movie where grandkids visit grandparents

The Visit Explained (Plot And Ending)

The Visit is a 2015  horror   thriller  directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It follows two siblings who visit their estranged grandparents only to discover something is very wrong with them. As the children try to uncover the truth, they are increasingly terrorized by their grandparents’ bizarre behaviour. Here’s the plot and ending of The Visit explained; spoilers ahead.

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Here are links to the key aspects of the movie:

• – The Story
• – Plot Explained
• – Ending Explained
• – The Sense Of Dread
• – Separation, Remorse, and Personal Fears
• – Frequently Asked Questions Answered
• – Wrap Up

What is the story of The Visit?

The Visit is about two kids visiting their grandparents for the first time. They are also going there to hope and rebuild a bridge between their mom and grandparents and help their mom heal after a painful divorce. The movie is in documentary form.

The Visit is one of the most unnerving and realistic horror stories. A good thing about classic horror movies is that, after the movie ends, you can switch it off and go to bed,  knowing that you’re safe . Vampires, ghosts, and demonic powers don’t exist, and even if you are prone to these kinds of esoteric beliefs, there are safeguards. If your home is not built in an Indian burial ground and you haven’t bought any creepy-looking dolls from your local antiquary, you’re perfectly safe.

However, what about the idea of two kids spending five days with two escaped psychiatric ward patients in a remote farmhouse? Now, this is a thought that will send shivers down your spine. It’s a story that sounds not just realistic but real. It’s  something that might have happened in the past  or might happen in the future.

This is  what  The Visit  is all about . This idea, coupled with documentary-form storytelling, is why the movie is so unnerving to watch.

The Visit: Plot Explained

Loretta’s past.

As a young girl, Loretta Jamison fell in love with her high school teacher and decided to skip her hometown with him. Before leaving, she had a heated altercation with her parents and hasn’t seen them since. At the movie’s start, she is a single mom of 15-year-old Becca and 14-year-old Tyler, and she  hasn’t spoken to her parents in 15 years .

What really happened on the day Loretta left?

Loretta’s mom tries to stop her from leaving the house, and Loretta hits her mom, and her dad hits her. Soon after, her parents try to reach out to Loretta, but she refuses to take their calls, and years go by.

Meet The Grandparents

Years later, Loretta’s parents reach out to  meet their grandchildren . The grandparents are, seemingly, wholly reformed and now even help at the local psychiatric hospital. Although initially not too fond of the idea, Loretta is persuaded by the insistence of her children. While she had no intention of visiting the parents, she permitted her children to pay their grandparents a five-day visit.

At The Grandparents’

Their first meeting with Nana and Pop Pop starts on the right foot. They start getting to know each other, and other than a simple generational gap, nothing seems too strange. The only thing that seems off is that they are warned  not to leave the room after 9:30 in the evening .

The kids break this rule, and on the first night, they notice  Nana acting erratically , projectile vomiting, scratching wallpaper with her bare hands, and running around the house on all fours. Grandpa appears paranoid and hides his adult diapers in the garden shed, and the situation escalates each day.

The Visit Ending Explained: What happens in the end?

The ending of Visit has the kids finally showing the elderly couple to Loretta. She, completely horrified, states that  those are not her parents . The pair posing as Pop Pop and Nana are escaped psychiatric institution patients who murdered their grandparents and took their places.

The kids survive, kill their captors, and are found alive and well by their mom and the police. Becca kills Nana with a shard from the mirror, thus symbolically overcoming her fear of her reflection. Tyler kills Pop Pop by repeatedly slamming him in the head with a refrigerator door after overcoming his germaphobia and anxiety about freezing.

The Sense Of Dread

The elements of horror in this movie are just  perfectly executed . First of all, the film is shot as a documentary. Becca is an aspiring filmmaker who records the entire trip with her camera. From time to time, we see an interview of all the characters, which just serves as the perfect vessel for characterization.

No Ghouls or Cults

Another thing that evokes dread is  realism . There are no supernatural beings or demonic forces. It’s just two kids alone in a remote farmstead with two creepy, deranged people. Even in the end, when Loretta finds out what’s happening, it takes her hours to get there with the police. The scariest part is that it’s not that hard to imagine something along those lines really happening.

The  house itself is dread-inducing . The place is old and rustic. Like in The Black Phone soundproofing a room  could have prevented kids from hearing Nana rummaging around the house without a clear idea of what was happening, but this was not the case, as the old couple weren’t that capable.

The  characters  themselves  are perfectly played . Something is unnerving about Pop Pop and Nana from the very first scene. It’s the Uncanny Valley scenario where you feel that something’s off and shakes you to the core, but you have no idea what it is.

Separation, Remorse, and Personal Fears

What this movie does the best is explore the  ugly side of separation, old grudges, and remorse . The main reason why kids are insistent on visiting their grandparents is out of their desire to help their mom.

They see she’s remorseful for never  working things out with her parents . In light of her failed marriage and the affair that caused it to end, she might live with the doubt that her parents were right all along. This makes her decision and altercation with her parents even worse. Reconciling when you know you were wrong is harder than forgiving the person who wronged you.

The Kids’ Perspective

There are personal fears and  traumas of the kids . Tyler, in his childish naivete, is convinced that his father left because he was disappointed in him as a son. Tyler tells Becca that he froze during one game he played, which disappointed his dad so much that he had to leave. While this sounds ridiculous to any adult (and even Becca), it’s a matter of fact to Tyler. As a result of this trauma, Tyler also developed germaphobia. In Becca’s own words, this gives him a greater sense of control.

On the other hand,  Becca refuses to look at herself in the mirror  or stand in front of the camera if she can help it. Both kids  had to overcome their fears to survive , which is a solid and clear metaphor for how these things sometimes turn out in real life.

Frequently Asked Questions Answered

The visit: what’s wrong with the grandparents who are the grandparents.

The people who hosted Becca and Tyler were runaway psychiatric hospital patients who murdered the real grandparents and took their place. Nana’s impostor (Claire) was actually responsible for murdering her children by drowning them in a well. Pop Pop’s impostor (Mitchell) wanted to give Claire a second chance at having kids / being a grandparent.

How did the imposter grandparents know about the kids’ visit?

It appears Claire and Mitchell hear the real Nana and Pop Pop brag about their grandkids’ visit. They also learned that neither the grandparents nor the kids had seen each other. The real grandparents appear to have been consulting in the same hospital Claire and Mitchell were being treated. The two crazies take this opportunity to break out, kill the real grandparents and go to the station to pick up the children.

The Visit: What is Sinmorfitellia?

Claire and Mitchell believe that Sinmorfitellia is an alien planet, and the creatures from there lurk on Earth. They spit into the waters of wells and ponds all day, which can put people into a deep sleep. They take  sleeping with the fishes  quite literally. Long ago, Claire drowned her children believing they would go to Sinmorfitellia.

The Visit: What happened to the real grandparents?

Claire and Mitchel killed Nana and Pop Pop and put them in the basement. This information went unnoticed because Becca’s laptop’s camera was damaged by Nana, so Loretta could not confirm the imposters. Claire and Mitchel were not present every time someone came to visit, so no one suspected foul play except Stacey, who received help from the real grandparents. As a result, she is killed.

What did Claire and Mitchel intend to do?

They plan to go to Sinmorfitellia with Becca and Tyler. They all plan to die on that last night and enter the well, which they believe is their path to the alien planet where they can be happy together. This is perhaps why the grandparents hang Stacey outside the house because they don’t care about being caught.

The Visit: What’s wrong with Nana?

We don’t know what caused Nana’s mental illness, but she was crazy enough to kill her two children by putting them in suitcases and drowning them in a pond. It appears she suffers from schizophrenia as she has delusions.

The Visit: Wrap Up

From the standpoint of horror, The Visit has it all. An unnerving realistic scenario, real-life trauma, and an atmosphere of fear. Combine this with  some of the best acting work in the genre  and a documentary-style movie, and you’ve got yourself a real masterpiece.

On the downside, the movie leaves you with a lot of open questions like:

• Considering the kids have never seen the grandparents and are going alone, Loretta didn’t ensure her kids knew what her parents looked like?
• How are Claire and Mitchell out and about so close to the hospital without being caught?
• Considering they are mentally ill, how did Claire and Mitchell plot such a thorough plan? (e.g. strategically damaging the camera of the laptop)
• I understand  Suspension Of Disbelief  in horror films, but neither kids drop their cameras despite the terror they go through only so we, the audience, can get the entire narrative?

What were your thoughts on the plot and ending of the movie The Visit? Drop your comments below!

Stacey is a talented freelance writer passionate about all things pop culture. She has a keen eye for detail and a natural talent for storytelling. She’s a super-fan of Game of Thrones, Cats, and Indie Rock Music and can often be found engrossed in complex films and books. Connect with her on her social media handles to learn more about her work and interests.

The Visit Explained (Plot And Ending)

The Visit is a 2015  horror   thriller  directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It follows two siblings who visit their estranged grandparents only to discover something is very wrong with them. As the children try to uncover the truth, they are increasingly terrorized by their grandparents’ unconvincing behaviour. Here’s the plot and ending of The Visit explained; spoilers ahead.

Here are links to the key aspects of the movie:

• – The Story
• – Plot Explained
• – Ending Explained
• – The Sense Of Dread
• – Separation, Remorse, and Personal Fears
• – Frequently Asked Questions Answered
• – Wrap Up

What is the story of The Visit?

The Visit is well-nigh two kids visiting their grandparents for the first time. They are moreover going there to hope and rebuild a underpass between their mom and grandparents and help their mom heal without a painful divorce. The movie is in documentary form.

The Visit is one of the most unnerving and realistic horror stories. A good thing well-nigh archetype horror movies is that, without the movie ends, you can switch it off and go to bed,  knowing that you’re safe . Vampires, ghosts, and demonic powers don’t exist, and plane if you are prone to these kinds of esoteric beliefs, there are safeguards. If your home is not built in an Indian solemnities ground and you haven’t bought any creepy-looking dolls from your local antiquary, you’re perfectly safe.

