The Visit is a found-footage comedy horror from The Sixth Sense’s M. Night Shyamalan. Teens Rebecca and Tyler (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould) decide to visit their estranged Grandparents Doris and John whilst their mother is away on a cruise with her latest boyfriend. Rebecca is a budding filmmaker and plans to film a documentary of their visit. Between the siblings they have two cameras to catch the action as it unfolds.
From the start things seem a little off. Doris and John make them feel welcome but they do seem to be a little strange. The kids are asked to go to bed early at 9.30 and instructed not to leave their room. When Rebecca ventures out in search of a snack she witnesses Doris wandering in a trance and projectile vomiting. This is just the start of a whole host of weirdness that unfolds over their week-long trip.
The Visit is the first film from M. Night in quite a while and the real shocker is that it’s been quite decently received. I’m not quite sure what to make of it to be honest. There’s quite a lot to like in the mix but there’s also a hell that could make you want to roll your eyes and switch off. For starters it’s found footage (Generally I quite enjoy the format) but I have to say it has been done quite well here. There’s quite a lot of decently framed static shots and atmospheric scenes of the winter landscape.
Giving Tyler his own camera was a good move too meaning we get to have a double perspective on the action. The whole documentary narrative also gives the kids another reason to keep filming and I can’t remember someone shouting to ‘turn the camera off’ as happens in most FF films. I think my problem with the whole production it that I didn’t find it that funny or scary. It has really odd vibe to it and not in a good way. The actors are all decent but feel like they’re all from different films. Deanna Dunagan is game in playing the crazy granny, running around at night naked and gnashing into the camera but her character is pretty one-note as is Peter McRobbie as John.
It has decent suspense but most shocks are Doris suddenly appearing in frame with a suped-up sound effect. Having Tyler as an aspiring rapper is hideous, the results are toe-curlingly cringe worthy and it happens a few times. The key here is believability and I didn’t believe a frame of it. What kind of mother sends her kids off to the parents she ran away from and is still so emotionally distraught about whilst buggering off on a cruise? I think The Visit would have worked better if M. Night had had some scary ideas other than ‘getting old is gross’.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Horror comedy found footage rom the director of The Sixth Sense
