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January 17, 2022 Addison Wylie 2 Comments

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The Surprise Visit features a small ensemble of actors who seem to be challenging each other.  Only they’re not inspiring each other, they’re competing against each other for who can exaggerate the most.  And director Nick Lyon is letting his cast “duke it out”.

Actors are usually the ones getting caught in the crosshairs of a bad movie, but the performances in The Surprise Visit  make Lyon’s movie borderline unwatchable.  The over-the-top southern drawls, the high strung emotions, the deliveries that enunciate the wrong words and cut other people off.  It’s an actor’s masterclass on what not to do.

The story is driven by a would-be robbery by a drug addict named Casey (Rob Riordan) and his pregnant girlfriend Annabelle (Jacqi Vene of Netflix’s  Fear Street Part Two: 1978 ).  Upon learning about the pregnancy, Casey desperately begs his father (Eric Roberts) for money or a job.  Dad offers neither, although he’s successful in getting his boss ( Dopesick’s  Tricia Hawn) to give Casey the benefit of the doubt.  However, the job offer is never delivered to Casey.  The next time the two reunite is when Casey and Annabelle are recovering from their botched robbery, and trying to locate the kidnapped wife (Serah Henesey) of the husband they inadvertently murdered.  

The plot has a “snowball effect” approach as new people become roped into Casey and Annabelle’s get-rich-quick scheme, but Nick Lyon’s loose directorial vision undermines the danger and intensity that should be fuelling this home invasion thriller.  By allowing his actors to flub their way through the movie, the director shows he’s either not in tune enough with his production or he’s completely tuned himself out.  Stephen Meier’s screenplay, allegedly “based on true events”, also feels insufficient;  almost as if he provided a skeleton of what the final script would resemble and never returned to his draft, allowing the actors to practically improvise their way through this tense material.

The ultimate betrayal in The Surprise Visit is the movie’s surprising indifference towards its characters.  The ending makes a halfhearted, last-ditch effort to empathize with Annabelle after she makes a random and rash decision.  The decision is supposed to imply some ambiguity, but to even hint towards the violent choice she makes is a misstep;  especially when it’s followed up by an upbeat celebration.  Are we supposed to cheer for Annabelle?  Or, feel sorry for her?  The filmmakers don’t even know!  It’s a sloppy ending that follows a poorly paced and overlong chase, that follows some of the most embarrassing character work I’ve ever seen.

The only surprise the movie offers is its early contribution to my year-end worst-of list.

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Readers comments (2).

In the end Annabel made the statement “no Witnesses” was the writer implying that she may have killed Cassie’s dad and she went on to live happily ever after with her three year old daughter?

Who is singing the song at the end of the movie When Annabel and the baby are on the beach?

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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

By Benjamin Franz | December 20, 2021

When a film claims to be “based on a true story,” unless there’s a primary document we can refer to, it’s very hard to know what is an actual event and what has been contrived to develop drama for the narrative’s benefit. Case in point is  The Surprise Visit , directed by Nick Lyon. This, by far, is the most interesting question concerning the film. Stephen Meier’s adaptation, based on a story by Nathan Cowles and Serah Henesy, presents the challenge of figuring out what in this scenario is real and what is not.

Juliette (Serah Henesy) plans to surprise her mother with a visit this weekend. When she arrives, Juliette learns from her mother’s gardener, Hugh ( Eric Roberts ), that her mother has left town to care for her aunt. Nevertheless, Juliette and her husband still choose to stay the weekend in her mother’s empty mansion. For me, this is the first moment the film enters the uncanny; I know of no one who would stay in their parent’s home without their expressed permission. This frankly odd decision leads to the traumatic events which unfold.

Converging as an equally rude surprise is Hugh’s son Casey (Rob Riordan) and his wife Annabelle (Jaqui Vene). They are junkies, expecting their first child, and Casey has decided the best way to secure a future for his wife and nascent child is to rob his father’s employer. They plan to take a cachet of jewelry. As can be expected, none of this goes according to plan.

“… junkies, expecting their first child …plan to take a cachet of jewelry.”

The Surprise Visit  culminates in a climactic and deadly game of hide and seek. Throughout this thriller, the cinematography by Nate Haban is spectacular. He captures the pastoral beauty of Middleton, Virginia, very effectively. This film’s action is very easy to follow, from a series of crane shots to smooth and non-shaky handheld camera work. This keeps audiences on edge the entire time.

