The Visit Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Visit Blu-ray Movie Review

Has Shyamalan found (footage) his way back to the top?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 6, 2016

Embattled director M. Night Shyamalan was once the hot name in Hollywood, a man whose films could no wrong, a man who seemed critic bulletproof and a fan favorite at the same time. But following his smash success The Sixth Sense and the somewhat more under-the-radar yet still fantastic Unbreakable, things started to take a downward turn with Signs (though some, this reviewer included, appreciate it as amongst Shyamalan's best) and, suddenly, he couldn't make a great film to save his life. Lady in the Water and The Village saw Shyamalan treading water at best, and things bottomed out with The Happening, a disaster of a film on every conceivable level. Since then, his name hasn't carried much weight beyond a few stalwarts who hope that one day he'll return to form and the "watch a good train wreck" crowd. In the time since, films like After Earth and The Last Airbender have passed through largely unnoticed beyond the now-obligatory snarky comments about falls from grace and whatnot. His latest film is also something of a turnaround film. The Visit is his best effort in several tries. Though hardly the director back at the peak of his career and featuring a twist that's neither difficult to see coming nor popping up in the film's final moments, this "found footage" picture satisfies as a well paced, strongly performed, pleasantly engaging, and relatively simple film about how things can go wrong on the road to putting them right.

Spies.

Paula (Kathryn Hahn), a mother of two children named Rebecca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), hasn't spoken to her parents in years. They had a messy falling-out, but her parents have reached out to her on the Internet and asked to meet their grandkids. It's agreed that they'll spend a week there while Paula enjoys a getaway cruise with her new boyfriend. The children travel to rural Masonville, PA and meet their grandparents, John (Peter McRobbie) and Doris (Deanna Dunagan). Things go well, at first, but the children begin to notice some oddities: the grandfather's mystery visits to the shed and the grandmother's middle-of-the-night projectile vomiting chief amongst them. As they begin to investigate deeper, a dark secret slowly unravels.

For a "found footage" film, and considering how straightforward a movie it is, The Visit makes for a fairly solid view. Even as the film doesn't do anything all that surprising -- even its twist isn't difficult to figure out -- it's an easily digestible experience thanks largely to several strong performances and a keen sense of storytelling that relies on fairly large, but nevertheless well positioned and smartly disguised, hints leading to the big reveal. The movie isn't manipulative but it does lull the viewer into a false sense of security and transparency. The grandparents always have a reasonable explanation for the oddities that the children witness, and the movie builds towards the finale with a commendably steady cadence that hints at something darker but that never really beats the audience over the head with classic creaks and groans that portend something sinister. Essentially, it's Shyamalan's ability to work within the realm of masterful subtlety and low-key, approachable storytelling along the way that keeps the movie afloat, not to mention his willingness to ditch the last-minute brain-bending twist for something a little more straightforward.

Shyamalan also manages to make the movie appealing from an aesthetic perspective, even considering it's supposed to be filmed from a child's perspective and with only a modicum of skill for the filmmaking process, working with a low-level camera and without any kind of support structure. The film perfectly bends approachability with a polished rawness, something the genre hasn't previously done very well. Shyamalan shies away from an excess of "shaky cam" too that so frequently interferes with the narrative in lesser films when the camera is essentially a victim of circumstance. This film's slower pace, more confined environment, reliance on storytelling rather than action, and limited characters allow for a more natural presentation that favors more straight-on point-and-shoot mixed with a few key cockeyed angles than it does unwieldy and headache-inducing photography.

Perhaps the film's best asset is its cast. Peter McRobbie and Deanna Dunagan are splendid as the grandparents, presenting with a mild air of mystery but, mostly, big hearts and a pleasing countenance that helps the audience ease into the story and assuage any fears that there's something amiss behind the scenes. Olivia DeJonge pleases as an aspiring filmmaker with a bit of technical know-how. She shares a positive brother-sister chemistry with co-star Ed Oxenbould, who steals the show. His impromptu rapping is a little groan-inducing, but it's fortunately left to mild and infrequent comic relief. He really nails the part, exploring the entire arc of annoying little brother, bold adventurer, frightened victim, and, when the role requires, more. The part doesn't allow much room for nuance, but he's very good at getting the most from it and lifting the movie a good bit above neutral.

The Visit Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As a "found footage" film photographed, essentially, by consumer level gear (including one "damaged" camera) by two children, The Visit isn't exactly 1080p paradise, but even without a more professional sheen to its credit Universal's presentation is nothing to sneeze at. Generally, the image fares very well. Details are clearly defined and nicely revealing. Heavy winter jackets reveal a good bit of fabric texturing, the grandparents' faces appear properly aged, and some of the attractive wooden accents in their beautiful country home are sharply defined throughout. Colors present with a nice bit of pop and pizzazz, particularly when it comes to the children's colorful attire. Pinks, blues, and greens are notably robust while duller yellows, warmer woods inside the house, and wintery cold exteriors prove pleasant. Skin tones appear neutral and black levels adequately deep, though with an occasional push to dark purple. Mild-to-moderate banding and noise interfere at times, but overall, and considering the nature of the shoot and the style of the film, The Visit's 1080p transfer shines.

The Visit Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Visit's sound design is meager, to say the least. Dialogue dominates the film, playing with a center focus and constant clarity and definition. It's rarely muddy or otherwise absent precision, even under the constraints of its should-be consumer-level recording. Light supportive details rarely show much punch. The rattly train the children ride to their grandparents' house lightly plays through the center channel. Mild environmental details, like blustery cold winds and buzzing insects, drift a touch to the sides and even, rarely, the backs. That's about it. It's efficient within the constraints of its limitations, no more and no less.

The Visit Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Visit contains an alternate ending, deleted scenes, photos, and a high quality featurette. A DVD copy and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

• Alternate Ending (1080p, 2:25).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Check in with Mom (0:30), An Evening with Nana and Pop Pop (1:31), Waiting for the White Thing with Yellow Eyes (0:34), Searching Mom's Room (0:28), Someone Was in Our Room (1:27), Tyler Educates Nana (0:47), Pop Pop Hates the World (1:04), Visiting Mom's Favorite Joints (1:06), Tyler Internalizes What Happened the Night Before In a Self-Reflecting Manner (0:47), and Rebecca Considers Reality Television (0:27).
• The Making of The Visit (1080p, 9:56): Shyamalan looks back at his career and discusses returning to his roots in The Visit. The piece covers the challenges of the style and creating a "pure" experience, casting, the importance of listening to his inner voice, editing, and making the right movie in the right moment.
• Becca's Photos (1080p, 1:13): Thumbnail photos play automatically.

The Visit Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Visit may not be a complete return to early career form for M. Night Shyamalan, but it's his best movie in years. It's a simple film, very straightforward and without much imagination behind its twist, but it's well performed and smartly assembled within the "found footage" style. Solid performance elevate the movie, too. Universal's Blu-ray release of The Visit yields strong video and good, but very reserved, audio. A few supplements, dominated by a large collection of deleted scenes, are included. Recommended.