1) The Visit
Welcome back, M. Night Shyamalan! The Visit marks a successful return from a filmmaker who’s proven he knows tension. I know some of you may scoff at the first-person camera gimmick, but Shyamalan avoids many of the generic mistakes cash-in movies of the same nature have once tried. Jump scares are at a minimum, chaos ensues, and our child actors are pretty damn likable. This is horror comfort food from Grandma’s kitchen.
What works so well is that M. Night never tries too hard. There’s no twist this time – just a simple reveal that works tremendously. Peter McRobbie and Deanna Dunagan bring it home as a devilishly lovable pair of grandparents, who keep us guessing for as long as necessary. Shyamalan gets his scares when possible, but also finds ways to interject a rustic sweetness that pairs nicely with senior citizen chills.
More of this M. Night Shyamalan, please!