However, what well-nigh the idea of two kids spending five days with two escaped psychiatric ward patients in a remote farmhouse? Now, this is a thought that will send shivers lanugo your spine. It’s a story that sounds not just realistic but real. It’s  something that might have happened in the past  or might happen in the future.

This is  what  The Visit  is all about . This idea, coupled with documentary-form storytelling, is why the movie is so unnerving to watch.

The Visit: Plot Explained

Loretta’s past.

As a young girl, Loretta Jamison fell in love with her upper school teacher and decided to skip her hometown with him. Before leaving, she had a heated wrangling with her parents and hasn’t seen them since. At the movie’s start, she is a single mom of 15-year-old Becca and 14-year-old Tyler, and she  hasn’t spoken to her parents in 15 years .

What really happened on the day Loretta left?

Loretta’s mom tries to stop her from leaving the house, and Loretta hits her mom, and her dad hits her. Soon after, her parents try to reach out to Loretta, but she refuses to take their calls, and years go by.

Meet The Grandparents

Years later, Loretta’s parents reach out to  meet their grandchildren . The grandparents are, seemingly, wholly reformed and now plane help at the local psychiatric hospital. Although initially not too fond of the idea, Loretta is persuaded by the insistence of her children. While she had no intention of visiting the parents, she permitted her children to pay their grandparents a five-day visit.

At The Grandparents’

Their first meeting with Nana and Pop Pop starts on the right foot. They start getting to know each other, and other than a simple generational gap, nothing seems too strange. The only thing that seems off is that they are warned  not to leave the room without 9:30 in the evening .

The kids unravel this rule, and on the first night, they notice  Nana vicarial erratically , projectile vomiting, scratching wallpaper with her yellowish hands, and running virtually the house on all fours. Grandpa appears paranoid and hides his sultana diapers in the garden shed, and the situation escalates each day.

The Visit Ending Explained: What happens in the end?

The ending of Visit has the kids finally showing the elderly couple to Loretta. She, completely horrified, states that  those are not her parents . The pair posing as Pop Pop and Nana are escaped psychiatric institution patients who murdered their grandparents and took their places.

The kids survive, skiver their captors, and are found working and well by their mom and the police. Becca kills Nana with a shard from the mirror, thus symbolically overcoming her fear of her reflection. Tyler kills Pop Pop by repeatedly slamming him in the throne with a refrigerator door without overcoming his germaphobia and uneasiness well-nigh freezing.

The Sense Of Dread

The elements of horror in this movie are just  perfectly executed . First of all, the mucosa is shot as a documentary. Becca is an aspiring filmmaker who records the unshortened trip with her camera. From time to time, we see an interview of all the characters, which just serves as the perfect vessel for characterization.

No Ghouls or Cults

Another thing that evokes dread is  realism . There are no supernatural beings or demonic forces. It’s just two kids vacated in a remote farmstead with two creepy, deranged people. Plane in the end, when Loretta finds out what’s happening, it takes her hours to get there with the police. The scariest part is that it’s not that nonflexible to imagine something withal those lines really happening.

The  house itself is dread-inducing . The place is old and rustic. Like in The Black Phone soundproofing a room  could have prevented kids from hearing Nana rummaging virtually the house without a well-spoken idea of what was happening, but this was not the case, as the old couple weren’t that capable.

The  characters  themselves  are perfectly played . Something is unnerving well-nigh Pop Pop and Nana from the very first scene. It’s the Uncanny Valley scenario where you finger that something’s off and shakes you to the core, but you have no idea what it is.

Separation, Remorse, and Personal Fears

What this movie does the weightier is explore the  ugly side of separation, old grudges, and remorse . The main reason why kids are insistent on visiting their grandparents is out of their desire to help their mom.

They see she’s remorseful for never  working things out with her parents . In light of her failed marriage and the topic that caused it to end, she might live with the doubt that her parents were right all along. This makes her visualization and wrangling with her parents plane worse. Reconciling when you know you were wrong is harder than forgiving the person who wronged you.

The Kids’ Perspective

There are personal fears and  traumas of the kids . Tyler, in his unwise naivete, is convinced that his father left considering he was disappointed in him as a son. Tyler tells Becca that he froze during one game he played, which disappointed his dad so much that he had to leave. While this sounds ridiculous to any sultana (and plane Becca), it’s a matter of fact to Tyler. As a result of this trauma, Tyler moreover ripened germaphobia. In Becca’s own words, this gives him a greater sense of control.

On the other hand,  Becca refuses to squint at herself in the mirror  or stand in front of the camera if she can help it. Both kids  had to overcome their fears to survive , which is a solid and well-spoken metaphor for how these things sometimes turn out in real life.

Frequently Asked Questions Answered

The visit: what’s wrong with the grandparents who are the grandparents.

The people who hosted Becca and Tyler were runaway psychiatric hospital patients who murdered the real grandparents and took their place. Nana’s impostor (Claire) was unquestionably responsible for murdering her children by drowning them in a well. Pop Pop’s impostor (Mitchell) wanted to requite Claire a second endangerment at having kids / stuff a grandparent.

How did the imposter grandparents know well-nigh the kids’ visit?

It appears Claire and Mitchell hear the real Nana and Pop Pop brag well-nigh their grandkids’ visit. They moreover learned that neither the grandparents nor the kids had seen each other. The real grandparents towards to have been consulting in the same hospital Claire and Mitchell were stuff treated. The two crazies take this opportunity to unravel out, skiver the real grandparents and go to the station to pick up the children.

The Visit: What is Sinmorfitellia?

Claire and Mitchell believe that Sinmorfitellia is an wayfarer planet, and the creatures from there lurk on Earth. They spit into the waters of wells and ponds all day, which can put people into a deep sleep. They take  sleeping with the fishes  quite literally. Long ago, Claire drowned her children yoyo they would go to Sinmorfitellia.

The Visit: What happened to the real grandparents?

Claire and Mitchel killed Nana and Pop Pop and put them in the basement. This information went unnoticed considering Becca’s laptop’s camera was damaged by Nana, so Loretta could not personize the imposters. Claire and Mitchel were not present every time someone came to visit, so no one suspected foul play except Stacey, who received help from the real grandparents. As a result, she is killed.

What did Claire and Mitchel intend to do?

They plan to go to Sinmorfitellia with Becca and Tyler. They all plan to die on that last night and enter the well, which they believe is their path to the wayfarer planet where they can be happy together. This is perhaps why the grandparents hang Stacey outside the house considering they don’t superintendency well-nigh stuff caught.

The Visit: What’s wrong with Nana?

We don’t know what caused Nana’s mental illness, but she was crazy unbearable to skiver her two children by putting them in suitcases and drowning them in a pond. It appears she suffers from schizophrenia as she has delusions.

The Visit: Wrap Up

From the standpoint of horror, The Visit has it all. An unnerving realistic scenario, real-life trauma, and an undercurrent of fear. Combine this with  some of the weightier vicarial work in the genre  and a documentary-style movie, and you’ve got yourself a real masterpiece.

On the downside, the movie leaves you with a lot of unshut questions like:

• Considering the kids have never seen the grandparents and are going alone, Loretta didn’t ensure her kids knew what her parents looked like?
• How are Claire and Mitchell out and well-nigh so tropical to the hospital without stuff caught?
• Considering they are mentally ill, how did Claire and Mitchell plot such a thorough plan? (e.g. strategically rabble-rousing the camera of the laptop)
• I understand  Suspension Of Disbelief  in horror films, but neither kids waif their cameras despite the terror they go through only so we, the audience, can get the unshortened narrative?

What were your thoughts on the plot and ending of the movie The Visit? Waif your comments below!

The post The Visit Explained (Plot And Ending) appeared first on This is Barry .

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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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‘The Visit’ Ending Explained: Family Reunions Can Be Torture

What's wrong with Grandma?

The Big Picture

• In M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit , the main characters discover that the grandparents they are staying with are actually dangerous imposters.
• The twist is revealed when the children's mother realizes that the people claiming to be their grandparents are strangers who have assumed their identities.
• The climax of the film involves a tense and dangerous confrontation between the children and the imposters, resulting in the reveal of the true identities of the grandparents.

M. Night Shyamalan is considered a master at delivering drop-your-popcorn-level twisty conclusions to his haunting films. People still talk about the end of The Sixth Sense as perhaps one of the greatest twists in the history of modern cinema. The jaw-dropper at the end of Unbreakable ranks close to the top as well. But there is another pretty decent curveball that the director tosses up in a lesser-known movie that is currently streaming on Max. In 2016's The Visit (which is currently streaming on Max ) he plays on the hallowed relationship between children and their doting grandparents. How could Shyamalan toy with the innocence of this? It is an excellent film that deftly blends found footage with the director's signature slow-burning tension to leave audiences with yet another "WTF?" moment . Let's dig into what exactly happens at the end of his underrated movie, The Visit .

Two siblings become increasingly frightened by their grandparents' disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation.

What is 'The Visit' About?

Young Becca Jamison ( Olivia DeJonge ) and little brother Tyler ( Ed Oxenbould ) are sent away by their divorced mother Loretta ( Kathryn Hahn ) to finally meet and spend some time with their grandparents , Frederick, or Pop Pop ( Peter McRobbie ), and Maria, better known as Nana ( Deanna Dunagan ). They have a nice rural estate away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it feels like this is going to be a heartwarming story of two generations of the Jamisons getting to know each other. It seems a bit odd that these two preteens have yet to meet their maternal grandparents, but Shyamalan explains that nicely in the first few scenes: Loretta has had a years-long falling out with her parents after leaving the family farm at the age of 19.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Eerie Found Footage Horror Movie Deserves Another Look

Loretta is still estranged from her parents but she wants her children to have a relationship with them — she only wants to go on a cruise with her new boyfriend and needs someone to watch the kids. So, the children have no idea what their Nana and Pop Pop actually look like. And you can feel something amiss from the very beginning of the film as the two precocious but excited kids set off to meet their grandparents. The entire film is told through the kids' (mainly Becca, an aspiring filmmaker) camcorder, as they have decided to document their trip. It's clear right away that Becca resents her father as a result of his abandonment, as she refuses to include any footage of her dad in her film.

