The latest release from M. Night Shyamalan was a truly mixed package. After fifteen years of no contact, teenage Becca and her younger brother Tyler receive an invitation to visit their maternal grandparents. Hopeful, the children are sent on their merry way into Pennsylvania farm country to meet them for the first time – what could go wrong? As insinuated from the trailer; a lot. The seemingly innocent arrangement goes horribly, horribly awry.
Behind an outwardly promising blend of fairy-tale and the hand held camera, unfortunately the film itself was flawed. The acting isn’t awful but the children are tiresome; teenage Becca (who does the filming) speaks in contrived commentary that wears very thin, and younger brother Tyler has a penchant for rapping that isn’t quite as funny as it’s intended to be. The actors playing Nana and Pop Pop seem as though they took instructions to act weird a little too far; it’s an obvious display that renders you kind of unable to take it seriously. In fairness, the script leaves little room to excel dramatically. As time went on, I got the feeling that no well-known, established actors would touch those roles with a bargepole.
In typical oh-look-everything’s-fine-but-not-for-long fashion, effort is put in from the start to keep it jovial. The problem is the comedy seems to continue – it’s pretty amusing, generally – but counterproductive. I laughed as often as I jumped; not what you’re looking for in a horror film. If you weren’t fazed by paranormal activity (I’m still convinced people lie about that), this won’t do the job either.
The best thing about this film, by a mile, was its twist. A directorial trick card, it’s really noteworthy. Post-twist however, the denouement leaves you a bit lost for words. The scares are upped and things take a blindingly repulsive turn. Was I laughing? Was I scarred for life? Who knows. They didn’t hold back at all, let’s put it that way. Shyamalan seems to have brainstormed the worst thing he could come up with, and made it into an hour and a half of twisted, confused plot.
Ultimately I have to say The Visit fell quite far from expectation. It isn’t all bad, though, and delivers to some degree. The concept is strong, the execution not so much. You’ve got to give it kudos for its audacity, at least.
Cassie Robinson
Image: Universal Pictures