The Visit Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

The Visit is a small-budget project directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan. It is an old-school fairy tale, filmed as a modern found-footage movie, and it makes use of many pop-cultural elements.

Genre: Comedy / Horror / Thriller

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Olivia DeJong, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie & Kathryn Hahn.

Run Time: 94 min.

US Release: 11 September 2015

UK Release:  09 September 2015

German Release: 24 September 2015

I stopped being a fan of Shyamalan a long time ago. After producing two of my all-time favourite films (The Sixth Sense & Unbreakable) and Signs, a movie I found to be all right, he managed to disappoint me over and over again. So when I heard of The Visit, I did not give it much thought. Well, let me tell you, I was immensely surprised when I left the cinema because The Visit not only entertained me but also managed to merge two different genres with ease, making it look incredibly natural.

The story follows the two siblings Becca (DeJong) and Tyler (Oxenbould), as they meet their grandparents for the first time. Becca, a 15-year-old teenager with a passion for filming documentaries, decides to capture the visit on camera for their mother, who broke contact with her parents 15 years ago. Tyler, on the other hand, is a rapper trying to get famous on YouTube.

At first the meeting with the grandparents (Dungan & McRobbie) goes smoothly, and both are welcomed warmly, but soon spooky and weird things start to happen at night, and the grandparents start acting suspiciously. Becca decides to turn her documentary into an investigative film, and what they discover is more than they bargained for.

Laughter and shock are two emotions that, like love and hate, are close in spectrum. Yet merging the two genres together can be hard, because although the film can turn successful (Shaun of the Dead or Tucker & Dale vs. Evil), they are always extremely silly, and the audience is aware they are watching a film.

This movie, though, managed to blend it in those nuances of comedy smoothly through the character of Tyler. Of course, the comedy and horror aspects are mostly goofy, but it is presented to us in the most subtle way, referencing old Grimm fairy tales.

I really liked The Visit, not only due to the success of merging these polar-opposite genres, but because it managed to refresh so many horror clichés that turned sour over the last few years. The movie also manages to capture the spirit of an aspiring filmmaker through the character of Becca. Her wish to create a documentary about their first visit to their grandparent’s home is what gave the found footage picture a sense of realism.

Nevertheless, let me tell you right now that as much as I liked this film, it is not perfect. There were aspects in it that did not really work. Then again, I wasn’t expecting to see a masterwork, and for what it is, it is worth watching.

The movie not only benefits from good writing and cinematography, but a lot of its success comes from the solid performances of the actors. The two siblings are great at displaying their emotional traumas since their father left them not that long ago. Each one has a passion for a different form of art, and I enjoyed the way they talk about it.

The grandparents are equally fantastic, juggling the line between cutesy, heart-warming elderly couple and crazy-psychotic old people. When the insanity starts breaking through the facade, that lovely couple from earlier starts giving the creeps during the rest of the movie.

As a found-footage flick, the cinematography is pretty solid and well transferred. It makes no use of jump scares, sound effects or music that plays out of nowhere. All sounds used come from the environment. I also liked the way it is filmed through the eyes of children, yet at the same time it avoids nauseating movements that other found footage movies contain.

The musical choice is fantastic. Whenever the grandparents played a record, I immediately felt nostalgic, which transported me back to my visits to my grandma’s house.

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Verdict: I had a blast watching The Visit in the theatre last night. I was laughing, I got creeped out at times, and it did keep me on alert throughout its length. I will give Shyamalan’s newest film a 7.0 out of 10. If you have not seen The Visit yet, I really recommend you go to a small theatre with friends.

So, what is your opinion of this found footage flick? Did you enjoy it or not? Leave a comment below and, as always, thank you for reading!