the visit cast wikipedia

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

M. Night Shyamalan had his heyday almost 20 years ago. He leapt out of the gate with such confidence he became a champion instantly. And then...something went awry. He became embarrassingly self-serious, his films drowning in pretension and strained allegories. His famous twists felt like a director attempting to re-create the triumph of " The Sixth Sense ," where the twist of the film was so successfully withheld from audiences that people went back to see the film again and again. But now, here comes " The Visit ," a film so purely entertaining that you almost forget how scary it is. With all its terror, "The Visit" is an extremely funny film.

There are too many horror cliches to even list ("gotcha" scares, dark basements, frightened children, mysterious sounds at night, no cellphone reception), but the main cliche is that it is a "found footage" film, a style already wrung dry. But Shyamalan injects adrenaline into it, as well as a frank admission that, yes, it is a cliche, and yes, it is absurd that one would keep filming in moments of such terror, but he uses the main strength of found footage: we are trapped by the perspective of the person holding the camera. Withhold visual information, lull the audience into safety, then turn the camera, and OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT?

"The Visit" starts quietly, with Mom ( Kathryn Hahn ) talking to the camera about running away from home when she was 19: her parents disapproved of her boyfriend. She had two kids with this man who recently left them all for someone new. Mom has a brave demeanor, and funny, too, referring to her kids as "brats" but with mama-bear affection. Her parents cut ties with her, but now they have reached out from their snowy isolated farm and want to know their grandchildren. Mom packs the two kids off on a train for a visit.

Shyamalan breaks up the found footage with still shots of snowy ranks of trees, blazing sunsets, sunrise falling on a stack of logs. There are gigantic blood-red chapter markers: "TUESDAY MORNING", etc. These choices launch us into the overblown operatic horror style while commenting on it at the same time. It ratchets up the dread.

Becca ( Olivia DeJonge ) and Tyler ( Ed Oxenbould ) want to make a film about their mother's lost childhood home, a place they know well from all of her stories. Becca has done her homework about film-making, and instructs her younger brother about "frames" and "mise-en-scène." Tyler, an appealing gregarious kid, keeps stealing the camera to film the inside of his mouth and his improvised raps. Becca sternly reminds him to focus.

The kids are happy to meet their grandparents. They are worried about the effect their grandparents' rejection had on their mother (similar to Cole's worry about his mother's unfinished business with her own parent in "The Sixth Sense"). Becca uses a fairy-tale word to explain what she wants their film to do — it will be an "elixir" to bring home to Mom.

Nana ( Deanna Dunagan ), at first glance, is a Grandma out of a storybook, with a grey bun, an apron, and muffins coming out of the oven every hour. Pop Pop ( Peter McRobbie ) is a taciturn farmer who reminds the kids constantly that he and Nana are "old."

But almost immediately, things get crazy. What is Pop Pop doing out in the barn all the time? Why does Nana ask Becca to clean the oven, insisting that she crawl all the way in ? What are those weird sounds at night from outside their bedroom door? They have a couple of Skype calls with Mom, and she reassures them their grandparents are "weird" but they're also old, and old people are sometimes cranky, sometimes paranoid.

As the weirdness intensifies, Becca and Tyler's film evolves from an origin-story documentary to a mystery-solving investigation. They sneak the camera into the barn, underneath the house, they place it on a cabinet in the living room overnight, hoping to get a glimpse of what happens downstairs after they go to bed. What they see is more than they (and we) bargained for.

Dunagan and McRobbie play their roles with a melodramatic relish, entering into the fairy-tale world of the film. And the kids are great, funny and distinct. Tyler informs his sister that he wants to stop swearing so much, and instead will say the names of female pop singers. The joke is one that never gets old. He falls, and screams, "Sarah McLachlan!" When terrified, he whispers to himself, " Katy Perry ... " Tyler, filming his sister, asks her why she never looks in the mirror. "Your sweater is on backwards." As he grills her, he zooms in on her, keeping her face off-center, blurry grey-trunked trees filling most of the screen. The blur is the mystery around them. Cinematographer Maryse Alberti creates the illusion that the film is being made by kids, but also avoids the nauseating hand-held stuff that dogs the found-footage style.

