It’s been fifteen years since Becca and Tyler’s mother swore off her parents, forcing them to live their entire young adult lives without the presence of their Nana and Pop Pop. But that’s all about to change. They’ve waited long enough to learn more about their heritage, and they are determined to have a reunion. Especially now, with the recent abandonment of their father, it’s more important than ever call on the family tree, and the kids are demanding a visit out to the country to meet the old folks, and see the home that their mysterious mother grew up in. Sadly, all of their good intentions have gone to waste in this sour house. They may have gone to Grandma’s house looking for love and security in the form of baked cookies and long walks through the crunching snow, but all they find when they arrive is ruthless deception and justified paranoia.
At first it seems harmless; just a lonely old couple whose strange behavior can be attributed to their seasoned nature and prolonged stay in a remote area, away from the rest of the world. However, as the siblings’ vacation rambles on, each day seems more bizarre than the last. Odd events repeatedly occur, ranging from a frightening game of hide and go seek, to exaggerated expressions of “sundowning”; a sickness that plagues the elderly after the sun casts its last ray of light on the day. In their grandmother’s case, it makes her crawl around the house at night like a crazed animal on the prowl. Overjoyed with the prospect of pulling their family back together again, the children decide that this long-awaited regrouping is more important than questioning the antics of older citizens, and push any notion of misdoings out of their heads in the name of happiness. They’ll pay for their neglect.
M. Night Shyamalan makes his best film since Signs with horror-comedy mash up The Visit, a kooky, heartfelt, unsettling little piece of low budget gold that plays on our visceral fears of aging and death. Although the tone does seem at times like its bouncing off the walls as much as its central characters, oddly enough, it works. Nana and Pop-Pop make you laugh as much as they terrify you, which is due in large part to superb performances by long time stage actors Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie. The pair that manages to make you feel guilty for feeling afraid when they flip the switch and becoming loving grandparents again, who are just acting weird because they’re old and happy to see their grandkids. With so much obvious compassion for their loved ones that have been hidden away from them for so many years, it’s hard not to sympathize with this sweet little duo, and it’s thanks to them that the audience, as well as the grandchildren, maintain the patience to see them through the rest of this unusual trip.
Kathryn Haun, Olivia DeJonge, and Ed Oxenbould all play their roles admirably, but in the end, it’s really Dunagan that steals the show, as the offbeat grandma that seems to still have a good heart hidden behind all of her frightening, outlandish outbursts. Without her, it would truly be a very different film.
Other than strong performances by the leads, The Visit is a success simply do to the fact that it’s Shyamalan getting back to basics on every respect. With its modest $5,000,000 budget, its absent score, lesser-known actors, found footage setup, single confined set, and even missing director’s cameo, The Visit feels more like an independent film made by an exciting new up-and-comer than a product of genre veteran M. Night Shyamalan, whose recent studio collaborations include names like Paramount and Colombia. Since his last few entries have been, kindly put, disappointing, The Visit is a breath of fresh air from a man who previously seemed like he had grown a little too comfortable in the lavish arms of large studio budgets. It’s nice to see him break away and do something a little more rough around the edges, and just get back to making simple, solid horror movies like he used to do.
I would have preferred for more sinister events to happen during the night scenes, and perhaps even some sort of payoff involving food because the grandmother is almost always seen cooking or baking something in the kitchen, but despite my grievances, I quite enjoyed The Visit. The combined humble qualities of the quiet, remote set location, the choice to use little to no props (aside from the cameras), small shooting spaces, stage actors, and down to earth story create a theatrical feeling characteristic of a sweet, spooky little play. Overall, The Visit is a strong step back in the right direction for writer/director Shyamalan, and a film that should be seen in theaters, preferably with a large, rambunctious crowd to make the experience all the more lively and dramatic.
