After four straight films that almost no one liked, M. Night Shyamalan gets his groove back in a big way with “The Visit” (2015). Well, actually, a small way. Hilariously labeled as his first horror film by IMDb – which calls “The Sixth Sense,” “Signs,” “The Village” and “The Happening” “thrillers” – this five-character documentary-style piece demonstrates his easy skill with genre basics.
Something suspicious
On the first viewing, we watch through slitted eyes like the “Futurama” Fry meme. There’s something suspicious about the grandparents that young teens Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) visit for the first time. (Weirdly, the two young actors went on to co-star in the horror flick “Better Watch Out” the next year.)
As Becca films the visit for a documentary and Tyler sometimes breaks into raps (which provide mildly amusing comic relief), Shyamalan hits us with a lot of things that we’re not supposed to talk about. Therefore, these things are creepy when brought into the open. Like a shed full of used incontinence diapers. And naked elderly people. And, more seriously, dementia.
From July 19-23, leading up to the theatrical release of “Old,” Reviews from My Couch is looking back at five films from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan that we haven’t previously reviewed.
“The Visit” (2015)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan
The two young actors make a convincing sister and brother who make fun of each other but have each other’s backs. But it’s Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie who subtly craft their characters of Nana and Pop Pop. They sometimes act like normal people, but are sometimes just a bit off.
More strange happenings
Shyamalan showed interest in the concept of people acting kind of strange in “The Happening.” The couple who loves hot dogs, and later old Mrs. Jones who reluctantly allows guests, are intended to add a vaguely (then increasingly) spooky touch to that film.
But in “The Visit,” Shyamalan hones in on the “What is up with these people?” idea and makes it outright scary. The siblings’ hide-and-seek game under the porch might have viewers looking into incontinence diapers for themselves.
The writer-director peppers in plenty of things to distract us from what’s actually going on (like the plot version of red herrings). We’re reminded there was a mysterious past conflict between the kids’ mom (Kathryn Hahn), who communicates with them via video chat, and the grandparents.
Not so understated this time
On the second viewing, having already experienced the final-act twist, I appreciated the craftsmanship and performances. Many moments are worthy of a giggle, in a good way.
Shyamalan can be an understated storyteller, which might be why IMDb doesn’t call his early horror films horror. But after he establishes his mood-setting bona fides on “The Visit,” he doesn’t hold back. He’s willing to risk being silly for the sake of a scare, whether it’s an overt “Hansel and Gretel” homage or the most messed-up Yahtzee game ever.
As the events get crazier, the fact that it’s still being documented by the kids’ two cameras is plausible, for the most part. Well, sometimes the events are crazy enough that we’re content that the cameras somehow captured the scene, rather than blurry images and screaming a la “The Blair Witch Project.”
Unlike the auteur’s earlier works, this one has no pretentions – either in its marketing or filmmaking – of being anything other than a simple, one-setting fright flick. Sometimes when watching it, I sense Shyamalan is getting back behind the wheel after surviving previous wrecks. “The Visit” ends up being a smooth scary ride.