Nick Lyon does a superb job directing the woodland chaos. A veteran of television series and movies, his directorial eye and hand are very clear in execution. I very much enjoyed the sense that literally anything could happen at any given moment. The cast wonderfully expresses the terror and stress that are inherent in this situation.

Riordan’s Casey and Henesey’s Juliette are the driving forces of the story. The terrible violence would not be possible without their strong and determined personalities clashing at this very unexpected and surprising turn of events. Their combined acting made the action strongly believable. The acts of brutality and accidental murder present in  The Surprise Visit  seemed the bad decisions of a junkie looking to escape a poor situation without witnesses. Juliette, conversely, is simply trying to survive. She made a bad call deciding to surprise her mother. Now, she must attempt to get out alive.

I would suggest if one wants to watch a violent spectacle set in pastoral Virginia, then  The Surprise Visit  is for you. Seek it out at your local art-house. It should be worth the visit.

The Surprise Visit ()

Directed: Nick Lyon

Written: Stephen Meier

Starring: Serah Henesey, Jaqui Vene, Rob Riordan, Eric Roberts, etc.

Movie score: 7/10

"…Lyon does a superb job..."

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Hey isn’t Eric Roberts having a hard enough time. He has to take a rolls like this I feel bad for the guy. He used to be a big cokehead. But then again who cares

Should not be allowed to say a movie is true when it isn’t. To me it’s just a plot to try and get people to watch the movie and u must be concerned that no one would watch it otherwise u would not have lied. Shame on you.

Did the girl kill Casey’s dad at the end?

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[Movie Review] THE SURPRISE VISIT

• January 12, 2022 January 12, 2022
• DarkSkyLady

THE SURPRISE VISIT , a thriller/drama with a story by Nathan Cowles, Andrew Fein, and Serah Henesey and directed by Nick Lyon, follows a young, poor couple who commit a robbery that soon spirals downward, and they must decide whether to give up or commit another crime. The film stars Jacqi Vene and Rob Riordan as the robbing couple Annabelle and Casey, with Eric Roberts as Casey’s father, Hugh. Rounding out the cast is Serah Henesey and Johnny Santiago as married couple Juliette and Daniel, who are as shocked to see the robbers as the robbers are that someone’s home. Despite some drag, particularly during all the running scenes, which are annoying, THE SURPRISE VISIT  did hold my attention, and by the end, I had flashes of True Romance , just not as good.

Annabelle and Casey are drug addicts, but when Annabelle realizes she is pregnant, they promise to give up drugs for the sake of their child. So Casey visits his father, Hugh, to ask for money, but of course, this is not Casey’s first time asking for money, so Hugh shuts him down. As most do when pleading does not give them what they want, Casey berates his father as a lowly gardener of a wealthy older woman, Mrs. Dixon, played by Tricia Hawn. Yet, after leaving, Hugh asks his boss to hire his son to earn money, and she agrees.

Unfortunately, Casey does not know this. He decides to rob Mrs. Dixon’s house since he knows she left to care for a friend, but he is clueless that Mrs. Dixon’s daughter, Juliette, arrived for a surprise visit with her husband Daniel in tow. At that point, their simple robbery goes up in smoke. THE SURPRISE VISIT  is based on a true story, and there is a definite class divide among the white cast. The film also looks at how addiction deteriorates the character of a person. Casey keeps making poor decisions driven by his addiction and desperation to provide for his girlfriend and unborn child.

The acting in THE SURPRISE VISIT is not great, but it does the job. Rob Riordan does a great job as a man torn between the need to protect and provide for his family and enslaved by the vise-grip of addiction. The Jekyll/Hyde transformation of an addict is similar to that of an abuser; one moment loving, threatening the next and Rob Riordan demonstrates that. Jacqi Vene’s acting gives Annabelle a sympathetic feel because she wants them both to get clean and do better for their child, and she has faith in Casey. Serah Henesey’s performance did not capture my attention as much, perhaps because she’s running through most of the film.

THE SURPRISE VISIT  may not have a star-studded cast and massive budget, but it works well under its financial constraints. The one part that dragged was all the scenes of running. I get it, this is a chase, but too many of these scenes began pulling the film down. However, I was invested in the story and curious to see how it ended. I also want to know which parts were accurate and artistic license for dramatic flair. The ending surprised me—a rarity these days as too many films are both formulaic and predictable. In that, THE SURPRISE VISIT  outshines some blockbusters.

THE SURPRISE VISIT arrives in theaters and On Demand on January 14, 2022.

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7 thoughts on “ [movie review] the surprise visit ”.