When the twist comes, and you knew it was coming because Shyamalan is the director, it legitimately shocks. Maybe not as much as "The Sixth Sense" twist, but it is damn close. (The audience I saw it with gasped and some people screamed in terror.) There are references to " Halloween ", "Psycho" (Nana in a rocking chair seen from behind), and, of course, " Paranormal Activity "; the kids have seen a lot of movies, understand the tropes and try to recreate them themselves.

"The Visit" represents Shyamalan cutting loose, lightening up, reveling in the improvisational behavior of the kids, their jokes, their bickering, their closeness. Horror is very close to comedy. Screams of terror often dissolve into hysterical laughter, and he uses that emotional dovetail, its tension and catharsis, in almost every scene. The film is ridiculous on so many levels, the story playing out like the most monstrous version of Hansel & Gretel imaginable, and in that context, "ridiculous" is the highest possible praise.

Sheila O'Malley

Sheila O'Malley received a BFA in Theatre from the University of Rhode Island and a Master's in Acting from the Actors Studio MFA Program. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Now playing

Unsung Hero

Christy lemire.

We Grown Now

Peyton robinson.

Back to Black

Mother of the Bride

Marya e. gates.

Film Credits

The Visit (2015)

Rated PG-13 disturbing thematic material including terror, violence and some nudity, and for brief language

Kathryn Hahn as Mother

Ed Oxenbould as Tyler Jamison

Benjamin Kanes as Dad

Peter McRobbie as Pop-Pop

Olivia DeJonge as Rebecca Jamison

Deanna Dunagan as Nana

M. Night Shyamalan

Cinematography

Maryse Alberti
Luke Franco Ciarrocch

Latest blog posts

Cannes 2024: Sean Baker's Anora wins Palme d'Or

Cannes 2024: The Seed of the Sacred Fig, All We Imagine as Light, The Most Precious of Cargoes

Cannes 2024: My Sunshine, Rumours, The Balconettes

Cannes 2024: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, The Village Next to Paradise, Viet and Nam

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Hit Man Link to Hit Man
Babes Link to Babes

New TV Tonight

Eric: Season 1
We Are Lady Parts: Season 2
Geek Girl: Season 1
The Outlaws: Season 3
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Season 4
America's Got Talent: Season 19
Fiennes: Return to the Wild: Season 1
The Famous Five: Season 1
Couples Therapy: Season 4
Celebrity Family Food Battle: Season 1

Where to Watch

Watch The Visit with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

The Visit provides horror fans with a satisfying blend of thrills and laughs -- and also signals a welcome return to form for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

M. Night Shyamalan

Olivia DeJonge

Ed Oxenbould

Deanna Dunagan

Peter McRobbie

Kathryn Hahn

Movie Clips

Trailers [ ]

Reviews [ ].

References [ ]

1 IF (2024)
2 The Longest Ride
3 Carl Nargle

Navajo-language films
Found Footage films
Films of the 2010s
Films directed by M. Night Shyamalan

The Visit (2015)

View history

The Visit is a 2015 American found-footage comedy horror film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould.

