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Parents' Guide to

The Visit

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Shyamalan's found-footage spooker has teens in peril.

Movie PG-13 2015 94 minutes
The Visit Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 18 parent reviews

age 10+
it is not scary at all, stupidest movie ever. i said ten and up only because of nana's nudity, which was gross and inappropriate.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
3 people found this helpful.
age 14+
This was a great movie, the last 30 minutes was super scary, even more scary than The Conjuring. It was creepy.
2 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18 ):
Kids say (79 ):

After several perplexing misfires, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has scaled back, gone for a lower budget and a lighter tone, and emerged with his most effective movie in over a decade. THE VISIT begins interestingly; the potentially creepy moments can be easily explained away and even laughed off, but the director still manages to create a subtle, creeping dread that steadily builds toward the climax.

Shyamalan uses the found-footage concept with more creativity than most other filmmakers, displaying his usual intriguing grasp of three-dimensional space, as well as empty space. The characters themselves are even aware of certain cinematic theories that could make their "documentary" more interesting. They're refreshingly intelligent and self-aware, and they never blunder stupidly into any situation. If the movie has a drawback, it's that fans will be looking hard for clues to one of Shyamalan's big "twists." As to what it is, or whether there is one, we're not saying.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: September 11, 2015
  • On DVD or streaming: January 5, 2016
  • Cast: Kathryn Hahn , Ed Oxenbould , Olivia DeJonge
  • Director: M. Night Shyamalan
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Universal Pictures
  • Genre: Horror
  • Run time: 94 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: disturbing thematic material including terror, violence and some nudity, and for brief language
  • Last updated: April 6, 2023

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