The ending was terrible. Two things here no witness, so the gardener is dead, then how would they know so much about the pass. Which couldn’t make it a true movie.. Or, he lived and the gardener told the police of the pass

I’m still SHOCKED true story. Like 1 viewer said, you were free but decided to go back. No offense, but why, noone was back there to save I always think the same about true movies, who told it, how they know so much when wasn’t there

A very stupid movie, I am truly at a loss of words, I guess the only thing I thought about the movie was how much cassey looked like Ernest T Bass on the Andy griffith show!!!

Horrible story line and poor acting . Even Eric Roberts was bad . I regret wasting my hour and a half watching this garbage

Great movie because this is reality and anyone that doesn’t realize this is out of touch with what’s going on in America.

I guess I’m out of touch, it SUCKED. I read reviews & fast fowarded

Great retort!

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The Surprise Visit Ending Explained: Answering Your Unanswered Questions!

Uncover the enigmatic depths of The Surprise Visit as we unravel its intricate ending and explore the film’s authenticity. Delve into the compelling question of whether this suspenseful thriller is truly based on a captivating true story. Gain clarity on the plot twists and factual inspirations behind this cinematic masterpiece as we provide an insightful explanation of its conclusion.

The movie’s conclusion leaves audiences with lingering questions, prompting a desire for a deeper understanding of the plot’s intricacies and the inspiration behind its compelling storyline. Join us on a journey to dissect the mysteries and revelations of The Surprise Visit as we seek to shed light on its captivating narrative and real-world inspirations.

The Surprise Visit Ending Explained

Let us begin our journey to dissect the complexities of The Surprise Visit, unraveling its enigmatic ending and exploring the compelling question of its authenticity. Through our in-depth exploration, we aim to provide a deeper appreciation for the film’s narrative and offer a thought-provoking perspective on its real-world inspirations.

Related- Attack on Titan Manga Ending Explained: Breaking Down the Final Chapters!

1. A Tale Of Desperation And Consequences

In Nick Lyon’s The Surprise Visit, the storyline revolves around a botched robbery that thrusts two young drug-addicted individuals, portrayed by Regan Ferrier and Serah Henesey , into a harrowing predicament. As the plot unfolds, the characters are confronted with an unexpected turn of events, compelling them to grapple with a daunting choice – surrender or resort to drastic measures.

The film delves into the aftermath of their decisions, exploring themes of desperation and the weighty implications of making choices under duress. With a talented cast including Regan Ferrier, Tricia Hawn , and Serah Henesey, the movie crafts a suspenseful narrative that captivates audiences, skillfully navigating the complexities of a situation gone awry.

Related-  Hunter X Hunter Creator Togashi Reveals Manga Ending: Emotional Rollercoaster!

2. Unraveling The Ambiguity Of The Surprise Visit

At the conclusion of The Surprise Visit, the narrative takes a dramatic turn as Annabelle, a pregnant woman, and her partner Casey find themselves in a violent confrontation with unexpected visitors, Juliette and Daniel, resulting in Casey’s tragic death.

The film leaves viewers on edge as Annabelle, seemingly making her escape, chillingly utters the words, No witnesses, leaving the audience questioning the true nature of her actions.

Related-  It Snows In Benidorm Ending Explained: A Quiet Ode To Self-Discovery

3. Answering The Unanswered Questions

The ending of The Surprise Visit introduces unclear, prompting viewers to ponder whether Annabelle is responsible for the death of the grandfather ( Eric Roberts ) and whether the final scene is a manifestation of her disturbed mind. While the film aims to delve into themes of desperation and class disparities, it has faced criticism for perpetuating stereotypes by portraying poverty through drug-addicted characters.

Despite these critiques, director Nick Lyon skillfully injects suspense into the narrative, particularly evident in the intense woodland chase sequence. Ultimately, The Surprise Visit concludes with unanswered questions, offering a thought-provoking and somewhat ambiguous ending to a suspenseful thriller.

Related-  The Tailor Season 3 Ending Explained- Twisted Revelations And Heartbreaks

The Surprise Visit offers a somewhat enigmatic conclusion to a suspenseful thriller, leaving audiences with lingering questions and interpretations to contemplate. It presents audiences with a compelling and suspenseful narrative that culminates in ambiguity, leaving viewers to ponder the unresolved questions surrounding the characters’ fates. For more captivating content follow, Scpsassam.org.