5 References
6 External links

Rebecca and Tyler prepare for a week-long stay with their grandparents John and Maribella, while their mother Loretta goes on a cruise with her new boyfriend. The two kids, who have never met their grandparents, intend to film a documentary following them along their VISIT. Loretta has not seen her parents for 15 years, after she eloped with her high-school teacher, who has since left her. She tells Rebecca little about her disagreement with her parents, suggesting that she asked for more details. John and Maribella greet Rebecca and Tyler at the train station. Once they are settled in their grandparents' isolated farmhouse, Rebecca and Tyler are instructed to never go into the basement because it contains toxic mold. That night, John tells Rebecca and Tyler that as he and Maribella are elderly, they go to bed at 9:30 p.m. An hour past "curfew" Rebecca goes into the kitchen for a snack and sees Maribella projectile vomiting. Later Rebecca mentions it to John, who dismisses it saying that Maribella has the stomach flu. Over the next few days, Rebecca and Tyler notice their grandparents exhibiting more strange behavior. When Rebecca asks Maribella what happened the day Loretta left home, Maribella begins to shake it off until Rebecca restrains her. John and Maribella are later confronted by a woman who helps them in counseling; she is seen entering the house but never leaving. Tyler, concerned about the occurrences, decides to secretly film what happens at night. Maribella discovers the hidden camera, retrieves a large knife, and unsuccessfully tries to break into the children's bedroom. When Rebecca and Tyler view the camera footage, they contact their mothers. When shown images of John and Maribella, Loretta panics and says those are not her parents. Rebecca and Tyler attempt to leave the house, but the imposters trap them and force them to "make it the perfect family night" and play yatzee. Rebecca excuses herself and escapes to the basement. There she finds the corpses of the real John and Maribella, along with uniforms from the mental hospital where they worked, concluding that the imposters are probably escaped patients. The fake John grabs Rebecca and imprisons her in a bedroom with fake Maribella, who then tries to eat her. Rebecca stabs fake Maribella with a glass shard, then flees. Rebecca tries to save Tyler, but fake John grabs her. Tyler tackles fake John to the floor, then slams his head in the fridge door until he dies. The two escape outside where they are met by Loretta and police. In the aftermath, Rebecca asks Loretta about what happened the day she left home. Loretta states she had a physical fight with her parents and never VISITED them after that. However, John and Maribella had tried to contact her afterwards, and Loretta concludes that reincolliation was always possible. She tells Rebecca not to hold anger after Robert and hugs her.

Olivia DeJonge as Becca
Ed Oxenbould as Tyler
Deanna Dunagan as Marja Bella Jamison (Claire), also known as "Nana"
Peter McRobbie as Frederick Spencer Jamison (Mitchell), also known as "Pop Pop"
Kathryn Hahn as Loretta Jamison, Becca and Tyler's mother
Patch Darragh as Dr. Sam
Celia Keenan-Bolger as Stacey

File:The Visit-Teaser One Sheet.jpg

References [ ]

External links [ ].

1 The Farm (2018)
2 Sammy (Abigail)
3 Disturbia

Edit source
View history

The film was released in North America on September 11, 2015 by Universal Pictures. The film received overall mixed reviews, though some viewed it as a comeback for Shyamalan. It was a box office success, grossing $98.5 million worldwide against its $5 million budget.

3 Production
4 References
5 External Links

Two siblings from Philadelphia, 15-year-old Becca and 13-year-old Tyler prepare for a five-day visit with their grandparents, while their divorced mother Loretta goes on a luxurious cruise with her new boyfriend. Loretta reveals that she has not spoken to her parents in fifteen years after getting married to her high-school teacher, of whom her parents disapproved. The two kids, who have never met their grandparents, intend to record a documentary film about their visit with a camcorder.

At the train station, Becca and Tyler meet their grandparents for the first time, whom Becca refers to as "Nana" and "Pop Pop". When they arrive at their isolated farmhouse, Becca and Tyler are instructed to never go into the basement because it contains toxic mold, and that bedtime is at 9:30pm, after which they shouldn't leave their room. The first night, an hour past curfew, Becca ventures downstairs for something to eat and sees Nana projectile vomiting all over the house, which frightens her. She tells Pop Pop, who dismisses it as Nana having the stomach flu. He then reminds her not to leave their bedroom after 9:30pm.