Shyamalan Expertly Builds Tension in 'The Visit'

Upon the kids' arrival, Nana and Pop Pop seem like regular grandparents with regular questions like, "Do you like sports?" and "Why are your pants so low?" Nana tends to the chores like cooking and cleaning while Pop Pop handles the more rugged work outdoors like cutting wood. Naturally, Shyamalan tightens the screws immediately when the audience discovers that there is little to no cell phone reception, so he can isolate our four players into a single space. The Grandparents seem fairly easygoing but they have one strict rule — the kids must not come out of their bedroom after 9:30 pm. The very first night, Nana exhibits some bizarre behavior, walking aimlessly through the downstairs portion of the house and vomiting on the floor. However, the next morning she seems to be just fine.

Pop Pop explains to Becca and Tyler that she suffers from "sundowning" which is a very real diagnosis that usually affects the elderly . He tells them that at night Nana gets this feeling that something is in her body and just wants to get out. Pop Pop is clear and coherent, and yet again, we, along with our two young lead characters, assume the grandparents, while odd, are nothing to fear. A Zoom call with Loretta further assuages their fear by explaining away all the strange behavior as part of getting older. It's a back-and-forth that Shyamalan expertly navigates by pushing the audience only so far before reeling it back in with a logical explanation. But soon, things become inexplicably dire and dangerous.

"What's in the shed?" Tyler asks as he looks into the camera while contributing to Becca's documentary . "Is it dead bodies?" What he discovers is a pile of used, discarded adult diapers filled with Pop Pop's excrement. The smell sends Tyler reeling, and he falls out of the shed onto the snowy ground. This time, it's Nana who explains away Pop Pop's odd behavior. She tells her grandson that Pop Pop has incontinence and is so proud that he hides his waste in the shed. At this point, everything seems very odd to say the least, but there is nothing to suggest anything sinister is afoot . Not yet anyway. Even after he attacks a random stranger who he believes is watching him out on the streets on a trip into town, you still just think that maybe Pop Pop may just have a loose screw. However, the sense that these elderly people are something more than doting parents is intensified when Nana leaves Becca inside the oven for several seconds.

What Is the Twist at the End of 'The Visit'?

"Those aren't your grandparents?" Get the heck out of here! What?! Loretta finally sees the two people claiming to be her parents and tells Becca and Tyler via Skype that they aren't their beloved Nana and Pop Pop, but two complete strangers who have assumed their identities. Loretta immediately calls the police, but it will take hours for help to arrive at the remote farmhouse. Becca and Tyler are going to have to play along with these dangerous imposters. After the most tense and awkward game of Yahtzee in the history of board games, things get really, really ugly. Nana and Pop Pop haven't laid a hand on either of the kids in the movie so far. You can feel the slow and excruciating tension that Shyamalan is building . He knows that the audience is waiting for that "point of no return" moment when it is crystal clear that Becca and Tyler's lives are in danger. Becca manages to escape to the basement to discover the dead bodies of two elderly people murdered. Nana and Pop Pop are escaped mental patients from the nearby psychiatric hospital and have killed the real Jamison grandparents.

What Happens at the End of 'The Visit'?

Pop Pop realizes their cover is blown and becomes physical with Becca. He's upset that Becca is ruining Nana's perfect week as a grandmother. He tells her, "We're all dying today, Becca!" pushing her into a pitch-black upstairs room. Meanwhile, he grabs Tyler and takes him into the kitchen, and does one of the most foul and stomach-turning things ever in a Shyamalan film . He takes his used diaper and shoves it in the boy's face. He knows that Tyler is a germaphobe, and it is the most diabolical and traumatizing thing he could do to the boy. Becca is trapped upstairs with the sundowning Nana, fighting for her own life. After a struggle, Becca grasps a shard of glass from the broken mirror and is able to stab Nana multiple times in the gut.

She breaks the lock on the door and runs downstairs to help Tyler. She pulls "Pop Pop" off her traumatized younger brother. Suddenly, Tyler snaps out of his stupor and releases the pent-up anger of his football tackling lessons with his estranged father. He knocks Pop Pop to the ground and slams the refrigerator door on his head over and over . This is significant because earlier in the movie, Becca ribs Tyler about how he froze up during a big play in a youth football game, and this time he comes through to save Becca in the final kitchen scene conquering his biggest fears.

Loretta and the police arrive and the kids run frantically out of the house. The final scene has Loretta setting the record straight for the documentary about the traumatic moments surrounding her running away from home. 15 years before the events of the film, before Becca was born, Loretta fell out with her parents over her decision to marry her teacher. The argument led to Loretta and her parents getting physical with each other, and she left home that night and never responded to their attempts and pleas to reconnect. It's the most emotional scene in the film as Loretta is feeling a huge amount of guilt at never getting to say she was sorry for the strained relationship between her and her parents or getting to possibly hear an apology for the wrongs they also committed. Loretta tells Becca "Don't hold on to anger! You hear me?" The two then share a meaningful embrace. And the final shot is of the two kids with their dad on a birthday when they were much younger.

The Visit is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

Watch on Max

Screen Rant

The grandparents in the visit explained: breaking down the twist's clues & reveal.

M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit has a big twist and shocking reveal about the grandparents, and there were many clues to this throughout the movie.

Spoilers for M. Night Shyamalans' The Visit.

• Loretta's strained relationship with her parents and lack of photos and communication were clues to The Visit's twist.
• Becca and Tyler had never met their grandparents before and didn't know what they looked like.
• The grandparents had strange rules, and Nana's odd behavior during hide-and-seek hinted at their true intentions.

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit has every element that makes a Shyamalan horror movie, including a plot twist that was hinted at throughout the whole movie. After rising to fame in 1999 with The Sixth Sense , M. Night Shyamalan has continued to make movies, mostly horror ones that often include a twist and shocking reveal. Although these elements led to predictable and disappointing reveals and movies, there are others with interesting twists that added to the tension of the story, as was the case of the 2015 found footage horror movie The Visit .

The Visit follows siblings Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), who live with their divorced mother, Loretta (Kathryn Hahn). Loretta hasn’t talked to or seen her parents in 15 years, but when they get into contact with her, Becca and Tyler convince her to let them visit them for a week. As they have never met their grandparents, Becca decides to make a documentary film of the experience. Once with their grandparents at their isolated farmhouse, it all seems normal at first but gets gradually stranger and more disturbing, leading to a shocking reveal: the “grandparents” aren't the real ones, and they killed Loretta’s parents to pose as them .

M. Night Shyamalan's Films Ranked From Absolute Worst To Best (Including Old)

Loretta had no relationship with her parents in the visit, loretta didn’t even take her children to the farm..

The first big red flag in The Visit that pointed at this not being a typical trip to the grandparents’ house was Loretta’s relationship with them. At the beginning of The Visit , Loretta explained that she left her parents’ home after falling in love with Becca and Tyler’s father, whom her parents never approved of. Loretta didn’t share more details at first, but at the end of The Visit , it’s revealed that she had a major argument with her parents in which she hit her mother and her father struck her, and after that, she ignored all their attempts to contact her.

Loretta’s resentment and anger went as far as not showing her children photos of her parents , nor did she make the effort to accompany her children to her parents’ house – after all, it was their first time going there and meeting their grandparents. Loretta’s estranged relationship is one of the biggest and earliest clues to The Visit ’s big twist.

Becca & Tyler Had Never Seen Their Grandparents Before

Becca & tyler had no idea what their grandparents looked like..

Not making them part of her and her children’s lives, and not having any photos of them, made it so Becca and Tyler had no idea of what they actually looked like.

Loretta’s difficult relationship with her parents led to her not talking about them, not making them part of her and her children’s lives, and not having any photos of them, so Becca and Tyler had no idea of what they looked like. This certainly made it easier for the fake grandparents to lure Becca and Tyler in , but it was yet another hint at this not being a normal trip to visit the grandparents.

The Kids Weren’t Allowed To Leave Their Room After 9:30 pm.

The grandparents had a couple of rules that had to be followed..

The first rule was because the “grandparents” were hiding the bodies of the real ones in the basement.

Once at the farm, it seemed like a quiet and calm place and the grandparents seemed pleasant, but they had a couple of rules that Becca and Tyler had to follow. The first one was that they weren’t allowed to go into the basement because it had mold, and the second one was that bedtime was at 9:30 every day, and they weren’t allowed to leave their room after that. The first rule was because the “grandparents” were hiding the bodies of the real ones in the basement, but the second one was more complicated.

Nana acted erratically at night , projectile vomiting, running around the house, crawling like an animal, and ripping the walls while naked, among other disturbing things. Leaving their room after 9:30 pm would have not only endangered Becca and Tyler, but it would have also revealed there was something wrong with the grandparents.

Nana’s Odd Behaviour During Hide-and-Seek

One of the visit’s biggest scarejumps..

With not much to do at the farm, Becca and Tyler decided to play hide and seek under the house, but to their surprise, Nana was also there. Nana chased Tyler and Becca, crawling like an animal , and when they all got out, she acted as if nothing had happened and went back inside the house. That same behavior was repeated later on in the movie, further disturbing Becca and Tyler.

Pop Pop Attacked An Unknown Man On The Street

Pop pop believed he was being followed..

Another red flag in Pop Pop’s behavior (after the reveal of the shed with piles of soiled diapers) was when he and Nana took Becca and Tyler to see the school Loretta attended when she was younger. There, Pop Pop saw a man on the other side of the street and, believing he had been following them for a while, attacked him. It wasn’t until Becca stopped him that Pop Pop realized he didn’t know the man, and though this was brushed off by Becca and Loretta as “old people” behavior, Tyler knew something wasn’t right.