The Surprise Visit (2022)

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The Surprise Visit

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

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Eric Roberts

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The Ending Of The Visit Explained

Contains spoilers for  The Visit

M. Night Shyamalan is notorious for using dramatic twists towards the endings of his films, some of which are pulled off perfectly and add an extra layer of depth to a sprawling story (hello, Split ). Some of the director's other offerings simply keep the audience on their toes rather than having any extra subtext or hidden meaning. Shyamalan's 2015 found-footage horror-comedy  The Visit , which he wrote and directed, definitely fits in the latter category, aiming for style over substance.

The Visit follows 15-year-old Becca Jamison (Olivia DeJonge) and her 13-year-old brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) when they spend the week with their mother's estranged parents, who live in another town. Loretta (played by WandaVision 's Kathryn Hahn ) never explained to her children why she separated herself away from her parents, but clearly hopes the weekend could help bring the family back together.

Although The Visit occasionally toys with themes of abandonment and fear of the unknown, it wasn't particularly well-received by critics on its initial release, as many struggled with its bizarre comedic tone in the found-footage style. So, after Tyler and his camera record a number of disturbing occurrences like Nana (Deanna Dunagan) projectile-vomiting in the middle of the night and discovering "Pop Pop"'s (Peter McRobbie) mountain of used diapers, it soon becomes clear that something isn't right with the grandparents.

Here's the ending of  The Visit  explained.

The Visit's twist plays on expectations

Because Shyamalan sets up the idea of the separation between Loretta and her parents very early on — and doesn't show their faces before Becca and Tyler meet them — the film automatically creates a false sense of security. Even more so since the found-footage style restricts the use of typical exposition methods like flashbacks or other scenes which would indicate that Nana and Pop Pop aren't who they say they are. Audiences have no reason to expect that they're actually two escapees from a local psychiatric facility.

The pieces all come together once Becca discovers her  real grandparents' corpses in the basement, along with some uniforms from the psychiatric hospital. It confirms "Nana" and "Pop-Pop" escaped from the institution and murdered the Jamisons because they were a similar age, making it easy to hide their whereabouts from the authorities. And they would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids.)

However, after a video call from Loretta reveals that the pair aren't her parents, the children are forced to keep up appearances — but the unhinged duo start to taunt the siblings. Tyler in particular is forced to face his fear of germs as "Pop Pop" wipes dirty diapers in his face. The germophobia is something Shyamalan threads through Tyler's character throughout The Visit,  and the encounter with "Pop Pop" is a basic attempt of showing he's gone through some kind of trial-by-fire to get over his fears.

But the Jamison kids don't take things lying down: They fight back in vicious fashion — a subversion of yet another expectation that young teens might would wait for adults or law enforcement officers to arrive before doing away with their tormentors.

Its real message is about reconciliation

By the time Becca stabs "Nana" to death and Tyler has repeatedly slammed "Pop-Pop"'s head with the refrigerator door, their mother and the police do arrive to pick up the pieces. In a last-ditch attempt at adding an emotional undertone, Shyamalan reveals Loretta left home after a huge argument with her parents. She hit her mother, and her father hit her in return. But Loretta explains that reconciliation was always on the table if she had stopped being so stubborn and just reached out. One could take a domino-effect perspective and even say that Loretta's stubbornness about not reconnecting and her sustained distance from her parents put them in exactly the vulnerable position they needed to be for "Nana" and "Pop-Pop" to murder them. 

Loretta's confession actually mirrors something "Pop-Pop" told Tyler (before his run-in with the refrigerator door): that he and "Nana" wanted to spend one week as a normal family before dying. They should've thought about that before murdering a pair of innocent grandparents, but here we are. 

So, is The Visit  trying to say that if we don't keep our families together, they'll be replaced by imposters and terrify our children? Well, probably not. The Visit tries to deliver a message about breaking away from old habits, working through your fears, and stop being so stubborn over arguments that don't have any consequences in the long-run. Whether it actually sticks the landing on all of those points is still up for debate.

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The reality series gives a look into her relationship with her current partner, Mortensen. Speaking to TODAY.com, she said they have taken action to strength their bond.

"We’re in couples therapy and coaching, so they’re kind of helping us to communicate and learn all these things while taking on the loud noise, which is really cool," she said.

Whether you've already binge watched "The Secret Lives or Mormon Wives" or simply want to learn more about the couple everyone's talking about, we're outlining everything you need to know about their relationship.

When did Dakota and Taylor start dating?

Paul announced her divorce from Tate Paul in a May 2022 TikTok Live video. The former couple shares two children.

In the same video, Paul revealed she and her ex-husband had participated in "soft swinging" with other couples in their Mormon community. Paul and her husband had boundaries, which she admitted to breaching.

