Ten years ago,M. Night Shyamalanwas not a highly-regarded Hollywood director. He still had his fans, but a horrible run had left him with more failures than victories. It all started whenThe Villagewas wildly divisivewith audiences and critics. Then cameLady in the WaterandThe Happening, both of which followed the polarizing trend of Shyamalan’s storytelling. However,The Last AirbenderandAfter Earthsent him directly to a place where no one supported him anymore. The storyteller behindThe Sixth SenseandUnbreakablewas now looking for a change to make his Hollywood comeback, and he found it in returning to his horror roots.
The Visitwas released in theaters in 2015, and it was a heavy twist on Shyamalan’s previous productions. Although he was backed by major studio Universal Pictures, and the film had Blumhouse as a partner, it didn’t feature major performers. Instead, it was a found footage horror movie, a genre that was classically associated with amateur filmmakers who unexpectedly had a major hit and launched their careers.
Nevertheless, the film proved to be an authentically great comeback for the director. WhenThe Sixth Sensehad scared half the planet with an elegant approach to supernatural horror,The Visittook a more realistic approach and asked a powerful question: What if those who should care for you had a sinister agenda and would stop at nothing to hurt you?
What Is M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’ About?
InThe Visit, Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) are sent by their mother Loretta (Kathryn Hahn) to spend a few days with their grandparents, whom they have never met. Loretta has had an estranged relationship with her parents for some time, but she believes her children should meet Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie). Upon arrival, the siblings instantly connect with the couple, who feel as welcoming as every pair of grandparents.
Becca is an aspiring filmmaker, and she sets out to document the trip. When Nana and Pop Pop start exhibiting bizarre behavior, the siblings begin having second thoughts about the five-day trip while their mother has the time of her life on a cruise. Per the film’s official plot synopsis:
Two children spend a week at their grandparents' house while their single mom goes on a relaxing vacation with her boyfriend. Becca decides to film a documentary about her grandparents to help her mom reconnect with her parents, and to find out some things about her parents as well. While filming, Becca and her little brother Tyler discover a dark secret about their grandparents.
Shyamalan Is Significantly Better When Restricting Himself
The best thing aboutThe Visitis that it doesn’t try to be anything other than a simple horror thriller with a basic premise. Shyamalan controls himself, and the narrative doesn’t suffer from unnecessary additions (aside from Tyler’s questionable rapping skills). The transition between the more comical introduction and a bloodcurdling final act is properly accomplished by Shyamalan, who neverturns to absurd twistsin order to deliver the final punch. He just achieves a good movie with clever editing and, of course, his self-restriction to land a horror movie that doesn’t require much thinking from the viewer.
The Visitis the result of negotiations. Though he self-financed the film, Shyamalan had to land a distribution deal, and Universal only agreed to do itwhen the director turned an art-house dramainto a full-blown scary film. From a narrative standpoint, the riskiest decision from Shyamalan comes during the final act when he incorporates a horrifically eerie soundtrack into the final scene. Other than that, it’s a raw execution of horror tropes by a director who’s at his best when he’s in self-control.
Is Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’ a Scary Film?
WhenThe Visitwas released, many complained that it wasn’t a scary movie. But the film makes good use of its found footage format, meaning that viewers who instantly reject the format may find the film anything but amusing. However, at its core,The Visitis not only scary but deeply unsettling. The diaper scene, the oven cleaning sequence, and the entire final act will creep you out.
The film was very successful upon release, grossing more than $98 million from a $5 million production budget (for comparison, Shyamalan’s previous movieAfter Earthcost $130 million). From the perspective of critics, it was also a hit, and today it sits at 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.The Visitis one of Shyamalan’s highest-ranked films on the critics' website.
To call it less than a noteworthy comeback is an understatement. While not a perfect film, it represented a solid return for the director, who has constantly shown that he firmly believes in himself andthe power of his stories. Since then, Shyamalan has had his ups and downs, and his latest movie was the divisive thrillerTrap. For his next project, he has teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures again (Lady in the Waterwas distributed by Warner Bros.) to make a romantic thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Time will tell if he will need another film likeThe Visitto gloriously make a comeback. Here’s an idea: How aboutThe Visit 2: Nana and Pop Pop’s Return?
