“It’s what old people do”
Written/Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan
Swift shot: What a twist! You could almost call this one the terrible, horrible, very bad visit! Just kidding. Actually, like the best of Shyamalan’s films, it’s really about family and forgiveness. The Visit thrills and keeps you guessing. There are moments that are incredibly tense and moments that are completely ridiculous. In the end, what you get is a highly entertaining trip to the movies. Isn’t that all that matters?
Imagine meeting your grandparents for the first time in your early teens. That’s what thirteen year old Tyler (Oxenbould) AKA T-Diamond, and his fifteen year old sister, Becca (DeJonge) face in The Visit. Their mother was estranged from her parents before they were even born, and their father abandoned them all when they were only toddlers. So, without their mom in tow, the two kids head out for a week long visit to meet and enjoy the company of their grandparents.
Becca fancies herself a legitimate student of film, and she uses the unique opportunity presented to capture the entire visit on camera. As the film begins, we catch on that the shots will be from the dreaded “found footage” perspective. I was bracing myself for clumsy exposition, lousy narrative and completely unrealistic staging of where the found footage technique would feel forced. Gladly, I wasn’t able to find any. I am sure students of film, like our H-Man, could find a few though. But, at no point did I roll my eyes in disgust.
Tyler is an aspiring rapper, just go with it, it’s not as annoying as I first thought it would be. He goes by the name T-Diamond and isn’t a bad rapper, for a thirteen year old. He provides the constant comedy relief in The Visit, and you’ll hopefully look forward to his antics. But Tyler and Becca both grow as characters on this week long visit to explore more about why their mom left almost two decades before and never returned.
Once Tyler and Becca get to the isolated Pennsylvania farm house, they are immediately welcomed by their Nana (Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie). Nana is particularly excited to have new people to cook for, as she prides herself on her delicious cookies. Pop Pop is more reserved and matter-of-fact, less gushy than Nana. The two teens feel at ease on the first night, but as Pop Pop reminds them that they’re old and they have a 9:30 bedtime, Becca can’t help but sneak downstairs and grab one of those delightful cookies. This decision sets everything in motion, as Shymalan sets up the catalyst which builds up the tension and prepares the audience for the conclusion.
Many will find the pace excruciatingly slow, you’ll be begging for something to happen. Then, when it happens, you’ll wish it didn’t! I think spoiling the twist in this film would be a disservice to movie lovers everywhere. All the actors did a tremendous job in their parts, with a special mention to Deanna Dunagan as Nana. There’s a reason she’s a critically acclaimed theatre thespian, and she dominates every scene in The Visit.
The kids are no slouches either, as they make up basically the entire narrative of the film. As they discover new clues about their week long stay with their Nana and Pop Pop, they give the audience characters to care about in a thriller that definitely lives up to the hype.
But, it’s nice to see that Shyamalan goes back to what he is best at, telling a story about people. As he developed these characters within a tight frame, and it was interesting perusing the production notes that he mentioned he prefers the smaller films that remain fresh throughout the process. A long film gets bogged down by the constant need to revitalize energy and ideas.
As he puts it, “There is a speed that ideas come to me, as well as a certain time that they’re meaningful to me. For a big movie that takes three years to make, it is just too long. I need to write it, make it and shoot it with the same power that came from the idea that made sense to me at that time.”
And speaking of sense, the overall entertainment value of The Visit is just about at the level of The Sixth Sense. I really enjoyed this low-budget film about an old idea, forgiveness. To understand that, you’ll just have to watch The Visit yourself. No spoilers!
