A few key things stand out to me here:
- The play really isn't an adaptation of the (I lost count of how many, LOL) films in the franchise - it's very much 'in the spirit of', mainly the vibes of the first one. But you don't have to have seen any of the Paranormal Activity films at all to enjoy the play, IMO.
- I feel like the secret sauce here is that it's Levi Holloway collaborating with Felix Barrett of Punchdrunk, who brings that sensibility to this, though unlike Sleep No More, there *are* overt scares throughout after the staging takes it time to establish the unsettling undertone. And the work of Chris Fisher, the illusion designer who also worked on Cursed Child and Stranger Things: The First Shadow can't be overstated - it's a pretty harmonious combo of talent.
I do hope the rumors of it coming in next season are true, as this has a lot in its favor to be successful and unlike anything we've seen in NY.