Over the next few days, Becca and Tyler notice their grandparents exhibiting more strange and disturbing behavior. Tyler walks into Pop Pop's shed and finds a huge pile of feces. Becca then decides to ask Nana about what happened the day Loretta left home, and Nana begins shaking and screaming. Pop Pop and Nana are later confronted by a woman who was helped by them in counseling; she goes into the backyard with them but is never seen leaving (it is later implied that they murdered her and left her dead body to hang from a tree). Tyler, concerned about the occurrences, decides to secretly film what happens downstairs at night. Nana discovers the hidden camera, retrieves a large knife and unsuccessfully tries to break into the children's locked bedroom.

When Becca and Tyler view the camera footage of Nana with the knife, they contact Loretta once again, begging her to pick them up so they can go home. When she is shown images of Pop Pop and Nana, Loretta panics and reveals to both of them that they are not her parents. Realizing they have been living with strangers all week, Becca and Tyler attempt to leave the house, but the crazed impostors trap them inside and force them to play Yahtzee. Becca later sneaks into the basement, where she finds the corpses of their real grandparents, along with uniforms from the mental hospital they worked at, revealing the impostors are escaped patients. Pop Pop grabs Becca and imprisons her in his bedroom with Nana, who tries to eat her. He then started to psychologically torment Tyler by smearing his face with his dirty diaper. Becca fatally stabs Nana with a glass shard from a broken mirror, she runs into the kitchen and tackles Pop Pop. As Pop Pop starts to get the upper hand, Tyler attacks him and knocks him to the floor and repeatedly slams the refrigerator door onto his head, killing him. The two escape outside unharmed where they are met by their mother and police officers.

In the aftermath, Becca asks Loretta about what happened the day she left home. Loretta states that she got into a huge fight with her parents, in which she hit her mother and was then struck by her father. After that, she left home and ignored their attempts to contact her. Loretta concludes that reconciliation was always possible had she wanted it. She tells Becca not to hold on to anger over her father's abandonment. The film ends as Tyler, to his sister's dismay, performs a freestyle rap recounting the events of their visit.

Olivia DeJonge as Becca Jamison
Ed Oxenbould as Tyler Jamison
Deanna Dunagan as Maria Bella Jamison
Peter McRobbie as Frederick Spencer Jamison
Kathryn Hahn as Loretta Jamison
Celia Keenan-Bolger as Stacey
Benjamin Kanes as Corin

Production [ ]

Filming began on February 19, 2014, under the preliminary title Sundowning . Sundowning is the increased restlessness and confusion of some dementia patients during the afternoon and evening. M. Night Shyamalan's Blinding Edge Pictures was the production company, with Shyamalan and Marc Bienstock producing, and Steven Schneider and Ashwin Rajan as executive producers. Later on, producer Jason Blum and his company Blumhouse Productions were included in the credits. Although thousands of American children were auditioned for the film's two lead roles of Becca and Tyler, in what Shyamalan later characterized as a "total fluke", he eventually selected a pair of relatively unknown Australian juvenile actors, Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould, to portray the film's dual Philadelphia-native teenage protagonists.

References [ ]

M. Night Shyamalan Hard At Work On New Supernatural Thriller
M. Night Shyamalan is Now Filming Microbudget Horror 'Sundowning'
M. Night Shyamalan's Low Budget 'Sundowning' Plot & Cast Revealed
M. Night Shyamalan’s THE VISIT Trailer Attached To UNFRIENDED; First Poster In Theaters
How Aussie kids Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould survived the scares of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit
Interview M. Night Shyamalan On ‘The Visit,’ His First True Horror Film!
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’ Has “Disturbing Thematic Material”
Review: M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Visit' Is A Glorious Return To Form
Review: ‘The Visit’ Is ‘Hansel and Gretel’ With Less Candy and More Camcorders

External Links [ ]

The Visit on Wikipedia
The Visit on IMDb
The Visit on Facebook
1 The Horde
2 Mr. Glass
3 Casey Cooke

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

Start a new list…
Add all films to a list…
Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

No one loves you like your grandparents.

The terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip. Once the children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day.

