After directorial flops such as “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth,” M. Night Shyamalan was on the verge of becoming irrelevant. Feet to the fire, the director needed something clutch with “The Visit,” perhaps the last chance to salvage his reputation as a savvy crafter of supernatural spookiness.
Fortunately for him, this film will have moviegoers exiting the theater with a renewed hope that Shyamalan has gotten off his shnide and returned to his roots: thrillers with an existential twist. “The Visit” cost only $5 million to make, so it seems Shyamalan has also moved away from bloated big budget drivel.
[sidebar title=””The Visit”” align=”right” background=”on” border=”left” shadow=”on”]Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Rating: 3-out-of-5 stars
[/sidebar]The film’s story centers on a brother and sister who visit their estranged grandparents. The sister, played by Olivia DeJonge, is an aspiring filmmaker who decides to videotape the entire trip for a documentary she is putting together. After arriving, things seem pretty normal with Nana and Pop Pop… for a while. When the clock strikes 9:30 p.m., something creepy starts happening to their behavior.
“The Visit” gets off to a slow start with very little tension or scares for a horror movie. The beginning is peppered with comic relief provided by the brother, played by Ed Oxenbould, more than anything else. The humor in the film works well, as audiences realize that the film shouldn’t be taken too seriously. A smart move by Shyamalan since some of his previous efforts—ahem, “Lady In The Water”—have been criticized for being ostentatious.
Most of the scary elements in the movie are so outrageous that audiences will be held in suspense only to howl with laughter a few seconds later. There are a few jump scares, but luckily the film doesn’t rely on them too much.
But don’t despair scream freaks: The film does have a few heart-dropping moments when the suspense gets kicked into full gear, making up for the film’s slow start.
Aside from the comedy and horror, the movie plays with the movie-within-a-movie concept. The movie is shot as a “found-footage” film. All the shot angles are set up the way that the sister would like her documentary film to look like.
The film’s acting is superb. The two child actors deliver steady performances with Ed Oxenbould showing off his comedic chops throughout. The grandparents were brilliantly cast as well. Deanna Dunagan will simply haunt viewers with her disturbing portrayal as “Nana.”
While “The Visit” is not on the same level as Shyamalan’s pitch-perfect “The Sixth Sense” or “Unbreakable,” it is easily his best movie since “The Village.” While not a great movie by any means, it will leave audiences open-minded about his next film.