The “Paranormal Activity” series has been churning out films since 2007, and it’s showing no signs of stopping. Though it follows a simple formula, a certain magic lingers in each installment. Some kind of magnetism resides in the developing mythos. Every movie has its creeping crescendo, capped with an explosive climax . “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” is no exception.

“Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” follows friends Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) and Hector ( Jorge Diaz), during the summer after graduation. After hearing that the weird, old lady in the apartment downstairs was killed, they decide to investigate. Eventually, Jesse finds a circular mark on his arm and develops strange powers. Hector’s new handheld camera serves as witness to the events, and viewers are given a front row seat to all hell breaking loose (pun intended).

Each film brings new elements to the table and lays them out, so as to obscure their procedural plots, and it completely works. “Paranormal Activity 2” brought security cameras and pools. “Paranormal Activity 3” included a moving camera that allowed for more clever reveals. Paranormal Activity 4 utilized laptop cameras and the Kinect for Xbox. In “The Marked Ones”, the characters are in a new location, a gritty apartment building in Oxnard, California. Despite these changes seeming small or irrelevant, they act as simple and often clever storytelling devices. The Kinect from “4” was a genius move, allowing promotion for the product, and creating some really creepy scares. Fans of the “Paranormal Activity” series will find that “The Marked Ones” isn’t so much of a spin-off, but rather something like a side-sequel. It doesn’t follow the traditional timeline of the numbered entries, but rather, tells a relevant story that helps explain more about the actions of the forces controlling these hauntings. While the absolutely bonkers end of “Paranormal Activity 4” seemed like it would have been hard to top, the incredible finale of “The Marked Ones” will leave long-time enthusiasts speechless.

The scares in this installment occasionally seem forced, or predictable, which is an unfortunate crutch of this film. It feels as if every single time a character approaches a window, or points the camera away to do something, you can place money on the fact that something will jump at the camera, or a shadowy figure will appear while the camera is looking away. It’s not to say that this film is devoid of horror- plenty of surprises and dark basements await Jesse and Hector, which compensate for it’s slight lack of creative scares.

One addition that is oddly welcomed in “The Marked Ones” is the absence of sleeping. A staple of the previous films, a camera pointed at a character while they sleep provided a creepy and tense atmosphere. The vulnerability of sleeping is a key factor. The removal of this does prevent the development of the atmosphere, but it is an embraced creative decision. The rules need to be broken to allow this franchise to grow.

Fans and thrill-seekers will find themselves having a truly entertaining ride during this movie, but traditional moviegoers and those who have already dismissed this series will probably find little to write home about. However the magic of the “Paranormal Activity” series is far from over. More films are to come, and they’re guaranteed to keep taking us to unholy places.