Nana “Accidentally” Covered Becca’s Laptop Camera With Dough

Nana temporarily left becca & tyler without their webcam..

Becca and Tyler kept in touch with Loretta through video calls every day while Loretta was on a cruise with her new boyfriend. One day, Nana apologized to Becca for ruining her laptop as she spilled dough on it and tried to clean it but couldn’t get rid of the dough on the camera. Loretta wasn’t able to see her kids because of this , but it was soon clear Nana did it on purpose so Loretta couldn’t see them and thus tell the kids they weren’t the real grandparents.

Dr. Sam’s Visit To Check On The Grandparents

Dr. sam’s visit was a big clue to what happened to the grandparents..

Had the grandparents been home when Dr. Sam arrived, The Visit would have ended earlier.

During their time at the farm, only two people came to visit. The first one was Dr. Sam, who worked at the same hospital where Becca and Tyler’s grandparents volunteered. The grandparents weren’t around when Dr. Sam arrived, but he told Becca and Tyler that he wanted to check on them as they hadn’t gone to work in a couple of days. Had the grandparents been home when Dr. Sam arrived, The Visit would have ended earlier.

Nana Asked Becca To Clean The Oven

Nana had other intentions..

In one of the most suspenseful and strangest moments in The Visit , Nana suddenly asked Becca to help her clean the back of the oven. Becca did so to help her, but Nana insisted that she reach the far back of it, thus getting in completely. Although Nana didn’t do anything to Becca the first time, the second time she asked her for help she closed the oven to clean the outside and then opened it again, letting Becca out.

This moment is reminiscent of the tale of Hansel & Gretel and how the witch tried to trick Gretel into getting inside the oven.

Stacey’s Visit & Confrontation

Stacey realized these weren’t the real grandparents..

The second visit was from a woman named Stacey, whom Becca and Tyler’s real grandparents had helped in counseling at the hospital. As the grandparents weren’t home when she arrived, she returned later and came face to face with the fake grandparents. Stacey tried to get them to leave with her to take them back to the hospital, but they ended up killing her and hanging her body from a tree. Stacey realized these weren’t Becca and Tyler’s real grandparents , but the siblings didn’t understand her reaction.

Why Nana & Pop Pop Killed The Real Grandparents

Becca & tyler never got to meet their real grandparents..

Nana was revealed to have committed murder in the past, and they were both jealous of the real grandparents’ happiness and the visit of their grandkids.

During Becca and Tyler’s final night at the farm, the truth was unveiled: Nana and Pop Pop were patients at the mental hospital where Becca and Tyler’s grandparents volunteered, and the real ones were murdered by them and their bodies kept in the basement. Nana was revealed to have committed murder in the past, and they were both jealous of the real grandparents’ happiness and the visit of their grandkids , so they killed them and took their place.

Clues like Loretta having no photos of her parents and the kids never having met them were necessary to keep the big reveal of The Visit a secret, while others like Dr. Sam and Stacey’s visit added to the horrors that were about to be unleashed at the farm.

From director M. Night Shyamalan, The Visit follows two siblings who are sent to stay with their estranged grandparents while their mother is out of town on vacation. Realizing that all isn't what it seems during their stay, the siblings set out to find out what is really going on at their grandparents' home. Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould star as Becca and Tyler, with Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, and Kathryn Hahn making up the rest of the main cast. 

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2015 Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

No one loves you like your grandparents.

The terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip. Once the children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day.

Olivia DeJonge Ed Oxenbould Deanna Dunagan Peter McRobbie Kathryn Hahn Celia Keenan-Bolger Samuel Stricklen Patch Darragh Jorge Cordova Steve Annan Benjamin Kanes Ocean James Seamus Moroney Dave Jia Sajida De Leon John Buscemi Richard Barlow Shawn Gonzalez Shelby Lackman

Director Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Producers Producers

M. Night Shyamalan John Burton West Jason Blum

Writer Writer

Casting casting.

Douglas Aibel

Editor Editor

Luke Ciarrocchi

Cinematography Cinematography

Maryse Alberti

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Brian Moon Sebastian Mazzola

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Steven Schneider Ashwin Rajan

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Peter Nolan

Production Design Production Design

Naaman Marshall

Art Direction Art Direction

Scott G. Anderson

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Christine Wick

Special Effects Special Effects

Dane Wilson

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Jennifer Wessner Bob Lowery

Stunts Stunts

Laurie Singer Drew Leary

Sound Sound

Skip Lievsay

Costume Design Costume Design

Amy Westcott

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Teresa Morgan

Blumhouse Productions Blinding Edge Pictures Universal Pictures dentsu

Releases by Date

10 sep 2015, 11 sep 2015, 17 sep 2015, 24 sep 2015, 25 sep 2015, 07 oct 2015, 08 oct 2015, 15 oct 2015, 22 oct 2015, 23 oct 2015, 19 nov 2015, 26 nov 2015, 11 dec 2015, 09 feb 2016, 16 aug 2022, 01 feb 2016, 23 feb 2016, 16 mar 2016, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Theatrical 14A
• Physical 15
• Theatrical 12
• Digital VOD
• Physical 12 DVD & Blu-Ray
• Digital 12 Netflix
• Theatrical 15A

Netherlands

• Theatrical 16
• Physical 16 DVD, Blu ray
• Theatrical M/16

South Korea

• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical 16 ICAA 51215
• Theatrical 15+
• Theatrical PG-13

94 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by sexualjumanji ★★★★½ 8

Just called my grandparents and told them to fuck off forever.

Review by 𝚮𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖎𝖓𝖆𝖉𝖊 ❤️‍🔥 ★★★ 34

>5 minutes in >the kid starts rapping >I add this to my films that made me happy I’m childless list >9 minutes in >it happens again >I google "how to make sure you don't get pregnant" >89 minutes in >IT RAPS ONCE MORE >I decide sex is never worth the risk

📝 Shyamalan: ranked

Review by maria ★★ 17

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

bold of m. night shyamalan to include a scene where a diaper full of shit is being shoved into someone's face to symbolize how much shit he's gonna be shoving into our faces for the next 94 minutes

Review by ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ ★★★ 1

WHAT IN THE TAYLOR SWIFT WAS THAT

Review by cait ★★★ 6

if m. night wanted me to sympathise with the kids why did he make one of them a freestyle rapper. how am i supposed to find any sympathy towards that. little freak deserved everything that happened

Review by gab🦕 ★★★★ 6

you cannot convince me that this isn’t a comedy

Review by adambolt ★★½

I'm gonna act like this whenever my grandkids stay over just to fuck with them

Review by WraithApe ★★★ 23

Yo.. yo.. yo..

M. Night Shyamalan comin at ya with an alarmin yarn about Pop Pop and Nana livin the good life in homedown manor

Enter Becca and her litle bro far from a pro wannabe rapper T. Diamond Stylus Stubbin his toe with an 'Oh Mylie Cyrus!' droppin the mic with a 'HO'

Got a ringside seat M. Night finds footage thru documentary conceit Set-up's begun take it back to film school, 101 Establishing shot, set-up again zoom lens, cross cut, mise-en-scène

Goin meta with Becca but Nana's still gonna get her Makin night moves outside the door Sundown fright on a lower floor red eyes fed by satanic delight

Pop's runnin shit like dystentry Pilin up diapers like…

Review by SilentDawn ★★★★½ 16

The works of M. Night Shyamalan, no matter the quality, are each on a quest of searching mystery and eventual discovery. All of his films are bursting with uneasy traps and elusive secrets, and it is these traits in which Shyamalan's fame was built upon. To say he had a dry spell is a massive understatement, but as soon as The Visit flares up with its opening shot, a startling vision immediately makes its presence known.

I felt like I was home again.

The Visit , while advertised as a silly and creepy chiller, is more of an insane boiling pot of family turmoil and batshit antics. It's a bewildering mix of humor, horror, and heart-wrenching dramatic impact, and each…

Review by Josh Lewis ★★★★ 4

"Old people sometimes have troubles with their body" "People leave. They find something better."

Doesn't quite have the scope of his early work but probably the most vital found footage filmmaking has felt in... ever? Shyamalan's visual grace & intelligence blends really well with the cheap, modern ageism Hansel & Gretal exploitation movie he's making here and he very effectively uses the immediacy inherent to the form to sneak real sudden thrills into some of his usual themes of familial breakdown/estrangement and masking/physically overcoming emotional trauma. There are a number of very creepily conceived shocks but weirdly enough the film is much more emotionally clear & cathartic than it is scary by the end. It totally works though so I have trouble seeing this as a bad thing.

Review by Gonzo ★★★½ 47

▶ 2015 Movie Rankings

▶ RANKED: M. Night Shyamalan

Is it better than Mad Max: Fury Road ? Even a (very welcome and long-awaited) Shyamalan resurgence can't top the chrome juggernaut.

Wait, wait, wait, hold up, hold up... Shyamalan made a good movie?! M. Night Shyamalan? What?! Yes, people, believe it. Your favorite punching bag is back with a vengeance. It's not as great as The Sixth Sense or Unbreakable , but it's a step in the right direction.

Is there a twist? It's Shyamalan. Of course, there's a twist.

Is the twist predictable? I saw it coming from the get-go. It's a pretty good twist though. It's the sort that doesn't ruin the fun even if you do guess it early…

Review by Neil Bahadur ★★★★½ 11

Unbelievable. Probably my 2nd favourite Shyamalan...one of the great films where everything you thought was right turns out to be wrong, and certainly the scariest film Shyamalan has made. There is explosive digital formalism, cameras seem to be attached to bodies and in moments of intense, quick movement the frame is obscured by flinging hair and occasional ruptures in the image of a human face; abstractions which could be only captured by the size of consumer grade cameras. In a way, it's inspiring because of that.

But much of this movie's terror comes from the opposite of Shyamalan's earlier tendencies, that we should believe in ghosts and demons ala Dreyer or Tourneur. Rather, people are terrifying, and even worse, family.…

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The Visit (2015 American film)

The Visit is a 2015 film about two siblings who become increasingly frightened by their grandparents' disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation.

