“The Visit” Review

After a string of disappointing films, this newest Shyamalan movie was a pleasant surprise. The film has a well-balanced mix of horror elements and humor, with a relatable cast that keeps the story believable and engaging.

Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould play Becca and Tyler (respectively). Children actors can make or break a film – but they certainly make this one. The found-footage style gives them plenty of moments to fool around and act like normal kids, leading to many of the lighter moments in the film. Their brother-sister dynamic mirrors many of the real-life families that I have seen. They remained consistent and believable even as their situation becomes more and more bizarre. As a viewer you root for them and hope that they come to no harm.

Becca is a budding young filmmaker, which allows Shyamalan to include many jokes filmmakers can truly appreciate – like everyone and their brother saying that they used to be an actor. These moments of humor ease the tension and only help to emphasize when the plot turns dark – though I would characterize the film as more comic than horror.

Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie shine as the progressively scarier grandparents. Through the course of the filmic week we see them degrade from a picturesque couple to something far more sinister. Dunagan truly shines in her interview scenes, switching from sweet Grandma to hysterical at the drop of a hat.

This film marks a comeback for Shyamalan. None of the film feels like it has been forced for the sake of a twist and there are many memorable moments – from the comedy of Tyler’s rapper alter ego to genuinely tense scenes like a game of hide and seek below the house. The film feels like it could fit in with the “Family Horror” of the 1980’s. It certainly has its dark moments, but with strong child protagonists and a lack of gruesome gore, this film would serve as a nice gateway for the young adult sect to experience the horror genre (for those children whose parents are not horror addicts and let them watch Chopper Chicks in Zombietown at four-years-old). There is some nudity of the elderly grandparents, but it is all handled in a tasteful manner.

I hope that this film fares well at the box office. It has a unique premise and is not reliant on gore or visual effects. With all the generic “Sinister”s and “Insidious”es, horror fans need to support different films (even though Blum still produced this one). The only way to get more creative films is to vote with your movie-going dollar. It is certainly worth a watch and will have a place on my movie shelf once it is released on DVD.