While the franchise consists of seven movies, the Paranormal Activity movies in order is different chronologically than it is by release date. The main thread of the found-footage franchise follows the sinister demon "Tobi" as he terrorizes families and households throughout the decades. The complex lore of the Paranormal Activity movies begins with the original 2007 film that introduces Tobi and his primary anchor for most of the series, Katie. As the films continue, the expanding backstory and interweaving network of characters gradually reveal a rich, detailed universe of supernatural horror.

The franchise includes backstories, time travel, recurring characters, and connections to Tobi and Katie. With such an intricate chronology, the question of where to start with the Paranormal Activity movies can seem daunting. Two franchise installments are prequels, and two interact directly with Katie's past. There is also an unofficial non-canon Japanese sequel, Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night, but that is outside the rest when considering the timeline. The Paranormal Activity franchise saw its most recent entry with a standalone sequel released in 2021, and it's the last to watch of the Paranormal Activity movies in order.

7 Paranormal Activity (2007)

The Third Movie Chronologically

The first installment of the franchise, Paranormal Activity, takes place in October 2006, following the lives of Katie (Katie Featherston) and her boyfriend Micah (Micah Sloat) as they move into a new house in San Diego, California and begin experiencing supernatural disturbances.

The demon is not named in the film but later comes to be known as "Tobi,"

The film is comparatively light on lore and details, with most of the activity remaining unexplained, save that a demonic entity is in the house, and it has been interested in Katie since childhood. The demon is not named in the film but later comes to be known as "Tobi," the main threat of the Paranormal Activity movies.

Watched by itself, there are little hints that this is part of a bigger story, although the past was not focused on outside of some slight mentions of Katie's past. This story will be explained in the next two movies, though, which are both prequels explaining why Katie did what she did in this movie.

6 Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Explains The Events Leading Up To The First Movie

The second of the Paranormal Activity movies is both a prequel and a parallel sequel. It tells the tangential story of Katie's sister, Kristi (Sprague Grayden), and her suburban family living in Carlsbad, California, two months before the first film's events.

Paranormal Activity 2 sees Kristi plagued by the same demon that menaces Katie and Micah in the original, and it gives disturbing context to Kristi's part in the events of the first film. Paranormal Activity 2 ends with Kristi's two children, Ali and Hunter, whose futures are uncertain; this ambiguity is mined to great effect in future films.

This movie shows another side to things that happened in the first movie, as Kristi faced paranormal activity before Katie did. When Tobi infects Kristi, she conducts a ritual that transfers the demonic spirit to her sister, which causes her sister to kill at the end of the first film. She is then offered to meet a new powerful girl named Leila.

5 Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

The Story Of Katie & Kristi As Children

The earliest entry in the Paranormal Activity movies timeline, this prequel is set in 1988, focusing on Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) as children, being raised by their mother, Julie (Lauren Bittner) and her boyfriend, Dennis (Chris Smith).

The film sees the sisters encountering demonic disturbances for the first time as their home is plagued by the occult machinations of a coven of witches called "The Midwives." Paranormal Activity 3 shows the girls' first interactions with "Tobi," who gets his name in this film as Kristi's imaginary friend.

This movie finally gives the demon Tobi his name.

The Midwives feature prominently in the next three Paranormal Activity movies as cult followers of "Tobi." This movie explains that they brainwash women to give birth to boys, who the witches will later use in rituals. This fact plays into the time travel used in the next two movies, as young Kristi and Katie end up being visited by people from the future.

4 Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

The Movie That Reveals What Happened To Hunter & Katie

The first installment in the franchise set after the first movie's events, Paranormal Activity 4, follows Alex Nelson (Kathryn Newton), a young girl whose family begins to experience supernatural events focused on her adopted brother, Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp). Wyatt is introduced to "Tobi" by Robbie (Brady Allen), the son of a neighbor (Katie) who has recently moved into a house across the street from the Nelsons. They take him in while his mother remains hospitalized.

Paranormal Activity 4 reveals what happened to Hunter after the first movie.

The film features more involvement from the Midwives and the development of their rune-based practices. Paranormal Activity 4 reveals the fate of Hunter, Kristi's son, last seen in Paranormal Activity 2. It turns out that Alex's adopted brother, Wyatt, is Hunter. The movie also shows that Katie remains possessed five years after Paranormal Activity and is fully onboard with the Midwives by this time.