• 1 Becca Jamison
• 2 Tyler Jamison
• 8 External links

Becca Jamison [ edit ]

• [to the camera] I can't sleep. I need Nana's cookies. I'm gonna turn a personal addiction into a positive cinematic moment.
• [after scaring Tyler; satisfied] We're even.

Tyler Jamison [ edit ]

• Any other crazy bitch-ass fucking people here?
• [finds a fly-ridden heap of dirty diapers on a table in the shed] Holy SHIT! Holy Mother of Sarah McLachlan! Nana... what the HELL?
• [after rapping about his ordeal with the fake grandparents, also his last lines] OH, Shania Twain, bitches!

Nana [ edit ]

• Would you mind getting inside the oven to clean it?
• I'm gonna get you!

Pop Pop [ edit ]

• [when he's caught with a gun] I was just cleaning it.
• We're all dying today, Becca.
• [to Tyler] I never liked you anyway.
• You're blind... you're blind. I am the exposer. I am a seer. I see the veiny, deformed... face of the world.

Dialogue [ edit ]

Taglines [ edit ].

• Grandma's Rules: 1. Have a great time. 2. Eat as much as you want. 3. Don't ever leave your room after 9:30 pm.
• No one loves you like your grandparents.

Cast [ edit ]

• Olivia DeJonge - Becca Jamison
• Ed Oxenbould - Tyler Jamison
• Deanna Dunagan - Maria Bella Jamison ("Nana")
• Peter McRobbie - Frederick Spencer Jamison ("Pop Pop")
• Kathryn Hahn - Loretta Jamison, Becca and Tyler's mother
• Celia Keenan-Bolger - Stacey
• Benjamin Kanes - Corin, Becca and Tyler's father

External links [ edit ]

• The Visit quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• The Visit (2015 American film) at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Visit at Mojo

• Found footage films
• Psychological horror films
• Screenplays by M. Night Shyamalan
• Thriller films
• Films directed by M. Night Shyamalan
• Films about psychopaths
• Films set in Pennsylvania

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'The Visit' Trailer: Kid, Don't Get In That Oven

What if the gingerbread house witch in the story of Hansel and Gretel was the kids' actual grandmother? That concept looks like part of the inspiration for The Visit , the new film from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan . In the film, two siblings are sent off to visit their grandparents, and while the strictly-enforced 9:30pm bedtime seems weird right off the bat, the kids soon find that something is very definitely not right. There are late-night noises, strange behavior, and eventually some much weirder goings-on.

Check out The Visit trailer below. There's even the beginning of a "kid in the oven" scene here, just to tie up the connection with the old Brothers Grimm tale.

My first question after watching this trailer is: "so, is The Visit found-footage, or not?" We know the movie teams Shyamalan with Jason Blum, known for found-footage horror, and this trailer definitely has some found-footage hallmarks. But at other times it appears to be shot like a traditional film.

Also, while there could well be a twist of some kind towards the end of this film, the trailer makes The Visit look like a straight-up thriller – there's really no disguising how weird this situation is. So that could be different.

Trailer via Universal. The Visit opens in September.

Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Insidious series) welcome you to Universal Pictures' The Visit. Shyamalan returns to his roots with the terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip. Once the children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day.

Shyamalan produces The Visit through his Blinding Edge Pictures, while Blum produces through his Blumhouse Productions alongside Marc Bienstock (Quarantine 2: Terminal). Steven Schneider (Insidious) and Ashwin Rajan (Devil) executive produce the thriller.

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M. Night Shyamalan’s Horror Movie About Grandparents Looks (Unintentionally?) Hilarious

Who knew M. Night Shyamalan could be this funny? Anyone who sat through The Happening might not be able to believe it, but Shyamalan has managed to make a horror movie about something even less scary than plants: grandma and grandpa. The trailer for The Visit  starts as two kids make a trip to their grandparents’ house, and at first Nana and Poppop seem nice enough … until they start testing the bounds of old geezer eccentricity with cackling, and shotguns, and bodily contortions that do not remotely resemble your granddad’s rehabilitation exercises. Just wait until you see how granny wants to clean the oven.

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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Provider search, meta data and taxonomies filter, mental health in the movies, a review of “the visit”: an open letter to m. night shyamalan.

This article contains spoilers for The Visit, The Village, The Happening and The Sixth Sense. If you don’t want the details of these films ruined for you, watch them first and meet me back here.

Dear Mr. Shyamalan,

I want to discuss your latest work, The Visit with you. I went to see this Horror flick soon after its release expecting to be shocked and entertained by another legendary M. Night Shyamalan twist ending. Instead all I witnessed was a trope-filled movie containing a heaping portion of mental illness stigma.

In the film, you have two teenagers who go to spend a week with their estranged grandparents. When their mother was a teenager she had a horrible falling out with her parents therefore these children have never met their grandparents. Now the grandparents (who work at a psychiatric hospital) want to get to know their grandchildren. First of all, this whole situation is barely believable but I put up with it in hopes of a cool ending. The teens, who are conveniently filming everything, arrive at their grandparents rural home and start to notice their grandparents strange behavior. First the grandmother is seen wandering around the house late at night vomiting. Then she is running, skipping and crawling around the house while giggling and growling. The grandfather explains this away by saying the grandmother has Sundowners; a side effect of advanced Alzheimer’s where the darkness of the evening causes hallucinations and strange behavior. But as time wears on, the grandfather starts to behave strangely as well. He attacks a man who he thinks is watching him, he is caught a few seconds away from committing suicide and admits to seeing a white apparition with yellow eyes follow him around. During this time the grandmother’s behavior gets more intense as she almost strangles herself when she is caught having a hallucination, coaxes the granddaughter into the oven and attempts to kill the children in their sleep when she discovers their video camera is recording her.

The only hint of truth in The Visit lies in the two escaped patients’ reasoning for wanting to spend time with these children. The female patient killed her children in a delusion about how aliens would give them eternal life if she drowned them in a pond. The male patient was shunned by everyone he knew when he admitted to seeing things that weren’t actually there. It appears both have been living in a psychiatric hospital for many years, if not decades. They wanted this one week with these two children to have the family that mental illness denied them.  That is the only piece of truth that this movie was able to produce about mental illness because stigma, isolation and forced prolonged institutionalization aren’t helping anyone recover from their disorder. Even though this part humanizes the two escaped patients, the film instantly switches back to showing these people with mental illness running around killing or attempting to kill people.

A few decades ago it was new and exciting to have a horror movie killer be “psychotic” or “criminally insane” but now it’s just a used up offensive cop out where real writing could have taken place. Instead of noticing how offensive this film might be to people with mental illness or have loved ones with mental illness, you were too focused on winning the tween audience with your references to rap, slang and overuse of cheap jump scares. I know you have the cinematic chops to create a thrilling twist ending that doesn’t add to the stigma against people living with a mental illness.

Best of luck with your next film,

Veronique Hoebeke, Associate Editor

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Veronique Hoebeke for www.rtor.org

12 thoughts on “ a review of “the visit”: an open letter to m. night shyamalan ”.

Good for you Veronique…why not pass your comments on to the moguls in Hollywood.

Well put! Your blog posts are terrific!

Too bad his next film was “Split” *eye roll*

Anna, I totally agree. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw the trailer for “Split.”

If the M. Night Universe is all connected, it goes beyond mental disorder in the film. The underlying context is that both of the “Grand Parents” are deeply affected by their encounters with the supernatural. There are strange forces at work in M. Nights universe, and I did not see this as an assault, or a negative commentary on mental illness in the slightest. But you are correct that many will probably see it as such. That said, I thought it was pretty fantastic, relatively harmless found footage horror film.

I just watched this pos celluloid and this review is spot ON. I had two sibs who suffered tremendously from schizophrenia and this was DI$GUSTING and as stated aimed at tweens and teens to make $ (and further viciously stigmatize and demonize the mentally ill to yet another generation). M Night Shyamalan is now pure $hit in my book. Also, those who casually and jokingly toss around mental illness terms like schizophrenia, bipolar, etc.. need to STOP it because it’s immensely cruel and ignorant.

LMAO. The person who wrote this letter needs to seriously relax.

I’m sorry but, it’s a movie. I can guarantee u that middle school kids are smarter than what u think and won’t think that schizophrenia causes murderous tendencies. This is a generation of kids who uses the internet for anything and also there’s a lot of great teachers out there. You are taking this way out of proportion tbh, it was meant to be for entertainment. That’s just my opinion tho. I understand your concern to a level, but I feel as if u fail to realize that middle schoolers are smarter than what u think.

This is spot on, a few years ago I wouldn’t have been aware of how damaging is the representation of mental illness (and race, and gender, etc etc etc) in movies, but for all of you who say the writer of this article needs to relax and that “it’s just a movie”…dudes!!! and dudettes!! REPRESENTATION influences the way we see the world!! And mental illnesses and disabilities are almost always shown either as pitiful or dangerous…movies and shows are part of our daily lives, if we only see abled-bodies, white, thin, hetero, cis people as the heroes and leaders and desirable people (and “good”)-which by the way, we still kind of do-, it’s not like you make the connection right away, but your brain does. And you project those images on the world around you. Also, if you haven’t experienced mental illness (or someone from your family), or any kind of invalidation, discrimination, or oppression, then think twice before dismissing articles like this. Research, be open to learning. There is nothing wrong with being privileged but don’t use it to measure other life experiences.

Dano Dunham is right.

You ruined this movie for yourself

IT IS EARLY FEBRUARY, 2022, AND I WAS GOING FROM CHANNEL TO CHANNEL AND CAME ACROSS “THE VISIT”.

I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A DOCUMENTARY, BECAUSE WHAT I HAD JUST BEEN WATCHING RIGHT BEFORE THIS FILM, WAS A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A LIFE CHANGING INCIDENT THAT THE NARRATOR HAD GONE THRU.

