To Grandma's House We Go

The Visit (2015)

So it has come to my attention that some Hollywood trends will never seem to die. Made famous by The Blair Witch Project (1999), the found footage style of filmmaking has had a roller coaster of popularity since being introduced in the low budget horror flick. The style has been used in a few other genres but has found its usefulness mainly with the horror genre. That is when it is used to its full potential. Films like the Paranormal Activity films have successfully incorporated the style and equally misused it all in the same series. Though this year one surprising filmmaker has decided to use the style on his most recent film. Been a kind of rut in recent years, M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) has decided to go back to the basics in a very simple thriller titled The Visit.

After an explosive family fight, Paula Jamison (Kathryn Hahn This Is Where I Leave You) hasn’t spoken to her parents in nearly 15 years. However a surprise call and request comes from Paula’s parents. The request is to spend a week with the grandchildren they have never met and Paula reluctantly agrees. Soon fifteen year old Rebecca (Olivia DeJonge The Sisterhood of Night) and twelve year old Tyler (Ed Oxenbould Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) are traveling to the secluded farm of their grandparents. But not everything about their grandparents is all cookies and hugs. Something is off about Grandma and Grandpa, so Rebecca and Tyler decide to find out what it is.

I think it is safe to say that Shyamalan is making progress to becoming the awesome writer/director he was before his past few debacles (The Last Airbender was atrocious). The director takes a lovely, picturesque story and turns it upside down. Keeping the plot simple and using the found footage style of filmmaking, makes this film creepy on levels reminiscent of The Sixth Sense. I was very surprised that someone like Shyamalan would use that style of filmmaking, but it definitely works for this film. The director doesn’t overdo it by having the camera totally attached to someone and uses it just enough to ensure a few scares along the way. I am glad that Shyamalan also went back to the basics. He created a good story and a great way to tell said story. As long as Shyamalan stays modest and not try to take on more than he can handle, he can rebuild his reputation of being a brilliant director.

As the two young main actors do produce a decent and believable performance, this movie really hangs on the portrayals of grandparents Doris and John Jamison played by Deanna Dunagan (known for her on stage performances) and Peter McRobbie (Lincoln) respectively. Both are amazingly disturbing and schizophrenic throughout this film. Due to the fact that both characters rely on the other, if one performance failed than the whole movie would fail as well. They both needed to be equally psychotic to draw the audience into the story.

The Visit isn’t going to ever be considered the best horror film or even the perfect thriller. However, what the movie does accomplish is a great amount of humor and decent amount of jolts. The film is also a wonderful flashback to what M. Night Shyamalan used to be as a storyteller. Please Mr. Shyamalan keep providing movies like this and remind the world why you are a great director.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time.