The Visit

Thirteen seems to be M. Night Shyamalan's lucky number. Since "Signs," the once-acclaimed director began to stumble. Whether it was his ego getting in the way or a delusional view of his storytelling skills, Shyamalan was releasing one clunker after another. From the misguided "The Village," (which actually works fine as a drama) to the WTF-ness of "Lady in the Water," to the mind-bogglingly bad "The Happening," the once Oscar-nominated director couldn't catch a break.

So it's a relief and a joy to say that his latest is somewhat of a return to form. Simple, clever, creepy, and undeniably funny, "The Visit" is entertaining from start to finish. Like Shyalaman films from the past, it contains some fun story surprises and a terrific cast, but it has something most of his films have been missing: A sense of humor.

This film has some truly gut-busting moments. Humor is something Shyalaman's films have always lacked, causing them to be profoundly dour experiences, and many times his ultra-seriousness to his subject matter was half the problem. Lighten up, man! Here, he finally does, and it's not only liberating, but it also shows a masterful side to the writer/director we have never seen before. The dude is funny.

"The Visit" has a fairly simple premise that works splendidly. A single mother (an excellent Kathryn Hahn), estranged from her parents because of an event that happened 16 years earlier, is contacted by them asking if they could meet their grandkids. Reluctantly, she allows them to spend a week with them while she goes off with a new boyfriend on a cruise. Meanwhile, eldest daughter and fledgling filmmaker Becca (Olivia DeJonge) has decided to make a documentary about her mother's childhood home, hoping that she can get some answers about why the family is divided and help her mother find some closure. Younger son Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) is a cocky blond, blue-eyed "rapper" who is prone to using female pop star names in place of swearing in his (fairly impressive) raps. So off to Grandma and Grandpa's Philadelphia farmhouse they go.

At first Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) seem like typical kindly grandparents. They are a little out of touch, and watch their grandkids with a sort of detached wonderment that is atypical of an extreme generation gap. But when Pop Pop tells the kids that everyone's bedtime is 9:30, things get a little weird. Strange noises abound, and Nana acts progressively strange. Meanwhile, Pop Pop is prone to sneaking into a shed out on the property. All of this behavior strikes up the curiosity of the two kids, and since they are filming everything the erratic actions of grandma and grandpa are caught on film.

Suffice to say that things get weirder during the kid's visit and the two will try to figure out what the hell is wrong with their elders. You might think that watching an old lady exhibit increasingly erratic behavior would be too chuckle-worthy to be spooky, but you'd be wrong. Stage-actress Dunagan is fantastic, and Shyalaman's direction makes it that much more unnerving. What's terrific, though, is the aforementioned-humor. Even as we're screaming, we're laughing. The characters themselves are prone to turning to their cameras with "WTF" looks on their faces. Not only is this fairly realistic, it's pretty hilarious, and it's sold by stellar performances by the two young leads.

DeJonge has a Kirsten Dunst quality to her, and easily plays the annoyed teenager/filmmaking savant card well. Oxenbould is the real surprise. While his character could easily come off as completely obnoxious, his one-liners and personality quirks are fantastic. Even the smaller moments are great. At one point the kids are outside trying to avoid their grandparents and pretend everything is normal. Since kids don't really know how to do anything but stare at their phones all day, they aren't quite sure what to do outside. So Tyler starts throwing a tennis ball up in the air and then spinning haphazardly underneath it until it falls into his hands -- over and over. When his sister asks what he's doing, he cluelessly replies, "This is how kids play!"

Another great directing aspect of "The Visit" is that while it is of the "found footage" genre, there is never a feeling that we are being cheated. There is always a reason for the camera to be on. Another critic made a comment about how the kids were apparently "masters of the establishing shot," but Becca is a filmmaking prodigy and is making a documentary, so she would make sure there were establishing shots. All of it makes sense and it doesn't seem just like a cheap gimmick.

All in all, "The Visit" is a fun time at the movies. Not only is it funny and creepy, but in the end it still manages to tug the heartstrings. I was thankful that Shyalaman didn't let a main plot point disappear in the frenetic nature of the ending. He doesn't just finish off the scary stuff and roll the credits. He goes back to one of the emotional parts of the story, answers some questions, and makes a point. It's a lovely moment and surprisingly moving.

Welcome back, M. Night. Your latest is a welcome return to form. Bravo!