The TikToker introduced Mortensen as the "guy she cheated with" in a July 2022 video.

Paul and Mortensen conceived a baby that same year. Paul revealed in a November 022 TikTok  that she had an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus and the pregnancy is not viable, per the Mayo Clinic .

The couple went on to conceive another child and welcomed a son named Ever True in March 2024. Paul's pregnancy, including her baby shower, is chronicled in "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."

What happens between them on the show?

Viewers of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" witness Paul and Mortensen navigating their relationship and preparing for the birth of their child.

In the series, Paul's family and friends expressed concern over the couple's volatile communication style, which is on display in a fighting scene that leads to Paul's arrest.

Paul was arrested in February 2023 on charges including assault and committing domestic violence when a child was present. She reached a plea deal in her assault case in late August 2023. She pled guilty to aggravated assault, and the other charges against her were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they were permanently dismissed, according to court documents viewed by  The Salt Lake Tribune .

In an interview with TODAY.com , the TikToker reflected on a moment of turmoil in her relationship, though didn't explicitly refer to the arrest.

“I forgot the cameras were there and Dakota and I got into a fight.... My true emotions come out and I think I got a little angry and open up. I think that’s the first time I share what’s going on in my head. Not that I regret doing that. It opened up to be honest about what was going on. Maybe I regret how I said it,” she said.

During Paul's pregnancy, Mortensen was eager to engaged. However, Paul was hesitant to take their relationship to the next level and cited "lies" he told her at the beginning of their relationship as one of the main reasons.

In a confessional interview, she recalled a time at the beginning of their relationship when they weren't exclusively dating yet. Paul said Mortensen lied about hanging out with his male friends but later admitted that he hooked up with another woman that night.

"I've been honest that I'm not ready to progress because I'm scared something else is gonna come out. But do you blame me?" she asked.

Meanwhile, Mortensen said that Paul regularly "self-sabotaged" their relationship.

The series ends on a cliffhanger for Paul and Mortensen

Mayci neeley, one of paul's #momtok friends, said she's "protective" of paul's relationship with mortensen in one episode of "the secret lives of mormon wives.".

Neeley, Paul and Mortensen have a heart-to-heart conversation in one episode and air out their feelings.

However, Neeley ends the season by calling a woman who claims to have "accidentally slept with" Mortensen before she knew that he was dating Paul.

How is their relationship today?

Despite Neeley's revelations, Paul said she and Mortensen are together.

Paul told TODAY.comthey're in a "good" place today. She also noted that Mortensen and her ex-husband "get along."

“They’re buddies, you know, and I’m buddies with (Tate’s) partner,” she said. “I don’t know if that makes anyone uncomfortable, but that’s OK, because I think it’s part of my story. It’s authentic.”

Paul, who still has videos of her ex-husband posted on her social media, said he will always play a role in her life.

“It’s still such a part of my story, my life. It’s my my kids’ dad,” she said. “So (Tate) is still going to always be an important figure in their lives and mine.”

Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookie dough.

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Screen Rant

The visit ending explained: is the m. night shyamalan movie based on a true story.

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Every Character M. Night Shyamalan Played In His Own Movies

The first "found footage" movie came 38 years before the blair witch project, how many m. night shyamalan movies really have twists.

• "The Visit" is a twist-filled thriller that earned its scares through a plausible story and clever use of found footage genre.
• Despite being eerily plausible, "The Visit" is actually a work of pure fiction and not based on a true story.
• The film explores themes of aging, fear, and generational trauma, while also highlighting the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.

M. Night Shyamalan's twist-filled thriller The Visit kept viewers guessing all the way up to the shocking conclusion, but is the found footage horror hit based on a true story? Released in 2015, The Visit follows teen siblings Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) as they are sent to spend a week with their estranged grandparents. Naturally, strange things are afoot, and the teens must learn the shocking truth about their relatives. As with all of Shyamalan's horror movies, The Visit built up to a shocking twist that many didn't see coming, but it cleverly incorporated humor in a way that left many perplexed by its tone.

Despite a largely mixed critical reaction (via Rotten Tomatoes ), The Visit was a bona fide financial success (via Box Office Mojo ) and it stands as one of M. Night Shyamalan's highest-grossing movies . Unlike many of Shyamalan's other films which incorporate fantastical elements, The Visit earned its scares by being an entirely plausible story. Visually speaking, Shyamalan used the found footage genre deftly to convey a deeper meaning, and he got genuinely creepy moments from what could have easily been goofy. The compelling mix of plausibility and realism had many wondering whether The Visit was actually based on a true story.

