It was released as an attempt to revive the Paranormal Activity franchise but doesn't deliver on the scary or paranormal elements until two-thirds of the way through. The film is out of place in a franchise that prides itself on paranormal suspense, so audiences looking for plenty of paranormal scares will be unsatisfied. Anyone who enjoys being scared consistently and repeatedly will most likely find the film to be too slow, and anyone who goes in expecting the consistent suspense delivered by the first six films will be disappointed by this sequel. Paranormal Activity 7 also lacks the consistent level of suspense provided by the other entries.
Unfortunately for others, there are only a few jump scares that are unique to the movie and several of them feel cheap, resulting in multiple scares that seem as though they were added because director William Eubank realized nothing scary had happened in a while. Those with an aversion to James Wan's jump scare habit will likely be able to tolerate the movie if they made it through the trailer.
The jump scares aren't as plentiful as in other recent horror films, and nearly all of those in the first two acts, and a few in the third, are in the movie’s trailer.