Score: 4/5
Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan brings many viewers back to child-like nightmares of creepy grandparents with “The Visit.”
“The Visit” follows two siblings, Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), on a weeklong trip to their grandparent’s house in Pennsylvania for the first time. The two intend to create a documentary about their grandparents and mother in hope of mending the bond their mother broke with their grandmother when she left home at a young age.
They soon realize there is something deeply disturbing about their grandparents. As things get stranger, Becca and Tyler use their cameras to launch an investigation of their eccentric behaviors.
Shyamalan is successful in creating terror in this film, by taking many people’s fears of the elderly and bringing it to life. Almost everyone can relate to these fears at some point in his or her lives.
The cast is fresh and well picked.
The children have interesting personalities compared to bland actors usually seen in bad horror movies. Becca struggles with her self-image and pent up emotions. Tyler is a white and nerdy, wanna-be rapper, which in itself is enough comedy for viewers.
He soon decides he is going to replace his swear words with female pop star names. Screams turn to laughter as he shouts, “Sarah McLachlan!”
It wouldn’t be a Shyamalan movie without a legitimately shocking twist, and viewers audibly gasped at its grand reveal.
However, this film doesn’t necessarily classify as a horror movie. Though there are many terrifying scenes, the humor breaks it up into a suspenseful, jump-scare type of movie. Regardless of what it should be classified as, it leaves viewers wanting to re-watch simply to see how Shyamalan pulled off his twist.
The biggest downfall of the movie is the found-footage format of the film, essentially where Tyler and Becca are filming their experience with cameras. The format is justified in the plot, but the shaky camera can get tiring to many scary movie buffs.
Apart from comedy and terror, “The Visit” brings some refreshing positive advice, which does not usually accompany this type of film.
On the surface, there are many clichés that might make the audience collectively eye roll, but the humor and old-fashioned terror bring everything back together in one creepy bundle.
Overall, the movie is excellent entertainment that leaves viewers laughing but also not wanting to take a trip to see their grandparents anytime soon.
REVIEW: ‘The Visit’
September 16, 2015
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