Olivia DeJonge Ed Oxenbould Deanna Dunagan Peter McRobbie Kathryn Hahn Celia Keenan-Bolger Samuel Stricklen Patch Darragh Jorge Cordova Steve Annan Benjamin Kanes Ocean James Seamus Moroney Dave Jia Sajida De Leon John Buscemi Richard Barlow Shawn Gonzalez Shelby Lackman

Director Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Producers Producers

M. Night Shyamalan Jason Blum

Writer Writer

Casting casting.

Douglas Aibel

Editor Editor

Luke Ciarrocchi

Cinematography Cinematography

Maryse Alberti

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Brian Moon Sebastian Mazzola

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Steven Schneider Ashwin Rajan

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Peter Nolan

Production Design Production Design

Naaman Marshall

Art Direction Art Direction

Scott G. Anderson

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Christine Wick

Special Effects Special Effects

Dane Wilson

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Jennifer Wessner Bob Lowery

Stunts Stunts

Drew Leary Laurie Singer

Sound Sound

Skip Lievsay

Costume Design Costume Design

Amy Westcott

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Teresa Morgan

Blumhouse Productions Blinding Edge Pictures Universal Pictures dentsu

Releases by Date

10 sep 2015, 11 sep 2015, 17 sep 2015, 24 sep 2015, 25 sep 2015, 07 oct 2015, 08 oct 2015, 15 oct 2015, 22 oct 2015, 23 oct 2015, 19 nov 2015, 26 nov 2015, 11 dec 2015, 09 feb 2016, 16 aug 2022, 01 feb 2016, 23 feb 2016, 16 mar 2016, releases by country.

Theatrical M
Theatrical 14A
Physical 15
Theatrical 12
Digital VOD
Physical 12 DVD & Blu-Ray
Digital 12 Netflix
Theatrical 15A
Theatrical N-13

Netherlands

Theatrical 16
Physical 16 DVD, Blu ray
Theatrical M/16

South Korea

Theatrical 15
Theatrical 16 ICAA 51215
Theatrical 15+
Theatrical PG-13

94 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by sexualjumanji ★★★★½ 8

Just called my grandparents and told them to fuck off forever.

Review by 𝚮𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖎𝖓𝖆𝖉𝖊 ❤️‍🔥 ★★★ 35

>5 minutes in >the kid starts rapping >I add this to my films that made me happy I’m childless list >9 minutes in >it happens again >I google "how to make sure you don't get pregnant" >89 minutes in >IT RAPS ONCE MORE >I decide sex is never worth the risk

📝 Shyamalan: ranked

Review by maria ★★ 17

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

bold of m. night shyamalan to include a scene where a diaper full of shit is being shoved into someone's face to symbolize how much shit he's gonna be shoving into our faces for the next 94 minutes

Review by cait ★★★ 6

if m. night wanted me to sympathise with the kids why did he make one of them a freestyle rapper. how am i supposed to find any sympathy towards that. little freak deserved everything that happened

Review by ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ ★★★ 1

WHAT IN THE TAYLOR SWIFT WAS THAT

Review by gab🦕 ★★★★ 6

you cannot convince me that this isn’t a comedy

Review by adambolt ★★½

I'm gonna act like this whenever my grandkids stay over just to fuck with them

Review by WraithApe ★★★ 23

Yo.. yo.. yo..

M. Night Shyamalan comin at ya with an alarmin yarn about Pop Pop and Nana livin the good life in homedown manor

Enter Becca and her litle bro far from a pro wannabe rapper T. Diamond Stylus Stubbin his toe with an 'Oh Mylie Cyrus!' droppin the mic with a 'HO'

Got a ringside seat M. Night finds footage thru documentary conceit Set-up's begun take it back to film school, 101 Establishing shot, set-up again zoom lens, cross cut, mise-en-scène

Goin meta with Becca but Nana's still gonna get her Makin night moves outside the door Sundown fright on a lower floor red eyes fed by satanic delight

Pop's runnin shit like dystentry Pilin up diapers like…

Review by SilentDawn ★★★★½ 16

The works of M. Night Shyamalan, no matter the quality, are each on a quest of searching mystery and eventual discovery. All of his films are bursting with uneasy traps and elusive secrets, and it is these traits in which Shyamalan's fame was built upon. To say he had a dry spell is a massive understatement, but as soon as The Visit flares up with its opening shot, a startling vision immediately makes its presence known.

