Becca (Olivia DeJonge; Hiding) and Tyler's (Ed Oxenbould; Alexander and The No Good, Very Bad Day) mom (Kathryn Hahn; We're the Millers) is estranged from her parents after a traumatic fight many years ago. When they reach out to her in an effort to make amends, she agrees to send her kids away to their unknowing deaths (joking). But she does send them to meet the grandparents they don't know. At first, all is well and good, until 9 pm. After that weird, explainable things with their grandparents (Deanna Dunagan; Unforgettable and Peter McRobbie; Inherent Vice) start to happen.
While there are some scary moments in the film, overall, the movie is more of a comedy than a thriller (cue Michael Jackson). The surprise ending had me on the edge of my seat but the other 83, give or take a few, minutes were quite drab. At some points throughout the movie, the plot didn't make sense, until I really started to pay attention. More attention than you should have to pay to a movie, unless it's Star Wars.
The acting was moderate, with the exception of Tyler. I loved him and thought he did a tremendous job. Becca, on the other hand, was annoying. The way she acted out certain scenes made me think I could do a better job. I felt the grandparents were creepy, but I didn't think they stood out in any way, and Hahn, while not my favorite actress, was right for this particular part.
The 1080p High Definition video does have great clarity and works well with the "home movie" feel of the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is sharp, but doesn't add much to the movie. However, the Blu-ray extras leave something to be desired. Besides deleted scenes and a tearjerker alternate ending, there is a "Making of" which is more about Shyamlan's philosophy about filmmaking than about The Visit itself. There are also some pictures that are nice enough, but uninformative.
While Shymalan has made some really good films, this isn't one of them. Some parts drag and others are just plain confusing. The plot twist, a Shyamalan trademark, is one of the few bright spots and if he was hoping this movie would regenerate his career, he was mistaken.
