The Visit (2015 American film)

The Visit is a 2015 American found footage horror-comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film stars Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, and Kathryn Hahn. It tells the story of two siblings, Becca and Tyler, who are sent to spend a week with their estranged maternal grandparents in rural Pennsylvania while their single mother takes a vacation with her boyfriend.

The film is presented as a documentary made by Becca, an aspiring filmmaker, who aims to reconnect with her grandparents and understand why her mother cut off all contact with them years prior. As the week progresses, the siblings begin to witness increasingly disturbing behavior from their grandparents, leading them to suspect that something is deeply wrong.

The Visit was filmed on a low budget and marked a critical and commercial comeback for Shyamalan after a series of poorly received films. While some critics found the found footage style distracting, others praised the film's suspense, humor, and performances, particularly those of Dunagan and McRobbie as the grandparents. The film explores themes of family secrets, aging, and the unreliable nature of memory and perception. The twist ending, a common element in Shyamalan's films, garnered mixed reactions.