I felt like I was home again.

The Visit , while advertised as a silly and creepy chiller, is more of an insane boiling pot of family turmoil and batshit antics. It's a bewildering mix of humor, horror, and heart-wrenching dramatic impact, and each…

Review by Josh Lewis ★★★★ 4

"Old people sometimes have troubles with their body" "People leave. They find something better."

Doesn't quite have the scope of his early work but probably the most vital found footage filmmaking has felt in... ever? Shyamalan's visual grace & intelligence blends really well with the cheap, modern ageism Hansel & Gretal exploitation movie he's making here and he very effectively uses the immediacy inherent to the form to sneak real sudden thrills into some of his usual themes of familial breakdown/estrangement and masking/physically overcoming emotional trauma. There are a number of very creepily conceived shocks but weirdly enough the film is much more emotionally clear & cathartic than it is scary by the end. It totally works though so I have trouble seeing this as a bad thing.

Review by Gonzo ★★★½ 47

▶ 2015 Movie Rankings

▶ RANKED: M. Night Shyamalan

Is it better than Mad Max: Fury Road ? Even a (very welcome and long-awaited) Shyamalan resurgence can't top the chrome juggernaut.

Wait, wait, wait, hold up, hold up... Shyamalan made a good movie?! M. Night Shyamalan? What?! Yes, people, believe it. Your favorite punching bag is back with a vengeance. It's not as great as The Sixth Sense or Unbreakable , but it's a step in the right direction.

Is there a twist? It's Shyamalan. Of course, there's a twist.

Is the twist predictable? I saw it coming from the get-go. It's a pretty good twist though. It's the sort that doesn't ruin the fun even if you do guess it early…

Review by Neil Bahadur ★★★★½ 11

Unbelievable. Probably my 2nd favourite Shyamalan...one of the great films where everything you thought was right turns out to be wrong, and certainly the scariest film Shyamalan has made. There is explosive digital formalism, cameras seem to be attached to bodies and in moments of intense, quick movement the frame is obscured by flinging hair and occasional ruptures in the image of a human face; abstractions which could be only captured by the size of consumer grade cameras. In a way, it's inspiring because of that.

But much of this movie's terror comes from the opposite of Shyamalan's earlier tendencies, that we should believe in ghosts and demons ala Dreyer or Tourneur. Rather, people are terrifying, and even worse, family.…

Similar Films

Select your preferred poster

Upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

The Surprise Visit (2022): What is the True Story Behind the Film?

As ‘The Surprise Visit’ unfolds, Annabelle and Casey grapple with their drug addiction, realizing the need for a fresh start as they anticipate becoming parents. Faced with financial challenges, the couple decides to overcome their substance abuse, driven by a desperate desire to provide a stable and nurturing environment for their unborn child. In a twist of fate, Casey discovers that Mrs. Dixon, his father’s employer, will be out of town for the weekend.

Faced with financial struggles and a desire for a fresh start, Casey proposes a risky plan to Annabelle—to commit a robbery as their final act of desperation. They intend to secure enough resources to embark on a new life for their unborn child, steering away from the challenges of their current circumstances. Directed by Nick Lyon, the story of the 2022 movie explores the lengths people go to when pushed to the brink and delves into the moral and ethical complexities surrounding their choices.

The Surprise Visit is Inspired by Real Events

The writers of ‘The Surprise Visit,’ Nathan Cowles, Andrew Fein, and Serah Henesey, drew inspiration from a true story connected to Serah Henesey’s husband, Nathan Cowles’ family homestead, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tale reportedly revolves around the previous owner, also named Mrs. Dixon, who, after being widowed, left her property to visit her sister for the weekend. During her absence, the housekeeper, Eric Roberts, unknowingly shared the information with her drug-addicted son and his girlfriend about the vacant house.

