Visit, The (1/5/2016

Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including terror, violence and some nudity, and for brief language.

Starring Kathryn Hahn, Ed Oxenbould, Benjamin Kanes, Peter McRobbie and Olivia DeJonge

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs)

This film does for the elderly what Jaws did for sharks.

M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Insidious series) welcome you to The Visit. Shyamalan returns to his roots with the terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a week-long trip. Once the children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day.

One could make the argument that The Visit, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest feature, is a return to form for the director who previously helmed The Sixth Sense and Signs. And they would be right…partially right. You see after Signs, the director never matched the same critical or commercial. Although I liked Lady in the Water, The Happening and After Earth, most movie goers and critics did not. But his work as a producer, (see Devil in 2010 and the television series Wayward Pines in 2015) has had fans like myself singing his praises. Now that The Visit has hit the theaters, we can once agree that M. Night is a genius and master story teller.

This is a simple horror film that, is all about telling a story…a very creepy story.

In his breakout hit The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan focused his attention on the perspective of one little boy who could see dead people. Here, he returns to that focus as he tells the story from the perspective of Becca and Tyler, two young people who are excited and intrigued by the prospect of learning who their grandparents are and what led them apart from their mother.

This time M. Night Shyamalan uses the “found footage” / hand held cameras to tell his story. And while I hate this style of film making (and why this is a “Theater Worthy” not “Worth Buying” score), he actually makes it interesting, entertaining and not as annoying as other films.

Becca is a young wannabe documentarian who is trying to capture the feelings and emotions that the family confronts during the week. Even when the children are locked away in their bedroom, the camera– which they leave on after hearing mysterious noises during the night – captures their grandparents acting so strange. Obviously this is where most of the creepiness, intensity and even a few jump scares are found.

The cast is great. The kids are very believable, likable and entertaining. The grandparents on the the other hand are so stinking creepy… and since that’s what they are supposed to be, they do an amazing job.

The Visit is a welcomed return for Shymalan. It is a smart and creepy film that works. It is “Theater Worthy.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is a scene where we see an elderly woman’s bare side.

There is one F-word and several other milder profanities.

The film is very creepy and has some mature themes, I would say yes to students over 13.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. At the end of the film Becca’s mom tells her not to hold on to anger. Why does she tell her this?


2. Do you know anyone who holds onto anger?


3. Do you find it hard to forgive others when they hurt you?

Read Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.


4. How much has God forgiven you?


5. How does reflecting on how much of God has forgiven you help you forgive others?