THE FILM:

After his director-for-hire disaster After Earth and labor of love The Last Airbender both flopped hard, M. Night Shyamalan wisely stepped back from the spotlight and re-evaluated his filmmaking priorities. The once-darling Philadelphia talent has had a rocky road since The Sixth Sense became a sleeper hit, and reports of his on-set arrogance and refusal to listen to critics increased during the productions of his later films. Shyamalan directs, writes and produces The Visit, an enjoyably creepy horror-comedy with mostly unknown actors and a $5 million budget. The film concerns two kids who visit their estranged grandparents, who exhibit odd, frightening behaviors. The Visit is imperfect, sure, but this is a giant step toward redemption for a talented director.

Rebecca and Tyler Jamison (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould, respectively) convince their mother Paula (Kathryn Hahn) to let them visit their estranged grandparents (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie) while she cruises with her new boyfriend. They're estranged because Paula had a fight with them years earlier and never returned home. Rebecca wants to shoot a documentary about reuniting the family, and she travels with her brother by train to her grandparents' isolated home. Once there, things go well enough. The aging pair is friendly and fun, but asks the kids not to leave their bedroom after 9:30 p.m. Why? Well, that would ruin the surprises within The Visit, wouldn't it?

To enjoy The Visit, you're just going to have to accept the found-footage filmmaking. Would the kids really be filming all these conversations and happenings? Maybe not, but dammit who cares? Rebecca and Tyler discover more about their grandparents' lives in scenes that are both spooky and purposely hilarious. Shyamalan writes these young protagonists in a way that might annoy some viewers. Rebecca spouts college-level filmmaking lingo, and Tyler is a rapper. Yes, a rapper. That is part of the film's charm, as are the deadpan performances of Dunagan and McRobbie. Pop Pop repeatedly dresses for a black-tie event he is not attending, and Nana asks Rebecca to crawl completely inside the oven to clean it. If nothing else, The Visit constantly keeps you on your toes.

You might or might not guess exactly what is going on during The Visit. Shyamalan has backed off from his once-signature twist endings, and this is a nice mix of haunted-house and body horror. Do yourself a favor and do not try to guess the resolution during the opening scene. I made that mistake with The Village. Shyamalan is apparently making a string of these low-budget, original thrillers, which is something I welcome. He is a filmmaker who can weave humor and spooks into a unique whole. The Visit is unlike anything in recent memory. That alone is worth the price of admission.

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

The 1.85:1/1080p/AVC-encoded image looks fantastic. For something purportedly shot by two kids with mid-grade equipment, things look pretty polished. The image is wonderfully sharp and detailed. An early shot outside in the snow with a blinding sun could have been blown out and distorted but is perfectly tuned. Skin tones are accurate and colors well saturated. Fine-object detail and texture are great, and the film never appears overly digital or waxy. Black levels are good with only light purple push. I noticed very minor banding and digital noise during some nighttime scenes.

SOUND:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is also strong, though much of the sound design is center channel-based to match the look of the film. There are some very loud thumps and jolts that rattle the subwoofer, and ambient effects like a rolling train and environmental noise waft through the surrounds. Dialogue is clear and mixed appropriately with the score and effects. Spanish and French 5.1 DTS dubs are included, as are English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

This two-disc "combo pack" includes the Blu-ray, a DVD copy and both iTunes and UltraViolet HD digital copies. The discs are packed in a standard case that is wrapped in a matching slipcover. The extras are fairly slim: You get ten Deleted Scenes (8:34 total/HD); an Alternate Ending (2:25/HD); and Becca's Photos (1:13/HD). The best extra is The Making of The Visit (9:56/HD), a brief but candid reflection on Shyamalan's career and decision to move in this direction.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I am glad M. Night Shyamalan is getting back to form. This low-budget horror/comedy is imperfect, but I had a lot of fun watching it unspool. The Visit is an interesting mix of haunted-house and body horror with mostly unknown actors. I never knew where the story was heading, and Shyamalan finally seems to be having fun again. Recommended.

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.