Learning of their pregnancy, the couple attempted to rob the residence. However, the unexpected arrival of Mrs. Dixon’s daughter and son-in-law on the same night led to their apprehension, mirroring the film’s theme of desperate actions with unexpected consequences. ‘The Surprise Visit’ masterfully captures the raw and unforgiving realities of addiction, providing an unfiltered glimpse into the tumultuous lives of individuals ensnared in the clutches of substance abuse and economic hardship.

With a keen eye for authenticity, the film explores the complex relationship between addiction and poverty, exposing the vulnerabilities that drive individuals to make desperate and often misguided decisions. Annabelle and Casey’s journey becomes a reflection point for the societal challenges surrounding substance abuse, shedding light on the relentless cycle of struggle and the profound consequences it inflicts upon those entangled in its grip. Drug addiction in the country remains a pervasive issue that affects individuals, families, and communities across the nation.

The country grapples with a multifaceted crisis involving a range of substances, from opioids and stimulants to marijuana and alcohol. Contributing factors to the epidemic include the widespread availability of prescription painkillers, socioeconomic disparities, mental health challenges, and a lack of comprehensive addiction treatment resources. One of how the problem of addiction manifests itself is through a rise in criminal activities, and the movie has been able to bring this conversation to the forefront.

The film draws a significant dose of reality from its carefully chosen shooting locations. Much of the filming took place in a secluded area on the outskirts of Virginia, providing the actors and the creative team with an immersive environment. This isolation mirrored the experiences of the characters in the movie, creating not only a captivating cinematographic journey that enhances the horror elements but also an authenticity that resonates with the script and the overall backdrop of the film. The deliberate selection of these locations contributes to the film’s ability to evoke a genuine sense of despair and desperation.

Director Nick Lyon and actor Serah Henesey acknowledge the deliberate Hollywoodization of the true story that served as the inspiration for their film’s universe. While certain elements, such as character names, have been altered, and fictionalized events have been introduced in the latter part of the narrative, the makers proclaim that the movie successfully maintains a sense of believability. Despite these creative liberties, the film remains an entertaining watch, blending reality and fiction to craft a film that entertains the audience.

Read More: Best Movies About Drugs on Netflix

‘The Surprise Visit’ Embellishes a True-Life Scary Story

By Eva Trieger

SOLANA BEACH, California — While some surprises are good and welcome, others, not so much. In this horror/thriller based on a real story, The Surprise Visit relates the story of an unplanned visit gone horribly awry. The story has factual historic roots, but co-producer, and actress, Serah Henessey told me that she and husband, Nathan Cowles, “Hollywoodized” it. I was very happy to hear that as the film disturbed me very much and I was relieved to know that it was embellished and not a precise re-enactment.

Henessey has a fascinating and varied history in the entertainment business. She was born in Sydney, Australia, and trained in ballet until the age of 16. She also lived in Turkey where she expanded her repertoire by acting in a sitcom for four years that outperformed “Friends” in America! This dancer/actor/ producer also does her own stunts and indulges in kick-boxing!

In a delightful phone interview, I became acquainted with Serah. She shared that her first theatrical role was in The Epic of Gilgamesh . Since that time she has done film and theater. Her theater experiences are especially interesting, spanning virtually all genres, from action, sitcom, drama, horror, and comedy.

Recently Henessey has been seen in Saw franchise films, directed by Darren Bousman. These immersive films were done in downtown Los Angeles and were interactive. Audiences and actors fed off each other, creating a “mind-blowing” experience. Henessey has performed in Saw II through Spiral.

