“The Visit” Review

M. Night Shyamalan has one of the most fascinating filmographies of any director in any genre. After bursting onto the scene with critically-acclaimed horror film The Sixth Sense, and its subsequent follow-ups Signs and Unbreakable, Shyamalan looked to be the next big thing in genre filmmaking. Sadly, things didn’t quite turn out that way; but after a bit of a layoff, Shyamalan has returned to the horror genre with The Visit, and it’s one hell of a bold return.

After their estranged grandparents reach out to their single mother (Kathryn Hahn) in hopes of meeting their grandchildren, Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) take a train to visit Nana and Pop Pop (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie). Hoping to uncover why her grandparents had a falling out with her mom, Becca decides to document the adventure on her video camera in order to make a film.

Shyamalan is known as filmmaker who utilizes surprising, audacious twists and turns to his advantage, but by far the most surprising aspect of The Visit is how darkly comedic it is. There’s a borderline creepy sense of humor showcased throughout, and while some of the verbal jokes don’t quite land, they often feel like the actual dialogue of a pair of young kids. Tyler is a wannabe rapper whose schtick is that instead of swear words, he yells the names of various pop singers. It’s silly, unfunny, and still works because it’s the kind of idiocy that a twelve-year-old would realistically find clever.

Throughout the film, Becca and Tyler struggle to come to terms with their father leaving them and the effects that it has had on their lives. In a rather emotional scene, Tyler interviews his sister for her documentary, and the valiant young girl breaks down about feeling abandoned by her dad. It’s completely unexpected and affective, and DeJonge does a superb job of truly humanizing a previously all-business character.

Bizarrely, The Visit ends with a tacked-on, exposition-filled, sentimental sequence with a cheesy life-lesson—and I absolutely loved it. There’s a certain boldness to every decision Shyamalan makes in the film, and you really have to respect that. While it’s a stretch to call the film a return to form for the director—as The Visit is infinitely funnier than his previous efforts—it’s certainly the best Shyamalan film in over a decade.

The Visit arrives in theaters on September 11th.