The Visit

A typically erratic found-footage effort, The Visit follows scrappy siblings Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) as they reluctantly agree to stay with their mother’s (Kathryn Hahn) estranged parents (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie) for a few days – with horror ensuing as it becomes increasingly clear that there’s something not quite right with grandma and grandpa. Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has infused the majority of The Visit with many of the touchstones one has come to expect from found-footage chillers, and yet it’s worth noting that the movie never quite becomes as predictable as many of its similarly-themed brethren – as the writer/director does an effective job of peppering the narrative with surprising elements and an undercurrent of unexpected drama. (In terms of the latter, The Visit, for much of its first half, functions as an impressively trenchant look at aging and its effects.) But it’s in its more overtly horrific sequences that the film really shines, with such moments boasting a palpably creepy feel that’s heightened by Shyamalan’s typically sterling directorial choices. And, of course, The Visit contains a third-act twist that’s both shocking and impressively plausible, with, unfortunately, this superb development followed by a generic final stretch and a silly, somewhat desperate shock ending. It’s clear, nevertheless, that The Visit marks Shyamalan’s best horror effort since 2004’s The Village, and one can only hope that this marks the start of a comeback for the once-reliable filmmaker.

**1/2 out of ****