The Visit

M. Night Shyamalan latest horror film, The Visit was released September 9 2015. The Visit capitalises on the primal fear of the unknown, much like Shaymalan’s The Sixth Sense tapped into children’s classic fear of the dark. Shymalan manages to recreate classic horror and present his audience with well developed characters and continual uncertainty.

The Visit is the story of two young teenage siblings, Becca and Tyler (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould, respectively) visiting their grandparents for the first time. The kids’ mother, (Kathryn Hahn) is estranged from her parents, and details as to why this is the case are limited. Becca, an aspiring film maker, decides to film the trip on her camera, in order to create a documentary later. This footage becomes the medium through which the film is delivered.

Becca and Tyler are picked up by their grandparents and taken to their remote farm, and it soon becomes evident that their hosts are not your typical, nurturing grandparents. Told not to leave their bedroom after 9:30, the siblings hear strange noises and witness their grandmother behaving bizarrely. As the story begins to develop, Shaymalan combines suspense and fright perfectly with comedic relief. This film truly allows its audience to laugh, all the while being intrigued and cautious.

With a typical, yet surprising, twist to explain all the odd occurrences, Shymalan revisits the classic horror genre in a commendable manner. The Visit’s success lies in the fact that is a scary, funny movie that aims to be no more than that, unlike many recent horror/thriller movies. With strong performances from all actors, The Visit is a great reprise of the horror genre.