DID NOT SEE “THE VISIT” FROM THE BEGINNING AS I CAME TO IT AFTER IT HAD BEEN ON, NEAR BEGINNING BUT NOT INTO IT. I THOUGHT WHAT A BRILLIANT THING THAT IS BEING DONE IN MAKING A DOCUMENTARY WITH THE ACTUAL PERSON ABOUT A LIFE CHANGING SITUATION THAT THE THE ACTUAL PERSON, PERSONS HAD EXPERIENCED IN THEIR LIFE. I TOTALLY BELIEVED THAt “THE VISIT” WAS A DOCUMENTARY AND A VERY SCARY ONE AT THAT. AFTER IT WAS OVER I WAS CURIOUS IF IT WERE ONE OR NOT, I GOOGLED IT AND FOUND OUT. IT FELT TO ME THAT THOSE IN THE FIML WERE REAL PEOPLE AND NOT ACTORS. I AM IN MY EARLY 80’S SO NEEDLESS TO SAY THE BEHAVIOR OF THE GRANDPARENTS GOT TO ME AND I STILL BEING SANE, SO TO SPEAK, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE DISEASES OF THE MIND MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE REVIEWS ARE AUTHENTICALLY ABOUT. SO THRILLED TO HAVE LEARNED FROM THE ABOVE REVIEWS THAT PERHAPS GETTING SOME OF THE SENIOR PROBLEMS OF THE MIND THAT LIFE MIGHT THROW OUR WAY ARE NOT EXACTLY THOSE THAT ARE DEPICTED IN THE FILM. BUT WATCHING THE FILM JUST NOW GOT ME WORRIED A BIT!!!!! LOVED THE ACTING, THE 5 LEADS ARE TERRIFIC. LOVED, ALSO, THE OTHER ACTORS WHO PLAYED THE SMALLER ROLLS. I HAVE HAD TRAINING AND WORKED IN THE THEATRE.

Thank you for commenting on Veronique’s blog post and sharing your impressions of the film. You make a good case for how easy it is to mistake the characters’ behavior in this movie for a realistic depiction of mental illness.

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10 Heartwarming Movies About Grandparents

By: Author Maxanne

Posted on November 15, 2023

Heartwarming Movies about grandparents are frequently the most endearing films. Grandparents are frequently the most interesting characters in a film or television show. They're clever, wacky, sweet, and entertaining family movies to watch. 

Although they aren't usually the primary characters, grandparents frequently steal the show with their witty banter and intriguing plots. Throughout history, these are the ones that stand out the most.

Grandparents are usually overlooked in most films if they are included at all. Here are some of the best movies about grandparents that do them justice.

Movies about grandparents are like a heartwarming journey into the wisdom and quirks of the older generation. They often explore the themes of family bonds and the unique relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren.

These films can be a nostalgic trip down memory lane, delving into the past experiences and life lessons of the older characters. There's a mix of humor and poignancy as they navigate the challenges of aging, health issues, and the inevitable passage of time.

Themes of legacy and the importance of preserving family traditions often come into play, creating a feel-good atmosphere that celebrates the enduring love and connections between generations.

In this post:

10 Best Movies About Grandparents

Here are the best movies about grandparents that depict the joys and struggles of this special group of people as they enrich the lives of each member of their family.

• Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
• Diane Keaton, Michael Douglas, Annie Parisse (Actors)

And So It Goes

 Ready to laugh and be inspired by this movie. This movie is about Oren being cruel to those around him on purpose. When he is asked to look after his nine-year-old granddaughter, he is compelled to adjust his attitude and enlist the assistance of his neighbor Leah.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that you won't be able to watch such old characters on television. Believe it or not,  it'll be one of the most enjoyable things you've seen recently.

• Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell (Actors)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 comedy-drama about a family. The Hoover family travels to California to support Olive (Abigail Breslin), who is competing in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest.

The Hoovers are a strange and troubled family, along with Grandpa Edwin, who is addicted to heroin (Alan Arkin). Grandpa Edwin has a shady past, but Olive can count on him.

He assists her in preparing for her beauty pageant. Grandpa Edwin (a difficult man) will always be remembered for his grin and involvement in Olive's pageant. Her allure is too strong for him to resist. Arkin's work in the film earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

• David Ladd, Arthur O'Connell, Pam Smith (Actors)

After losing their parents. Paul and Maureen Beebe (David Ladd and Pam Smith) reside with their caring but strict grandparents (Arthur O'Connell and Anne Seymour), who manage a small pony farm on the island of Chincoteague.

When they become obsessive with capturing and breaking Phantom, their grandparents both encourage and train them: “If you want to tame a wild creature, you must first study a lot,” they're informed.

The film is a subtle, bittersweet analysis of loss and our ability to adjust to it, based on a novel by Marguerite Henry. This also is a must-watch.

• Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn (Actors)
• Ron Howard (Director) - David Saperstein (Writer)

Who? The grandparents.

A Florida retirement town discovers the fountain of youth in a swimming pool by chance in Ron Howard's 1985 science-fiction film Cocoon. The retirees are obviously taken aback by this discovery, but they soon learn that aliens are only promising them eternal life provided they leave Earth to live in space.

The grandparents are faced with the toughest decision of their lives. They will have to leave their loved ones behind if they choose eternal life.

This decision is particularly difficult for Ben Luckett (Wilford Brimley), who does not want to leave his grandson, David, behind (Barret Oliver). As the charming Ben makes his decision, you'll need a box of tissues.

• Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Jane Fonda (Actors)

On Golden Pond

Who?  Norman And Ethel Thayer

The grump retiree Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda) and his wife Ethel (Katharine Hepburn), his adult daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda), and his teenage grandson Billy are the focus of the 1981 drama On Golden Pond (Doug McKeon).

Norman and Chelsea and Billy have a rocky relationship, but summer on Golden Pond turns their lives for the better.

Norman and Ethel are exactly what you want in a pair of movie grandparents: fascinating individuals who have grown tremendously. They aren't flawless. They're only human.

They demonstrate that even in their senior years, they must mature and restore their familial relationships. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn were both nominated for Academy Awards for their dramatic performances.

• Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon (Actors)

Grandfather (The Princess Bride)

A romantic bedtime story about a princess, giants, and heroes would not appeal to most grandfathers. The grandfather (Peter Falk) in The Princess Bride, a 1987 family adventure, is not your typical grandfather. He enjoys reading his grandchild a bedtime tale (Fred Savage).

His grandson is weak and in bed, so he's hoping the story would cheer him up. It doesn't take long for the grandfather to become captivated in the story, which also entices his grandson's interest. One of the best parts of this timeless 1980s picture is Peter Falk's narration.

• Anne Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo, Hector Elizondo (Actors)

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Mia (Anne Hathaway), a chubby San Francisco high school student, is surprised to learn that her long-lost grandmother, Clarisse (Julie Andrews), is the queen of a small European nation and intends to prepare her to inherit the throne.

This film is mostly ridiculous fun, yet it delicately captures both the anguish of adolescence and the ability of a grandparent to soothe it. Meanwhile, it serves as a reminder that grandparents aren't just there to be grandparents; they have their own needs, aspirations, and dreams.

• Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes (Actors)

The Bucket List (2007)

With only six months to live, two terminally sick men resolve to experience life and create a bucket list of all the things they have never done before.

The Bucket List is a comedy, drama, and travel film about the value of friendship and family, as well as how money and labor can be both a blessing and a curse.

It also discusses the importance of experiencing things in life rather than living it like a robot. The world is full of wonders, and what each location can teach us is presented clearly and brilliantly in this.

It's also entertaining and thought-provoking, and the cast puts in an outstanding performance. Other terms to describe this film include inspirational and emotional.

• Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner (Actors)

Meet the Parents

Because it's about the all-too-real and much-feared moment of meeting your significant other's family—and everything goes horribly wrong, just as your dreams predicted—this classic film never gets old. The entire time, you'll be laughing and crying.

Before proposing to his girlfriend, Greg Focker decides to spend a weekend with her parents. Her father, on the other hand, dislikes Greg right away, making his stay far more difficult than he anticipated. B01N0H9PYT

• Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House (Actors)

Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), like many teenagers, does not agree with her parents.

Tala (voiced by Rachel House), Moana's grandmother, tells her what her father and mother won't: Long ago, an angry goddess put a slow-acting but terrible curse upon the planet, and the islanders went inside to protect themselves. Moana has been chosen by the ocean to set sail, face the goddess, and save the world.

Though this animated Disney film is aimed at children, it will appeal to audiences of all ages who can't understand how they would have discovered it if a grandfather hadn't pushed them in the right direction.

People also ask:

What are good movies to watch with your grandparents.

You can choose from: Ford v. Ferrari, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Moana, And So It Goes and etc.

What should I watch with my grandma on Netflix?

Seniors may enjoy these flicks:

• I'll See You in My Dreams
• Julie & Julia
• The Hundred-Foot Journey
• As Good as It Gets
• The King's Speech.

What should I watch with my parents on Netflix?

• The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
• The Fundamentals Of Caring
• The Rainmaker

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Random Acts of Kindness Day Movies - Best Movies Right Now

Wednesday 2nd of February 2022

[…] 10 Heartwarming Movies About Grandparents […]

10 great movies about grandparents and grandkids

From parenthood to willy wonka & the chocolate factory, these funny and poignant films capture the special bond between generations..

Whale Rider (2002)

The plot:  Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is a young Whangara girl who wishes to replace her grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene), as head of her tribe. The only problem? Leadership is customarily meant for first-born males, a tradition Koro is desperate to uphold despite Pai’s obvious qualifications. Needless to say, he comes around.

Why it’s special:  Simply, it’s a charming and thought-provoking film about family, community, and identity, with a granddaughter and grandfather at its center. The performances are lovely all around, but Castle-Hughes is especially luminous; she was just 11 when filming began, and was Oscar nominated for her work.

