The Visit: Movie Review
In my opinion, M. Night Shyamalan hasn’t written or directed a good film since 2002’s “Signs”. From 2004 through 2013, the filmmaker has delivered one disappointment after another. Each one worse than the one that came before it. “After Earth” was his biggest stinker to date and that is saying a lot. It looks like things might be making a turn for the better as Shyamalan recently had success producing the 10 episode series “Wayward Pines” and now the feature film “The Visit” which is easily his best film in 13 years. This doesn’t mean that “The Visit” is a great film, because it’s not. It just happens to a step forward for the filmmaker.
This time around, Shyamalan takes a shot at low budget horror, utilizing the popular handheld camera style that has been used to death in the genre. Thankfully it is not as annoying here. He also has made the protagonists in the film a couple of senior citizens which is something that we don’t see quite often and they are easily the best part of the film.
“The Visit” centers on Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) who are about to visit their grandparents for the very first time. The siblings’ mother (Kathryn Hahn) has been estranged from her parents for quite some time but when they request a weekend with their grandchildren, mom sends them off for a week they will not soon forget.
Things start out nicely with Becca and Tyler getting to know Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie). The kids get to see where their mother grew up and enjoy a great home cooked meal from Nana. Things however get a little strange at bedtime when they notice Nana acting really odd. This includes running through the house naked and clawing at the walls and doors. Nana isn’t the only one making the kids feel unsettled, Pop Pop has his moments as well. As the week goes on things get a whole lot worse. It is clear something is very wrong with Nana and Pop Pop. With Becca and Tyler’s mom on a cruise with her boyfriend, the siblings just try to ride it out until it’s time to go home.
“The Visit” does have a series of really creepy moments. My personal favorite sequence takes place under the porch during a game of hide and seek. What really sells the film are the terrific performances from McRobbie and Dunagan. Without them, “The Visit” could have been laughable.
I do believe Shyamalan has more good movies in him and maybe he needs to stick with smaller films like this for the time being. “The Visit” is a passable horror film that is a whole lot better than most genre films that are getting wide releases these days. With countless variations of hunted house films, it is nice to see something a little different.
By: Marc Ferman
