by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Have you ever seen your doppelgänger? I am sure at some point you have seen someone in life that has a fleeting resemblance to you. They might even be the perfect image of you. There are most certainly your celebrity lookalikes as well. I have gotten plenty of brunette actors with strong features and sideburns (yeah… talking about you, Jemaine Clement). But sometimes you see an old photo and you begin to question if you are a time traveler. I have seen those “Keanu Reeves” and “Nicolas Cage” photos of them centuries before now. Blumhouse’s latest plays on that idea in the form of The Visitor.
Seems like an interesting concept, doesn’t it? There was a lot of potential that director Justin P. Lange could work with. Unfortunately, the film leans heavily into too many cheap means to portray story and scares. There are a few jump scares that don’t deliver significant frights. Besides that, this fill does not have the suspense and tension to warrant the type of genre that The Visitor means to play around in. Before you can get into the actual story, the rest of the attempted effects of the film just don’t land. Sure, this story turns out to be an eerie and disturbing idea, but the actual feel is blunted and dulled.
Does the script do the film any favors? I will not get into the “twists” and “turns” of the film because I would never want to spoil it. The unfortunate thing is that they are obvious, which leaves you wanting more once the revelations begin. You can see these plot points coming a mile away, and they are so obvious. One reason that everything is so obvious is the blunted “foreshadowing” at the beginning of the film. There is a book that is literally dropped in which sets up so many of the themes and ideas. So on-the-nose, this reveal feels condescending to the audience. Then you are treated to too many scenes of “picture that looks like Finn Jones” (the film’s lead actor) and then some freaks out. Obviously, this is bad, and after a while it becomes annoying. The only genuine and shocking reveal is so uncomfortable that you have already probably checked out of the film.
How do the actors elevate the film? Jones is not the strongest actor, and he falters as the lead in this film. His performance waves between flat as the plains and overacting to the point of laughing at the screen (his drunk acting is terrible). He also feels so out of place, and if I had to see him act confused one more time, I would have exploded (this reaction happens what feels like 20 times throughout the film). Everyone else gets so little to work with that they don’t stand out.
How can an intriguing concept go so wrong? When you have no tension or genuine scares, it is hard to sell a horror film. When your lead lacks presence, it is hard to connect with the film. When your script is obvious and contrived, it is hard to keep your audience’s attention. The Visitor turns out to be a misfire.
Score: 2/10
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