RatedPG-13.  Buy it here

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Fox Searchlight Pictures

The plot:  The eccentric Hoover family hits the road to watch young Olive (Abigail Breslin) compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Along for the ride are exhausted mom Sheryl (Toni Colette), type-A dad Richard (Greg Kinnear), silent teen Dwayne (Paul Dano), suicidal scholar Frank (Steve Carell), and heroin-addicted Grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin), who is also Olive’s pageant coach. And you thought  your  relatives were complicated.

Why it’s special:  Edwin is a maniac. Olive is the human embodiment of innocence. Somehow, their bond makes sense. She smooths his rough edges, and he gives her confidence. Breslin (just 9 at the time of filming) and Arkin were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances; Arkin won.

Rated R.  Buy it here

The Education of Little Tree (1997)

The plot:  When Little Tree (Joseph Ashton) is orphaned, he is taken by his devoted Scottish grandfather (James Cromwell) and warm, wise Cherokee grandmother (Tantoo Cardinal) to live in the Smoky Mountains, where he learns about nature, survival, and pride.

Things get dicey, though, when he’s forced into a reform school bent on erasing all traces of his Native American heritage.

Why it’s special:  In a country where almost 5 million children are raised by their grandparents, it’s refreshing to see the relationship portrayed with such tenderness and obvious love. Between that, the rugged natural scenery and gentle tone,  The Education of Little Tree  feels like classic Disney live-action films of old. 

Rated PG.  Buy it here

In Her Shoes (2005)

20th Century Fox

The plot:  Rose (Toni Collette) is buttoned-up professional searching for contentment. Maggie (Cameron Diaz) is Rose’s party-girl sister, who sleeps with her boyfriend at the first opportunity. Ella (Shirley MacLaine) is the grandmother who lets Maggie move into her Florida retirement community, turning her into a respectable human being in the process.

Why it’s special:  In the wrong hands,  In Her Shoes  could have been a throwaway played for vapid laughs. Instead, a trio of nuanced performances and Curtis Hanson’s sensitive direction lend the film resonance and depth. Especially meaningful is Maggie’s relationship with Ella; it gives the younger woman a sense of self-worth, and the older one, a more vital connection to her formerly estranged family.

Rated PG-13.  Buy it here

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Warner Home Video

The plot:  Penniless youngster Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) wins one of five golden tickets to visit eccentric candy magnate Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) at his factory. Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) chaperones.

Trials, temptations, and an everlasting gobstopper of fun happen along the way.

Why it’s special:  On one hand, it’s a colorful, whimsical, children’s musical set in a candy wonderland staffed entirely by little orange people. On the other hand, it’s a buddy picture.

Charlie and Grandpa Joe are intergenerational co-conspirators, and the factory, their exuberant funhouse. More importantly, they bring out each other’s best selves; Grandpa helps Charlie stay grounded, and Charlie shows Grandpa the importance of honesty.

Rated G.  Buy it here

Ulee’s Gold (1997)

The plot:  For a subtle, thoughtful movie,  Ulee’s Gold  has a pretty involved story: Ulee (Peter Fonda) is a bee-keeping widower raising his granddaughters, Penny (Vanessa Zima) and Casey (Jessica Biel), after his son, Jimmy (Tom Wood) is shipped off to prison.

Problems arise when Ulee must rescue his drug-addicted daughter-in-law from Jimmy’s partners, who threaten to hurt the grandkids if he doesn’t find the $100,000 they believe Jimmy stashed away. 

Why it’s special:  By nature a solitary man, Ulee isn’t thrilled with the state of his family. Still, the reticent beekeeper steps up to protect and unite them, providing Penny and Casey with the role model they so desperately need. Fonda, in a Golden Globe-winning role, is the quiet storm at the center.

Cocoon (1985)

The plot:  You know this one: Retirees find the fountain of youth in a Florida swimming pool. The aliens who put it there offer them a shot at eternal life, but only if they journey to outer space, leaving their loved ones behind. For Ben’s (Wilford Brimley) beloved grandson, David (Barret Oliver), this is really upsetting.

Why it’s special:  Is there anything sadder than the prospect of never seeing your grandchild again? And is there anything more gut-wrenching than seeing that same little boy set you free? If you’ve seen  Cocoon , you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? (Note: Bring tissues.)

Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)

The plot:  After long-suffering wife Helen (Kimberly Elise) is given the heave-ho by her rich, philandering husband, Charles (Steve Harris), she moves in with Grandma Madea (Tyler Perry). There, Helen cleans up her life and falls in love with stone fox Orlando (Shemar Moore).

Why it’s special:  On film, most grandmas are sweet little old ladies who comfort loved ones with tea and aphorisms. But a select few (okay, one) are 6-foot-5, gun-toting lunatics who take them in, whip them into shape (not literally), and set them back into the world 10 times stronger than they were before. Such is Madea.

And whether or not you go for Perry’s signature combination of melodrama and camp, Madea is a grandma to be reckoned with. And this is her best film.

Hope & Glory (1987)

The plot:  World War II comes to London, leaving Grace (Sarah Miles) to raise three kids after husband Clive enlists. When their house burns down, Grace hauls the whole family to her parents’ house in the countryside, where 10-year-old Billy (Sebastian Rice-Edwards) bonds with his crusty, slightly insane grandfather, George (Ian Bannen).

Why it’s special:  Simply, it’s a brilliant, frequently funny film about a terrible situation. And while Billy spends much of  Hope & Glory  alternately terrified and in awe of George, the old man proves a solid guiding force in the absence of the boy’s father. Their last scene together—the last scene of the movie, as well—is just perfect.

Parenthood (1989)

Universal Studios

The plot:  It’s a few months in the life of the extended Buckman clan, during which divorced mom Helen (Dianne Wiest) learns she’s going to have a grandchild, grandparents Marilyn and Frank (Eileen Ryan and Jason Robards) become parents again, and Great Grandma (Irene Shaw) hovers quietly, smilingly over all.

Why it’s special:  Hilarious and poignant,  Parenthood  is summed up neatly by Great Grandma’s monologue:

“You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride! I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.”

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34 Movies That Are Perfect To Watch With The Grandkids (For All Ages)

Disclaimer: Devoted Grandma is reader-supported. If you purchase anything through my site, I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thank you.

I know that while screen time can sometimes get a bad rap, watching the right movies with our grandchildren can create lasting memories and strengthen our bond.

In the list below, I’ve compiled a whole pile of movie ideas. Some of them are popular and others not as much. You’ll find a brief description along with the themes that I find most important for grandkids! You can easily look up where and how to watch each one if it sounds interesting to you.

Also, if you are not able to physically be with your grandkids, that shouldn’t stop you! Tell them to watch the same one as you, then you can discuss over FaceTime. Let’s get into the list!

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a delightful compilation of animated shorts featuring the lovable bear and his friends. The simple stories and timeless charm of this classic Disney film make it an excellent choice for younger viewers.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 Rating: G

The Gruffalo (2009)

The Gruffalo is a beautifully animated short film based on the popular children’s book by Julia Donaldson. The film follows a clever mouse who uses his wits to avoid being eaten by various predators, including the fearsome Gruffalo. This enchanting and engaging story is perfect for you and your youngest grandchild to enjoy together.

IMDb Score: 7.5/10 Rating: G

The Snowman (1982)

The Snowman is a captivating, wordless animated film that tells the story of a young boy who builds a snowman that comes to life. With its beautiful hand-drawn animation and enchanting music, this timeless classic is a must.

IMDb Score: 8.1/10 Rating: G

Room on the Broom (2012)

Room on the Broom is a charming animated short film based on the children’s book by Julia Donaldson. The story follows a kind-hearted witch who invites a variety of animals to join her on her broomstick, leading to an exciting adventure.

Guess How Much I Love You (2011)

Guess How Much I Love You is a heartwarming animated series based on the beloved children’s book by Sam McBratney. Each episode features the adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare and his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, as they explore the world and learn about the depths of their love for each other.

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 Rating: G

Curious George (2006)

Curious George is a delightful animated film featuring the adventures of the lovable and mischievous monkey, George, and his friend, the Man with the Yellow Hat. With its vibrant animation, gentle humor, and engaging story, this one is always a great choice.

IMDb Score: 6.5/10 Rating: G

The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King is a timeless classic that tells the story of Simba, a young lion cub who must learn the importance of responsibility and family after the loss of his father. With its vibrant animation, unforgettable songs, and valuable life lessons, this movie is sure to enchant both you and your grandchild.

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 Rating: G

Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo is an adventurous tale of a clownfish named Marlin who embarks on a journey to rescue his son Nemo, who was captured by a scuba diver. Along the way, Marlin encounters a hilarious and unforgettable cast of characters. This heartwarming film teaches the importance of perseverance and love while providing plenty of laughs.

Charlotte’s Web (1973)

Based on the beloved children’s book by E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web is an endearing story of friendship, love, and sacrifice between a young girl, a pig named Wilbur, and a wise spider named Charlotte. This beautifully animated film will touch the hearts of children and adults alike.

IMDb Score: 6.9/10 Rating: G

The Secret of Kells (2009)

The Secret of Kells is an enchanting Irish animated film that tells the story of a young boy named Brendan who embarks on a magical adventure to complete a mystical book.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 Rating: PG

Paddington (2014)

Paddington is a heartwarming British film about a lovable talking bear who travels to London and is taken in by a kind family. With its charming story, whimsical humor, and valuable lessons about love and acceptance, it’s a great fit for children.

IMDb Score: 7.2/10 Rating: PG

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Lilo & Stitch is a heartwarming Disney film about the unlikely friendship between a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo and a mischievous alien named Stitch. The movie combines humor, adventure, and touching moments.

Song of the Sea (2014)

Song of the Sea is an enchanting Irish animated film that follows a young girl named Saoirse and her brother Ben as they embark on a magical journey to save the spirit world. It’s a breathtaking animation and a captivating story.

IMDb Score: 8.1/10 Rating: PG

Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins is a timeless Disney classic that tells the story of a magical nanny who brings joy and adventure into the lives of two children in London. This one needs no further explanation!