3 Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)

The Movie That Introduces Time Travel

The fifth Paranormal Activity movie focuses on teenager Jesse Aresta (Andrew Jacobs), who finds himself "marked" for possession by "Tobi" after he and his friend break into the apartment of a deceased Midwife, finding occult journals and tapes in the process.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is the first of the Paranormal Activity movies to feature time travel, as Jesse finds the Midwives' instructions on creating portals through space and time. This movie shows that Jesse, like Hunter, was born to a woman marked by the Midwives, meaning he is the next ritual sacrifice.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones also features the reappearance of Kristi's second child, Ali.

Jesse time travels to interact with the young Katie and Kristi from Paranormal Activity 3. Later, his friend Hector travels back in time to the first movie's events, where he watches Katie killing Daniela and Kristi. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones also features the reappearance of Kristi's second child, Ali, who presents new information about the Midwives.

2 Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)

The Movie That Finally Ties Up Katie & Kristi's Childhood Storyline

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension centers on the Fleege family, who discover a camera that can see supernatural matter. They soon find themselves haunted by "Tobi" and the Midwives after their young daughter, Leila (Ivy George), becomes targeted for possession. Parents Ryan and Emily communicate with young Katie and Kristi via VHS tape and later travel back in time to 1992 to face "Tobi."

The film resolves many of the lingering questions posed by the previous Paranormal Activity movies, including the revelation that Leila is the character who was teased at the end of Paranormal Activity 2, as the time travel allows her to meet the other girls despite growing up two decades apart, as she escapes through a portal to the past after Tobi kills her family. The film concludes the story thread that began with Katie in the original Paranormal Activity.

1 Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin (2021)

A Stand-Alone Paranormal Activity Movie

movies, this final installment sees adopted teenager Margot (Emily Bader) seeking to learn more about her Amish roots and true parentage. Her search exposes her to a dark community housing a powerful demon: "Asmodeus of The Book of Tobit."

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is a standalone sequel with little tying it to the main continuity of the series. While the film does not feature returning characters, it visits similar subjects of familial curses and demonic possessions. Asmodeus and Tobi seem to be the same demon, with the connection made between "Tobi" and "The Book of Tobit."

This is the first Paranormal Activity movie to feature a different storyline.

However, Asmodeus, who is based on actual mythology, seems to possess powers different from those of Tobi. Also, the timelines don't match up; when Margot encounters Asmodeus, he has been imprisoned for decades. The existence of time travel in the Paranormal Activity movies allows for the possibility that Asmodeus travels back in time to 1992 after the film's end to initiate the series' events as Tobi, but this has never been confirmed.

The Paranormal Activity Movies In Chronological Order

It's best to watch the Paranormal Activity movies in order of their release, as the creators intended. A good deal of the original film's unexplained horror loses its potency if the first-time viewer already has the context of the two prequels. Moreover, a first watch that abides by the chronological timeline risks overwhelming the uninitiated viewer with presumed knowledge and lore.

However, re-watching the franchise in this way can be a fun study of the various hints and Easter eggs that point to the series' final direction. While seeing the mysteries unfold throughout the first five movies of the series is most of the fun, watching the story in the order that it happened allows for a different experience and a way to see how the plot lines tie together and where they might fall apart upon reflection.

Where To Stream The Paranormal Activity Movies

Considering how much the Paranormal Activity movies connect (at least across the first few entries), it makes sense that most people want to them together. That was difficult at the tail end of 2024 with the films really only available for rental or purchase across various platforms. That changes as of January 1st, 2025, when most Paranormal Activity films hit Paramount Plus. That allows them to Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, which was a Paramount Plus exclusive.

On the first day of the new year, the first four entries hit the streaming service along with Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. The first three installments connect significantly and make for an intriguing trilogy to watch together. The fourth film has a few connections and though The Marked Ones is off to the side a bit, it still works out as something to watch alongside the rest.

The only film that won't be on Paramount Plus is Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension. That film can be streamed on Prime Video and MGM+, as well as be bought or rented across various places like Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and the Microsoft Store.