinemas in 2007, it caused mass hysteria among horror and non-horror fans alike. It had been a long time since a horror movie made such an impact on culture, only comparable to the 1999 found footage film The Blair Witch Project. With a tiny budget, it earned about $200 million in the box office and spawned countless sequels. Now, Broadway's August Wilson Theatre has opened its doors to a haunting stage adaptation.

Can the found-footage horror be successfully transferred to a Broadway stage? Well, the answer seems to be yes as critics praise this jump-scare laden production. Check out what they had to say below!

The Reviews

Theatrely

"I love being scared, and Paranormal Activity is by far the best entry for horror theatre we have seen on Broadway, perhaps ever? Illusions Designer Chris Fisher worked with Holloway and director Felix Barrett from the jump creating the story with them, and his work here is as impressive as ever, and the glee the audience gets at certain moments are of course the standout crowdpleasers."

Theatermania

"Spare a thought for the 32BJ cleaners (now under a new contract) who must nightly contend with spilled popcorn and tiny puddles of urine left by horrified spectators unprepared for the jumps and bumps in director Felix Barrett's marvelously sneaky production. Like a cat playing with a mouse, Barrett takes his time, winding up and drawing out the suspense as we buckle up for two hours of terror."

Variety

"The stage version of "Paranormal Activity" performs on an intimate and domestic scale yet delivers more thrills, chills and screams than Broadway has seen in years, and giving the franchise a legit afterlife."

Timeout

"Horror plays are hard to pull off on Broadway, as Holloway's own somewhat creaky Grey House demonstrated in 2023. But Paranormal Activity is a much more successful fright night. Barrett, who codirected Sleep No More, leans into voyeurism and elicits excellent performances from lvarez and Knight. The true shocks come in watching Lou and James lose their grips on their livesand each otherand the liveness of theater heightens the tension by creating a kind of mass hysteria where even innocuous bumps elicit shrieks that evolve into the relief of communal laughter. The whole show is a scream."

The New York Post

"People screamed and jumped in unison just as they would at the cinema. It's a lot of fun. At times, the spookiness is electric. And, far from creeping into deadly theme-park territory, patrons' loud vocalizing comes from a rare and intense engagement. They're riveted."

New York Stage Review

"Theatergoers hoping for a sophisticated ghost story like The Weir or The Woman in Black will probably find the evening hopelessly lowbrow. But if you're simply looking for a scary good time and can endure the frequently deafening sound level, Paranormal Activity is the show for you."