Film Spotlight: The Visit (2015)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie
Found footage
94 minutes
Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including terror, violence and some nudity, and for brief language
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           It’s pretty safe to say that most people enjoy watching movies, right? Still, no matter how big of a film buff you are, there might still be a film here or there that kind of slips through the cracks. This new bi-weekly column will help some of you discover films that you may have missed. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t one of those pretentious “FILMS THAT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF” things that just assumes that nobody but the author knows about certain films. Instead, this is a “if you missed this, you might want to look into it” kind of thing. From one film fan to another.
Last time, I wrote about the found footage horror film Creep, and I hate to follow that one up with yet another found footage horror pick… However, this one is still in the cinema so it might be worth looking into sooner rather than later. Plus, Halloween was just a couple of days ago; we can have a bit more horror than usual. I promise to have something much more light-hearted for next time.
Anyway, this week’s pick is a horror film called The Visit, and it’s the kind of film that I’m not sure is particularly on anybody’s radar. Part of the reason might be because it hasn’t been promoted that much or perhaps people are starting to get jaded from the overexposure of found footage horror films. Another reason people might be overlooking this film is because it was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Now, don’t get me wrong, Shyamalan is responsible for some legendary films including The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000), but it’s safe to say that lately he has been fading further and further into obscurity. Shyamalan has had a streak of critically panned films starting with Lady in the Water (2006) to After Earth (2013), with the reviled The Happening (2008) and The Last Airbender (2010) in between. Even the promotional material for After Earth focused very little on his name, proving how far the Shyamalan brand had fallen. So, despite a strong trailer, it was with some doubt that I walked into Tennispalatsi to view his latest film The Visit.
There’s nothing like a good comeback story, and The Visit just might be the start of Shyamlan’s resurgence. Part of what makes The Visit so great is that it’s very pared down. It feels like a film made by a director who got lost in big budget movies, and consequently left them to rediscover his passion for filmmaking. It feels streamlined and efficient in the best way possible.
The Visit begins by introducing us to Rebecca and her younger brother Tyler, who both live with their mother Paula. It’s explained that Paula had a falling-out with her parents 15 years earlier and has not had any contact with them since. That is, until they send her a message through Facebook asking for a chance to finally meet their grandchildren. Rebecca and Tyler jump at the idea and so off they go to spend a weekend at their grandparents’ house. And then things get weird.
First off, kudos have to be given to the child actors, namely Olivia DeJonge (playing Rebecca) and Ed Oxenbould (playing Tyler). Rebecca is an aspiring filmmaker hoping to document this family visit (hence the found footage format), while Tyler is a surprisingly good free-style rapper. This might sound awful on paper, but it works really well in the film, with Tyler proving to be a lot more charming than he might initially seem. As someone who made films as a kid, I also greatly appreciated the moments where Rebecca would use film lingo and harp on getting a scene just right. She’s pretentious, but adorably determined to be a great filmmaker at the same time. Best of all, the chemistry between the two is incredibly believable, making it much easier to actually care about what happens to them. Credit has to also be given to Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie who play the grandparents. Their performances are utterly captivating and truly memorable.
The Visit, it should be said, has been promoted as an outright horror movie, but it was also surprisingly funny and weird. It’s a film that understands the delicate relationship between humor and horror, and I found myself often sitting on the edge of my seat, terrified as the tension builds, before suddenly erupting into nervous laughter. It’s a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet takes pride in having the makings of a good movie nevertheless. There are many awful films that people will defend by saying, “don’t take it so seriously,” but most of the time, those films are just really poorly made. This is not one of them.
Yet, despite all of the weirdness and downright absurd moments that we witness, Shyamalan also knows how to show restraint. There are jump scares in the movie, but they never feel cheap as they often do in films these days. In a lot of recent horror films, jump scares are not only often telegraphed, with ominous music building up to them, they’re also supported by a loud non-diagetic (as in not part of the film world) sound. It feels cheap, because of course people are going to jump when there’s a sudden loud sound, but it’s not a true scare; it’s more of just a physical reaction. The jump scares in The Visit, however, are never accompanied by a cheap sound effect or by any other boring tactic like that. In fact, they sometimes feel downright restrained, but because of that, they also feel more realistic or, at the very least, more part of the narrative world. They’re the kind of jump scares that make you recoil and go “what the hell!?”
The Visit is not without its faults however. There are some glaring plot holes that come to light if you start prodding the film, but the fact that I didn’t spare a single thought to any issues as I was watching it, says a lot about the film. I was fully engrossed in it, whether I was sinking into my seat with dread, or nervously laughing at the absurdity of the film. It’s a film that knows how to have fun despite being a horror film, and that makes it a perfect representation of the spirit of Halloween.