Brothers Becca and Tyler are forced by their mother to spend a week at the home of grandparents they have never met. The woman makes this decision for two reasons: to reconnect with her parents, whose relationship was severed many years ago due to a tormented love, and the desire to spend a vacation with her new partner without having her children around. Driven by a strong passion for cinema and music, the kids decide to record all phases of this exciting stay with the two elderly people, who initially prove to be cordial and very hospitable. Soon, however, the loving cakes of the grandmother, the reassuring smiles, and the careful care give way to sinister night noises and strange behaviors of the hosts, which arouse the suspicion of the two young people. Thus, taking advantage of the cameras at their disposal and the Skype connection with their mother, Becca and Tyler try to investigate what is happening in the villa, discovering uncomfortable and disturbing truths.
Can a good horror film be made in the found footage style? A simple yet burning question that has been debated for years by fans, now irreparably divided between those who see it as a new way to rewrite the language of horror cinema and those who, on the contrary, consider it merely a clever commercial operation to attract audiences at the expense of artistic value. The truth, as always, lies in the middle, and while there are a myriad of titles of extremely low quality, no one can deny that there have also been examples of substance such as the first two "Rec" by Jaume Balaguerò or the decent "Necropolis" by John Erick Dowdle.
Another positive answer to this question comes from M. Night Shyamalan, an author in crisis of ideas for too many years and coming off a series of box office flops, who makes a mockumentary with the production company that can be considered the mother of this genre in recent years: BlumHouse, which here, for once, changes its reference director, no longer focusing on a young talent to launch but on an old great promise in search of redemption and new energy. The goal seems to be fully achieved as "The Visit" is a fresh, well-written film, and, above all, capable of encompassing various narrative tones within it. There is indeed the horror provided by numerous scenes of suspense, the thriller that arises from the actions of the two young protagonists aimed at discovering what happens at night in the house and understanding the mystery that the hosts conceal, a veiled melodramatic vein given by the sporadic moments of introspective analysis of the characters and their weaknesses, and finally the comedy.
The comic element represents one of the film's greatest strengths and it should be noted that it moves on two levels. The first, more superficial and in some ways obvious, is characterized by immediate ironic sketches that represent an important component in every horror to ease the tension and give the audience a break between one scare and another.
The second, however, is definitely more subtle with situations bordering on the grotesque inserted in the most unexpected moments, almost as if Shyamalan enjoys dismantling and reassembling the classic horror film clichés to his liking and surprising the spectator each time. A full-fledged prank made of musical interludes and jokes that only a child's innocence can produce, combined with the carefree character of the mother in constant Skype connection. All this without ever falling into trash or vulgarity, something far from guaranteed in a historical period in which theaters are invaded by products where excess is the order of the day.
These characteristics, however, do not make "The Visit" lose sight of its primary objective, which is to instill fear and make the viewer jump out of their seat. Even in this, Shyamalan does his duty excellently and delivers numerous scenes of tension thanks to dark and claustrophobic atmospheres whose good rendering finds in the use of the subjective a precious ally and in line with the stylistic approach of the director, always distinguished by close-ups, skillful low-angle shots, and the propensity to make frightening what is not visible and not just what appears on the scene. Memorable are the sequences of the grandmother's nightly appearances, whose aspect suffers from the influence of J-Horror, and the classic "Shyamalan twist" that makes the ending of a film so well crafted more engaging.
The cast also stands out for performances worthy of the situation, with all the actors excellent in the roles of characters very close to a dark fairy tale with clear references to the story of "Hansel and Gretel." The experienced Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie are indeed perfect mentally disturbed and mysterious spouses, as are the very young Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbouls, who know how to perfectly embody their roles and adapt to the different moments of the story.
In short, "The Visit" is a top-notch horror film, with carefree tones, a fun and enjoyable work but rigorous in its staging that can represent for Shyamalan the beginning of a rise back to the heights that befit him.
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