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The Visit
USA 2015
produced by
M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock, Jason Blum, Ashwin Rajan (executive), Steven Schneider (executive) for Blinding Edge Pictures, Blumhouse
directed by M. Night Shyamalan
starring Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, Kathryn Hahn, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Samuel Stricklen, Patch Darragh, Jorge Cordova, Steve Annan, Benjamin Kanes, Ocean James, Seamus Moroney
written by M. Night Shyamalan
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
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Mom (Kathryn Hahn) has been a wreck ever since dad (Benjamin Kanes)
left her for a waitress, so when she finds new romance, her kids, 15 year
old Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and 13 year old Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) encourage
her to go on a week-long cruise with her new lover (Jorge Cordova) and
agree to spend some time with their grandparents (Deanna Dunagan, Peter
McRobbie) they've never even met and mum hasn't spoken to since she left
home age 18. What's more, the kids plan to make a little documentary about
their grandparents and mum's former hometown to surprise her and maybe
kickstart a reconciliation, too. In regards to the grandparents, at
first they seem like the nicest of people, and seem to be really excited
to meet their grandkids - but soon enough they show their quirks, which at
first they explain away as effects of old age and maybe dementia. Only
they get weirder by the hour, and dangerously so, like granddad violently
attacking a passer-by for no apparent reason, and grandma trying to enter
the kids' room carrying a big knife to do who-knows-what - and it's only
thanks to the kids having locked themselves in that we never find out.
Eventually, the kids grow worried enough to call their mum, begging her to
pick them up and take them back home - which mum at first dismisses as an
over-reaction on behalf of the children ... until the kids show her a
glimpse of the grandparents, and mum realizing these two people are not
her parents - but who are they then, and what do they want with the
children? Story has it that after the financial failures of his
big budget movies The Last Airbender and After Earth,
director M. Night Shyamalan took the fee he got for the latter to make a
small indie in an effort to regain artistic control over his work. Now
it's said that this film cost $5 million, tiny by Hollywood starndards -
but to be completely honest, if that was indeed the budget, very little of
it shows on screen, as The Visit is a very budget-conscious film,
what with its limitations location-wise, its lack of name talent of a mere
handful speaking roles, and its money-saving found footage approach. But
even if it should have cost all of 5 million or thereabouts, the film was
a winner, making a total of just shy of $100 million at the worldwide box
office, home video release not factored in yet. As for the film
itself, it isn't exactly a masterpiece, as much of its story is
far-fetched, with quite a few false clues that eventually go nowhere or
are at least never fully explored, and the found footage approach, even if
well-handled in this, has grown incredibly old by 2015 - but there are a
few very find and creepy scenes in this one, on top of a general feeling
of unease, and the plottwist into the third act certainly comes out of
nowhere and provides a good fright. In all, nothing special, but very
well-made (especially taking into account its approach) and an
entertaining genre ride.
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find The Visit at adultvideouniverse.com