The actress told me that she loves doing period pieces and especially enjoys roles that require her to step back into the 17th-century era. She is a devotee of Shakespearean works and also loves performing plays from this time

The Surprise Visit is the embellishment of a break-in that went awry on Henessey’s husband’s family’s homestead. A previous owner, Mrs.Dixon, recently widowed, had decided to visit a sister for the weekend. Her groundskeeper (Erc Roberts) somehow shared this information with his son, a drug addict. The son and his girlfriend, who recently discovered they were pregnant, figured that they would rob the home in the absence of the owner to get some capital. They did not anticipate the surprise visit of Mrs. Dixon’s daughter and son-in-law.

The film depicts the desperation of the young couple of addicts and the fear and desperation of Mrs. Dixon’s daughter. All of the characters are sympathetic and the viewer experiences the fear, desperation, and will to survive on the part of each character. While Juliet has grown up with means, a loving family, and privilege, she also just lost her father and watched the murder of her husband. The young addicts have no material goods, but a future and a baby on the way. The groundskeeper loves his son, Casey, but cannot condone his actions. The emotional roller coaster is inescapable.

One very interesting thing to note is that this film was made during the pandemic and Serah Henessey told me that they did not want to expose countless people to the virus, so the cast and crew were working overtime. As she observed the first day on the set as a producer, not as an actor, she felt great pride and gratitude to everyone who gave their all. Henessey cried, kvelling and humbled by the efforts of everyone. She saw the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their efforts and she knew a “joyful kind of exhaustion.” The film is definitely worth seeing and encourages viewer to consider his own moral compass and guideposts.

Click here for the trailer: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGllMLLkDDtDppxGZjgdjPGPlzp?projector=1

The film will be available after January 14, 2022.

* Eva Trieger is a Solana Beach-based freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via [email protected]

The Surprise Visit (2022)

Full cast & crew.

Directed by

Writing credits (in alphabetical order) , cast , produced by , music by , cinematography by , editing by , casting by , production design by , art direction by , costume design by , makeup department , production management , art department , sound department , visual effects by , stunts , camera and electrical department , costume and wardrobe department , editorial department , location management , music department , transportation department , additional crew , thanks .

Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs

Contribute to This Page

Full Cast and Crew
Release Dates
Official Sites
Company Credits
Filming & Production
Technical Specs
Plot Summary
Plot Keywords
Parents Guide

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits
Alternate Versions
Connections
Soundtracks

Photo & Video

Photo Gallery
Trailers and Videos
User Reviews
User Ratings
External Reviews
Metacritic Reviews

the visit cast wikipedia

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS

Movie Reviews

Sheila O'Malley

Now playing

Unsung Hero

We Grown Now

Back to Black

Mother of the Bride

Film Credits

The Visit (2015)

Cinematography

Latest blog posts

Cannes 2024: Sean Baker's Anora wins Palme d'Or

Cannes 2024: The Seed of the Sacred Fig, All We Imagine as Light, The Most Precious of Cargoes

Cannes 2024: My Sunshine, Rumours, The Balconettes

Cannes 2024: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, The Village Next to Paradise, Viet and Nam

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

Where to Watch

What to Know

Critics Reviews

Movie Clips

Trailers [ ]

References [ ]

The Visit (2015)

References [ ]

Production [ ]

References [ ]

External Links [ ]

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Add to your films…

Add to lists

Where to watch

No one loves you like your grandparents.

Director Director

Producers Producers

Writer Writer

Editor Editor

Cinematography Cinematography

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Production Design Production Design

Art Direction Art Direction

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Special Effects Special Effects

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Stunts Stunts

Sound Sound

Costume Design Costume Design

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Releases by Date

Netherlands

South Korea

Popular reviews

Similar Films

Select your preferred poster

The Surprise Visit (2022): What is the True Story Behind the Film?

The Surprise Visit is Inspired by Real Events

SPONSORED LINKS

‘The Surprise Visit’ Embellishes a True-Life Scary Story

The Surprise Visit (2022)

Directed by

Contribute to This Page

Did You Know?

Photo & Video

Related Items

Recently Viewed

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS