The Visit (2015) Movie Review

Finally. That word is something I've been wanting to say in terms of M. Night Shyamalan's next great movie. Sure I liked Devil and The Village was somewhat tolerable, but The Happening and Lady In the Water were two ghastly movies I hope I never have to sit through again. Now, in The Visit, we have a movie that puts Shyamalan back on the map as an artist of horror and a master of storytelling.

Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) are going to visit their Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) out in the country--grandparents they've never met before. Becca and Tyler's mom (Kathryn Hahn) had a falling out with her parents over a boy and hasn't spoken to her parents in fifteen years. After her parents track her down online, Becca figures this would be a great time to go and visit them and hopefully patch things up between both sides. What they find is very unexpected and frightening.

The acting was superb all the way around. DeJonge and Oxenbould captured the true essence of siblings going back and forth with comedic jabs that added a few moments of lightheartedness. Dunagan and McRobbie's roles as the strange grandparents are both alarming and terrifying, especially during those moments where they aren't saying anything at all.

I won't ruin the twist of the movie, but I will say that even if you figure it out early like I miraculously did, it doesn't ruin the impact of the movie. In fact, knowing makes it even harder to watch. For me it only took about five minutes for me to be watching the screen with wide eyes waiting to see what crazy thing was going to happen next. The scares didn't disappoint.

Neither does the message. Yet again, Shyamalan has managed to tell a great story that ends with an applicable message that made me reflect on my own life. It's the type of movie that sticks with you long after you've watched it. There were a couple of parts that were a little unbelievable once you think about it, but I'm talking about minor blips here. I give The Visit a 95. Can't wait to watch it with the wife. She's scared to death of horror movies. So am I, but I couldn't deny the call of Shyamalan. Good call on this one.