Watching M Night Shyamalan’s found footage horror comedy
“The Visit” is a hell of a lot of fun—sitting in the theater I was transfixed,
exhilarated and giddy with excitement the whole time. Shyamalan cuts loose, making
a hilarious, twisted horror film that also manages to be clever and suspenseful.
Additionally, the film treads on simplicity— the action is primarily confined
to a secluded farmhouse wherein two kids are spending a week with their
mysterious grandparents. There’s no CGI, while gross out and jump scares are
minimal and therefore effective.
Adolescent Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her little brother
Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) are making a family documentary. Their mother (Kathryn
Hahn) ran away from home at a young age and hasn’t spoken to her parents since.
The parents reach out to her, asking for the grand kids (whom they’ve never
met) to spend a week with them at their farm. She agrees and off Becca and
Tyler go. Before long however, strange things start to happen and it’s clear
that something’s wrong with Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie).
Perhaps the best thing about “The Visit” is Shyamalan
recognizes that elderly people can be both immensly scary and over the top funny. In a horror film, since elders are inherently weird (they’re paranoid, prone to memory loss,
getting past events mixed up in the present and other mental conditions) if
they do something out of the ordinary it’s perceived as ordinary, making them
appear harmless even if they might be highly dangerous. At the same time, that
very same weirdness also makes them an easy comedic target. Think of Grandpa
Simpson and his tendency to tell long rambling stories or confuse objects for
other objects on “The Simpsons.”
Shyamalan plays on this horror/comedy symmetry extremely
well by making Nana and Pop Pop’s behavior overly cartoonish and exaggerated. “Last
night I saw Nana violently scratching at a closet door while naked and growling!”
…”Oh, that’s nothing. Typical goofy old person behavior!” This results in a
near perfect blend of comedy and horror. An imminent sense of danger lurks throughout
the picture yet you can't stop laughing at the absurdity of the situation and
Nana and Pop Pop’s actions. It also makes the movie utterly unpredictable at
every turn. As the grandparents’ behavior becomes increasingly erratic and
unusual you get the feeling that anything (horrific or comedic) can happen.
Shyamalan conveys all of this madness and absurdity from an
innocent, childlike point of view. Becca and Tyler’s sibling bond is well
established (their affectionate ribbing registers as authentic) and they come
off as authentic children: likable and curious, while at the same time
annoyingly naive. They make their fair share of stupid decisions which, as a
movie watcher can be frustrating, but then again they’re just kids. Their level
of experience isn’t very high. Overall “The Visit” has a deranged, twisted,
fairy tale feel. Even references to “Hansel and Gretel” and “Little Red Riding
Hood” are present throughout the narrative.
There’s plenty more I could discuss with “The Visit” but I
would rather leave that for you to discover--you’re in for a wild and
unpredictable ride. Shyamalan hasn’t exactly had a great film career as of late
but this latest comedy/horror outing marks a step in the right direction.
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