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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

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‘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]

In Theaters and Digital

The surprise visit - movie review.

Sometimes there just isn’t an easy way out of a really bad situation.

Go ahead and get those happy thoughts out of your head.  The Surprise Visit is not based on a happy occasion.  Not at all.  This is a film full of many twists and violent turns as a routine robbery goes tits up and someone is murdered.  The fallout is drastic and unexpected, making this film a bit more interesting than the usual home invasion thriller.

Starring Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts, Dopestick ’s Tricia Hawn, Rob Riordan, Jacqi Vene and Serah Henesey , director Nick Lyon ’s intense, gritty and suspenseful thriller begins when two strung-out drug addicts find out that they are going to be having a baby.  Uh oh.  

That’s not the SURPRISE at the center of this jewel heist, though. 

Annabelle ( Jaqui Vene ) and Casey ( Rob Riordan ) are trapped in their own personal hell of drug addiction.  They are currently living in a busted up Winnebego under a bridge somewhere near Middleton, Virginia and are struggling to pay their phone bill.  Money has never been much of a concern for them as long as there are drugs to be consumed, it seems.  Somehow, they make it work.  

But, with the sudden revelation that Annabelle is pregnant, they are both going to have to change their ways.  Can Casey do it?

At least that is the hope as he goes out in search of another chance or, depending on your viewpoint of his situation, another sucker to squeeze.  This hope is captured elegantly in the sweeping cinematography from Nate Haban.  Don’t worry, though.  When it is time for the film to go dark and desperate, Haban’s lens is there to ratchet up the tension.  This is edge of your seat entertainment, after all, as attempts to get ahold of some jewelry goes sideways.  

Based on a true story, The Surprise Visit takes a bit of a turn when Juliette ( Serah Henesy ), the rich woman’s daughter, takes her husband along with her to surprise her mother with a visit at the ranch the same weekend Casey plans to rob it.  

Except, as we have learned, Juliette’s mother isn’t there . . . which means the house that Casey and Annabelle want to rob WILL be inhabited.  I think you can see where this home invasion thriller is headed.  Blood will be had and, as accidental as it is, there will be stark consequences raining down in response to the events happening.  They will be swift and they will be final.  

But what will it mean for Casey and the life he had at the opening of the movie?  

Stephen Meier ’s adaptation, based on a story by Nathan Cowles and Serah Henesy , is both shocking and starkly realized due to the talent assembled.  Full of solid performances from the cast, The Surprise Visit is definitely a shocker, keeping us on our toes.  White the film doesn’t do anything new with the sub-genre, it definitely delivers when it comes to SHOCK and AWE as a chase through the woods ends rather unexpectedly and twists the sharp-edged truth like a knife into our own guts.

The Surprise Visit premieres in theaters and on demand January 14 from Vertical Entertainment .

MPAA Rating: unrated. Runtime: 86 mins Director : Nick Lyon Writer: Stephen Meier Cast: Eric Roberts; Jacqi Vene; Serah Henesey Genre : Thriller Tagline: Based on a True Story. Memorable Movie Quote: Distributor: Vertical Entertainment Official Site: Release Date: January 14, 2022 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Synopsis : When a young couple makes a surprise visit to Mom, they get an even bigger surprise themselves from an old family friend who plans to steal Mom’s valuable jewelry while she is out of town. But when the“easy peasy” robbery goes wrong, resulting in the accidental death of the daughter’s husband, it forces the two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision; to abandon ship, or do the unthinkable.

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The Surprise Visit

A robbery goes wrong, leaving two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to give up, or to do the unthinkable. A robbery goes wrong, leaving two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to give up, or to do the unthinkable. A robbery goes wrong, leaving two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to give up, or to do the unthinkable.

• Nathan Cowles
• Andrew Fein
• Serah Henesey
• Regan Ferrier
• Tricia Hawn
• 54 User reviews
• 11 Critic reviews
• 7 wins & 2 nominations

• (as Jacqi Vene)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Connections Referenced in Half in the Bag: Snow Falls (2023) (2023)
• Soundtracks Little Left of My Heart written by Nathan Cowles performed by Derick Hughes

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 26 minutes

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When a young couple makes a surprise visit to Mom, they get an even bigger surprise themselves from an old family friend who plans to steal Mom’s valuable jewelry while she is out of town. But when the “easy peasy” robbery goes wrong, resulting in the accidental death of the daughter’s husband, it forces the two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to abandon ship, or do the unthinkable.

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Reporting by Florence Lo and Daniel Leussink and Liam Mo in Beijing, Zhang Yan in Shanghai; Additional reporting by Sarah Wu; Writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Sonali Paul and Mark Potter

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Daniel Leussink is a correspondent in Japan. Most recently, he has been covering Japan’s automotive industry, chronicling how some of the world's biggest automakers navigate a transition to electric vehicles and unprecedented supply chain disruptions. Since joining Reuters in 2018, Leussink has also covered Japan’s economy, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, COVID-19 and the Bank of Japan’s ultra-easy monetary policy experiment.

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Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk made an unannounced trip to China on Sunday and met Premier Li Qiang, a week after  postponing  a visit to India to handle pressing issues at the automaker.

China’s No. 2 official met Musk in Beijing just hours after he touched down in the city. Li said the nation is always open to foreign companies, adding that Tesla is a successful example of China-US trade cooperation, according to China Central Television.

Musk’s latest China visit comes during a volatile time for Tesla, with slowing EV sales prompting a cost-cutting drive and the reduction of more than 10% of its global workforce. He was scheduled to be in India on April 21 and 22 for a much-anticipated visit that was going to include a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but called it off because of “ very heavy  Tesla obligations.”

CCTV said Musk told Li that Tesla is willing to deepen cooperation with China. The CEO earlier met the head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Ren Hongbin, according to CCTV. He’s expected to meet officials to discuss the rollout of Tesla’s driver-assistance system, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

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Tesla is working on getting the system it calls Full Self-Driving, or FSD, approved for new markets. Its vehicles have been  banned  from China’s military compounds and some other government venues in the past over cameras used for its  driver-assistance systems , which aren’t capable of autonomous driving.

“We plan on, with the approval of the regulators, releasing it as a supervised autonomy system in any market that — where we can get regulatory approval for that, which we think includes China,” Musk said of FSD during Tesla’s April 23 earnings call. 

Advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS, are becoming increasingly common in China’s EV market, where Tesla is losing share. Many local players including Xpeng Inc., Xiaomi Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. use sophisticated technology as a selling point for their vehicles, while industrywide price cuts by rivals add pressure for the US company to do the same.

Li visited the Beijing Auto Show on Sunday and said China has a leading position in the new energy vehicles industry, China National Radio reported. He urged industry players to maintain their competitive advantages and vowed to ensure a level playing field for foreign companies in the market.

Tesla, the world’s biggest seller of fully electric cars, has repeatedly reduced prices in key markets including the US and China. Investors overlooked dismal earnings last week as the company pledged to launch lower-cost EVs as soon as late this year.

Tesla’s Shanghai factory, established in 2019, is the company’s most productive plant globally, a point Musk made to Li on Sunday as he praised “the hard work and wisdom of the Chinese team,” CCTV said.

China media reported that Tesla axed all Chinese graduate offers in its latest round of job cuts.

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