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has played characters in 11 of his movies, ranging from starring roles to the smallest of cameos.

The Visit Is Not Based On A True Story

Despite being eerily plausible, The Visit was actually a work of pure fiction and had no connection to real life. The script was penned by M. Night Shyamalan himself, with many of the movie's more positive reviews calling it a return to his former glory. Nearly all the writer/director's films have been works of his own imagination and in an interview with Geeks of Doom he said " That is the primal thing of it, that we are scared of getting old. Playing on that is a powerful conceit ". The director would return to that theme a few years later in 2021's Old but to a less effective extent.

The Grandparents Twist Explained

Throughout the film, Becca and Tyler are unsure about the behavior of their Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) and Nana (Deana Dunagan), who have seemingly grown worse as the story progresses. Obviously, something wasn't right about the elderly couple, but the pieces finally clicked when Becca discovered the remains of her real grandparents stashed away in the basement. It is revealed that Pop Pop and Nana are actually escaped patients from the local mental health facility and that they have killed Becca and Tyler's grandparents to assume their lives. It is unclear whether the two escapees would have posed a threat to the kids if they hadn't nosed around.

If there is one thing that the multi-talented Shyamalan is best known for it is his films' abundant use of shocking twists towards the end of his stories. Nearly every M. Night Shyamalan twist has kept audiences guessing, and The Visit was unique because it truly earned its shocking climax. Unlike earlier films which stuck a twist in just to fulfill the obligation, The Visit naturally built towards the twist, and it was a crucial part of the plot, unlike so many throw-away gimmick twists of the past.

Why The Visit Is A Found Footage Movie

Thanks to blockbuster horror hits like Paranormal Activity , the found footage genre started to expand in earnest at the beginning of the 2010s. However, by 2015 and the release of The Visit , the style had largely fallen out of favor. Despite this downturn in popularity, The Visit nevertheless opted for an approach that innovated the found footage tropes by injecting a bit of humor and eschewing the self-serious tone. From a story perspective, The Visit is a found footage movie because it is about Becca's quest to chronicle her family for a documentary, but the choice actually goes deeper.

Unlike other directors who chose found footage as a cheap way to save on the movie's budget, Shyamalan intellectualized the style by making it crucial to the plot. In the same Geeks of Doom interview, the director mentioned " The camera is an extension of those characters...It is manifesting in literal cinematography in this particular movie ". Additionally, Becca's abundant camera usage actually factors into the plot, such as when she shows the footage to her mother, which further integrates it into the fabric of the film.

The Blair Witch Project was key in the history of the found-footage technique, but the very first movie to use this style was released in 1961.

The Significance Of Tyler’s Phobias

Horror movies are all about exploiting common phobias , and The Visit used Tyler's irrational fears as a chance to spook viewers and say something about the themes as well. Tyler is shown to be a bit of a germaphobe, and he also has a fear of freezing to death. While both have rational elements and point back to the omnipresent fear of death from which all phobias stem, Tyler's fears also speak to the idea that the elderly are frightening because they are reminders of death. The slow degradation of the body through aging is a lot like freezing to death, and it is clear that Tyler sees his elderly grandparents as unclean which activates his germ phobia.

The hilariously gruesome scene in which Pop Pop rubs his dirty adult diaper in Tyler's face forces the younger man to confront his fears, and it empowers him later when he finally dispatches the imposter grandpa. It is likely not a coincidence that Tyler kills Pop Pop by slamming his head in the refrigerator, as the ice box is an extension of Tyler's fear of freezing. He literally kills his tormentor with a symbol of the thing that mentally torments him.

How Loretta’s Past Affected The Kids

At the beginning of the film, Becca and Tyler's mom Loretta (Kathryn Hahn) explains that she hasn't spoken to her parents in 15 years because she eloped with one of her high school teachers when she was only a teenager. Instead of facing her problems like an adult, Loretta instead allowed her kids to act as a bridge between the generations, inadvertently sending them to live with two violent escapees from the local mental health ward. Loretta would later reveal that Nana and Pop Pop aren't her parents in one of Shyamalan's most terrifying scares , but she was away on a cruise and couldn't come to their aid.

This forces her kids to mature faster than she ever could, and they go on the offense as they are tasked with escaping from the murderous impostors occupying their grandparent's home. At the end of the film, Loretta explains her last interaction with her parents turned violent, which sheds a bit of light on why she couldn't just face up to the past. In some ways, Loretta's choices as a teenager eventually led to the precarious situation that Becca and Tyler ended up in, and she passed a bit of generational trauma on to them.

Why Becca Puts Her Father In The Documentary

Having survived the harrowing ordeal, Becca's documentary finally begins to take shape at the very end of The Visit . She is given the chance to cut in footage of her estranged father, and though Loretta informs her she doesn't have to, Becca opts to put him in. This choice shows that Becca has matured significantly since the titular visit, and she has come to the realization that forgiveness really is the best path. Loretta could never forgive her parents, and it robbed her of a chance for reconciliation. By putting her dad in the documentary, Becca left that door open for her future self and maybe her own children too.

M. Night Shyamalan is famous for his signature twist endings but when put under a more discerning lens, not all of his films have an authentic twist.

The Real Meaning Of The Visit’s Ending

From a horror perspective, the ending of The Visit is all about the fear of death as personified by the elderly. Nana and Pop Pop are terrifying embodiments of the eventual degradation of the body, though they also fill the role of the conventional horror antagonist. However, from a more thematic side, The Visit is also about forgiveness and reconciliation, as the harboring of deep-seated pain can eventually lead to a bad outcome. Even if it isn't literally an encounter with escaped murderers, it is at least a path of nothing but pain and loss.

The Visit Ending, Explained: What’s Wrong With the Grandparents?

In M. Night Shyamalan’s 2015 horror film, ‘The Visit,’ the audience accompanies a pair of young protagonists on a trip that leads to more menacing outcomes than one expects from a visit to Grandma’s house. After their distant grandparents, Nana and Pop Pop, reach out to teenage sibling duo Becca and Tyler, the pair takes the former up on their invitation for a week-long stay. However, upon arrival, armed with several cameras for Becca’s documentary, the two quickly begin noticing the strange happenings that seem to occur at the house after nightfall. Thus, the kids find themselves fending for themselves as each day unravels more erratic behavior by their aging grandparents, with the night bringing something more sinister.

The found footage film builds a compelling thriller narrative that gradually boosts its suspense until the final act delivers a startling and much-anticipated plot twist that fans have come to expect from the filmmaker. Nonetheless, the same conclusive twist may have left some of the viewers with a few questions. SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Visit Plot Synopsis

In her late teens, Loretta Jamison ran away with a substitute teacher from her high school, Corin, causing a rift between herself and her parents. As a result, years later, after Corin has abandoned his family, Loretta’s 15-year-old daughter, Becca, and 14-year-old Tyler have never met their grandparents. However, their distant relationship stands to change when the old couple reaches out to their grandkids, extending a home-visit invitation. Even though Loretta is against the idea, she doesn’t try to stop her children after they decide to visit her childhood home.

As such, while Loretta leaves for a cruise with her boyfriend, her kids take the train to visit their grandparents with promises of routine Skype calls. Becca, an aspiring filmmaker, decides to document the entire thing in hopes of learning the specifics about her mother and grandparents’ falling out. Consequently, Bella and Fredrick Spencer arrive at the train station on Monday morning to pick up their grandkids with enthusiastic smiles. Their first day together goes smoothly, and as it comes to an end, the kids’ grandpa, Pop Pop, instructs them about a 9:30 bedtime rule.

Although the kids don’t think of it much at first, Becca learns the merit of following through with the rule after she ventures out for a midnight snack and witnesses her Nana, sick and frantically throwing up. Even more frightening, the morning after, the woman abruptly and manically chases the kids under the house’s crawlspace during an impromptu game of hide-n-seek. Throughout the day, the kids’ concern grows further after noticing a few disturbing things about Pop Pop, such as his lack of bowel control and tendency to attack strangers in a fit of paranoia.

The following night, Tyler’s worries grow after he spots Nana wildly scratching at the walls outside the kids’ guest room in a stark state of undress. However, after Becca asks Pop Pop about the older woman’s condition, she receives a plausible answer about Nana’s sundowning issue, establishing her concerning after-hours behavior is similar to sleepwalking.

The explanation satisfies Becca, who attempts to return to her mission to learn about her mother’s relationship with Nana and Pop Pop. Still, she doesn’t make much progress since the topic seems to trigger a violent episode in her grandmother. Meanwhile, Tyler remains weary of his grandparents’ actions and insists they should spy on them by setting up cameras in the living room. Although Becca is initially against the idea, she agrees after walking in on Pop Pop with a rifle’s barrel in his mouth.

Even so, the plan backfires when Nana spots the camera on her nightly manic episode and attempts to break into the kids’ room armed with a knife. Once Becca realizes their lives may be in danger after reviewing the night’s footage, she decides to ask Loretta to pick them up on account of the dangerous circumstances. However, the kids are in for a big surprise when they show the elderly couple to their mother from a window, only to learn that the people they have spent the past few days with are not their grandparents.

The Visit Ending: Who Are The Old Couple? What Did They Do To The Real Grandparents?

As a slow burn of mourning suspense and horror, the film reveals Nana and Pop Pop’s concerning attributes in slow bouts. At first, the behavior that the couple exhibits can be easily explained as a condition of their old age, with sundowning, memory issues, and paranoia forming the baseline. Yet, as the film progresses, the old couple becomes more and more dangerous— first toward themselves and then the kids.

Due to Loretta’s dramatic exit from her parents’ house, the woman seldom speaks to the couple, even as she regularly calls the kids. Furthermore, a seemingly innocent accident damages Becca’s webcam, robbing the mother of any visual cues. Therefore, it isn’t until Thursday morning, when Becca and Tyler have begun fearing for their lives, that Loretta glimpses at the old couple. Consequently, she realizes all this time, her kids have been living with a pair of strangers who are pretending to be their grandparents.

The revelation immediately sets Loretta into action, who tries to contact the cops and reach her kids as soon as possible. In the meantime, she advises her kids to seek help from the neighbors to put distance between themselves and the imposters. Nevertheless, the old couple prevents Becca and Tyler from leaving the house with the idea of a family game night. Thus, with tension in the air, the kids find themselves enduring a game of Yahtzee until the old woman’s incoming mental episode gives Becca an excuse to slip away.

Using the opportunity to explore the house and learn about the imposters, Becca ventures into the forbidden basement, where she suspects her actual grandparents to be. Inside, she finds all the answers to her questions as Becca’s hunch turns out to be true in the worst way possible.

As it would turn out, the imposter old couple is a pair of psychiatric hospital patients, where the actual Bella and Patrick Spencer volunteered. The psychotic couple believed they were from an alien planet, Sinmorfitellia. As such, the pair drowned their own kids inside a well that they believed to hold a passage to the alien planet. For the same reason, they were being under monitoring in the psychic hospital.

Nonetheless, the couple escaped their bounds after the Spencers revealed their plans for a family reunion with their grandkids. Envious of the other couple, the imposters, Claire and Mitchell, killed the former pair and overtook their identities to spend the week with Becca and Tyler. Consequently, the duo managed to evade outsiders anytime they came looking for them at the house and ultimately killed their neighbor, Stacey, when she realized their reality.

Soon after Becca learns this truth, Mitchell locks her up in a room with a psychotic Claire, undergoing her violent episode. Despite their earlier attempts at domestic bliss, the couple’s instincts compel them to harm the children. Nevertheless, before the older woman can choke Becca to death, the girl manages to get her hands on a mirror shard and stabs her attacker to death. Afterward, she rushes to her younger brother’s aid, whom Mitchel is psychologically torturing.

However, with his sister’s element of surprise, Tyler manages to overpower Mitchell, unleashing raw rage and bashing the older man to death by slamming the refrigerator door at his head. Ultimately, after killing the old couple pretending to be their grandparents, Becca and Tyler make it out of the experience alive and reunite with their mother.

Why Did Loretta Stop Talking To Her Parents?

By the film’s end, Loretta’s sore relationship with her parents remains the one last mystery. Arguably, the woman’s reluctance to speak to her parents played a part in the kids’ entrapment since the latter had no point of reference to distinguish their relatives from strangers. Furthermore, part of Becca’s curiosity about her grandparents stemmed from Loretta’s refusal to speak about them to her own kids.

As such, after Becca and Tyler have returned to the safety of their home, Loretta sits down for one last interview for her daughter’s documentary, where she speaks about her past with her parents. When 19-year-old Loretta tried to run away from home with Corin, her high school teacher, the former’s parents wanted to stop her. Nevertheless, the same only resulted in an altercation where Loretta hit her mother, followed by the former’s father hitting his daughter.

Therefore, Loretta’s last day on the farm gave birth to several familial complications. Although Loretta’s parents tried to apologize and solve things afterward, the woman continued to avoid them years and years into the future. For the same reason, Loretta imparts a lesson to her daughter to never hold grudges so hard that they end up ruining things. In turn, Becca, who despises her father for abandoning them, decides to learn from her mother’s mistakes. Unlike Loretta, who refused to speak to her parents, leading to regret after their death, Becca chooses to include home videos of her father in the documentary to close the narrative as a sign of her forgiveness.

Read More: Is The Visit Based on a True Story?

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