IMDb Score: 7.8/10 Rating: G

The Red Balloon (1956)

The Red Balloon is a French short film that tells the tale of a young boy who befriends a sentient red balloon. With its charming and simple story, this classic film will captivate both young children and adults alike.

IMDb Score: 8.2/10 Rating: G

The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Giant is a touching animated film about the friendship between a young boy named Hogarth and a giant alien robot. Set during the Cold War, this movie explores themes of friendship, understanding, and the power of compassion.

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 Rating: PG

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride is a delightful fairy tale adventure filled with romance, action, and humor. It tells the story of a young woman named Buttercup and her true love, Westley, as they embark on a thrilling journey filled with danger and unforgettable characters. This charming film is perfect for sharing laughs and love.

The Sandlot (1993)

The Sandlot is a heartwarming coming-of-age story about a group of neighborhood kids who spend their summer playing baseball and navigating the adventures of childhood. This nostalgic film will have you and your grandchild reminiscing about simpler times and the magic of childhood friendships.

IMDb Score: 7.8/10 Rating: PG

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The first installment of the magical Harry Potter series follows young wizard Harry Potter as he discovers his true heritage and enrolls at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With its enchanting characters, thrilling adventures, and a strong message of friendship, you’re sure to enjoy.

A Little Princess (1995)

A Little Princess is a heartwarming adaptation of the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The film tells the story of a young girl named Sara who uses her imagination and kindness to overcome adversity while living in a boarding school.

IMDb Score: 7.7/10 Rating: G

The Black Stallion (1979)

The Black Stallion is a beautifully filmed adaptation of the classic novel by Walter Farley. The movie follows a young boy named Alec who forms a deep bond with a wild black stallion after surviving a shipwreck. This lesser-known gem is perfect for horse lovers and adventure seekers alike.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 Rating: G

Matilda (1996)

Matilda is a delightful adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel. The movie tells the story of a young girl with extraordinary intelligence and telekinetic powers who uses her abilities to overcome challenges at home and school.

IMDb Score: 6.9/10 Rating: PG

The Secret Garden (1993)

The Secret Garden is a beautifully filmed adaptation of the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The movie follows a young girl named Mary who discovers a hidden, magical garden and learns about the healing power of nature and friendship. This enchanting film is perfect for sharing with your grandchild.

Holes (2003)

Holes is a thrilling and captivating adaptation of the bestselling novel by Louis Sachar. The movie tells the story of a young boy named Stanley who is sent to a detention camp, where he uncovers a mysterious family secret and a hidden treasure.

IMDb Score: 7.0/10 Rating: PG

Fly Away Home (1996)

Fly Away Home is an inspiring family film about a young girl named Amy who, after losing her mother, discovers a nest of orphaned goose eggs and decides to teach the geese to fly. This heartwarming movie showcases the beauty of nature and the power of determination.

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 Rating: PG

The Karate Kid (1984)

The Karate Kid tells the story of a young boy named Daniel who learns the art of karate from an unlikely mentor, Mr. Miyagi. This inspiring film teaches the importance of discipline, hard work, and standing up for oneself.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is a powerful drama that follows the story of a small-town lawyer named Atticus Finch as he defends a Black man accused of a crime he didn’t commit. This thought-provoking film explores themes of justice, morality, and empathy, providing valuable lessons.

IMDb Score: 8.2/10 Rating: PG

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a visually stunning and heartwarming film about an ordinary man who embarks on an extraordinary adventure to find a lost negative for his job at a photography magazine. With its breathtaking cinematography and inspiring message about the power of imagination and courage, this film will leave you and your grandchild feeling uplifted and motivated.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 Rating: PG

October Sky (1999)

October Sky is a heartwarming, true story about a young man named Homer Hickam who, inspired by the launch of Sputnik, defies his coal-mining town’s expectations to pursue his dream of becoming a rocket scientist. This inspiring film teaches the importance of perseverance, hard work, and following your dreams.

Stand by Me (1986)

Stand by Me is a classic coming-of-age film based on a novella by Stephen King. The movie follows four young friends who embark on a journey to find the body of a missing boy. As they face various challenges, they learn about the value of friendship and the fleeting nature of childhood. This powerful and nostalgic film is an excellent choice for your teenage grandchild.

IMDb Score: 8.1/10 Rating: R

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Dead Poets Society is a captivating drama that takes place at an all-boys preparatory school, where a charismatic English teacher named John Keating inspires his students to seize the day and pursue their passions. This thought-provoking film encourages self-expression and the importance of individuality.

Whale Rider (2002)

Whale Rider is a touching New Zealand film about a young Maori girl named Pai who defies tradition to become her tribe’s leader. With its stunning cinematography and powerful story, this lesser-known gem is sure to inspire and captivate both you and your grandchild.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 Rating: PG-13

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

The Pursuit of Happyness is an inspiring true story about a struggling salesman named Chris Gardner who, despite facing numerous hardships, never gives up on his dream of providing a better life for his son. This heartwarming film showcases the importance of determination, resilience, and family.

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 Rating: PG-13

Life is Beautiful (1997)

Life is Beautiful is an Italian film that tells the story of a Jewish father who uses humor and imagination to protect his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. With its powerful message of love, hope, and resilience, this award-winning film is a must-watch for you and your teenage grandchild.

IMDb Score: 8.6/10 Rating: PG-13

I hope you found these movie ideas helpful! There are some classics in there that are worth dusting off (how do you explain that with today’s digital streaming?) and others that you might not have heard about until now.

Either way, get some popcorn and enjoy. 🙂

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My kids don't have any grandparents, and it's left a void

My kids are growing up without grandparents. They still have intergenerational relationships.

I'm grateful for the people we've met in the community who have made connections with my kids.

Though no one can replace their grandparents, I'm grateful for these intergenerational friendships.

Each day in my community, I witness grandparents joining their grandchildren at library storytime, school pick-ups, assemblies, sports games, and musical performances. A pang of envy and heartache overtakes me when I consider what my children are missing.

More than I mourn the loss of my own parents, I mourn what my kids will never have again. Though I'm aware that it's not unusual for kids to grow up without all their grandparents , our family stands alone in our peer group without any at all.

Every family is different, and we miss having grandparents in ours

While I appreciate the uniqueness of every family dynamic , navigating the upbringing of young children without any grandparental presence, even the occasional long-distance video chat or someone to share photos and milestones with, leaves a pronounced sense of emptiness and longing. What other person could unconditionally love and care for your children the way a grandparent could?

My three children have never known the joy of having a grandfather. My mother died eight years ago, before our third child was born, depriving her of the chance to meet her youngest grandchild. We are still grieving the recent loss of their Nana, my husband's mother, whose unwavering dedication to her family was unparalleled.

We maintain these connections to them by sharing stories and looking through old scrapbooks and photo albums. Despite these losses, I've come to understand that we can cherish the memories of the grandparents they've lost while also nurturing alternative, non-traditional grandparent-like bonds within our community.

Intergenerational relationships are important

The significance of intergenerational relationships is immeasurable. Research shows how they strengthen communities, preserve stories and local history, and contribute to the healthy aging of older adults. Additionally, older adults benefit from the enthusiasm and awe of young children, while teens who spend time with them often develop greater compassion and reduced ageism.

Additional research highlights how grandparents contribute to their grandchildren's well-being, offering acceptance, love, wisdom, and support. These interactions have been shown to impact a child's emotional health positively. One study discovered that children who have a strong emotional bond with their grandparents are less likely to experience depression later in life. Though my kids won't know their own grandparents, I've intentionally looked for other ways to bring intergenerational relationships into their lives.

My kids' grandparents can never be replaced, but I'm grateful for my community

A local grandmother recently invited me for tea. I was delighted to discover that an essay I'd written resonated with her, prompting her to reach out to connect. Her own grandchildren are of a similar age to my kids and participate in many of the same extracurricular activities. I often see her accompanying them around town, heavily involved in their lives.

Since my parents' deaths, I am increasingly drawn to connections with older generations , and often make them while serving on boards, volunteering on committees, and engaging in conversations at the coffee shop or playground. And it's not just me who benefits from these connections — my kids do, as well. They yearn for more than just historical facts; they hunger for the stories of the past, the nostalgic tales that transcend academic study. They're captivated by the unique life perspectives of those who've weathered various phases and decades, surmounted challenges, and now exude a calmness borne from wisdom and from not being entangled in the whirlwind of raising young ones.

A mentor of mine, whose children have grown and moved away, spends time playing with my toddler during our committee meetings. The older women in my circle who uplift and support me graciously welcome my little one at events and gatherings, showering her with affection and treating her as one of their own. They take an interest in my older children, asking them about their passions, hobbies, and interests. Grandfathers of teammates bestow encouragement and positive feedback following hard-earned victories and challenging defeats.

While I understand that I can never truly fill the void left by my own parents, I am grateful for the opportunities to connect and gain so many insights into a phase of life I will someday, if I'm lucky, get to experience. A grandparental bond is special and not easily replicated. Still, within the village I've dedicated myself to nurturing, I will persist in cultivating connections with older adults, recognizing each as an invaluable contribution to not only my life, but more importantly, my children's.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Movies You Can Watch with Your Grandparents

List of movies that you can watch with your parents and grandparents, and even kids!

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Back to the Future (1985)

PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Lea Thompson , Crispin Glover

Votes: 1,307,147 | Gross: $210.61M

2. Back to the Future Part II (1989)

PG | 108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

After visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985...without interfering with his first trip.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Lea Thompson , Tom Wilson

Votes: 572,736 | Gross: $118.50M

3. Back to the Future Part III (1990)

PG | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Stranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the death of Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. With no fuel readily available for the DeLorean, the two must figure how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Mary Steenburgen , Tom Wilson

Votes: 480,968 | Gross: $87.73M

4. Forrest Gump (1994)

PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, Romance

The history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks , Robin Wright , Gary Sinise , Sally Field

Votes: 2,257,651 | Gross: $330.25M

5. Gravity (2013)

PG-13 | 91 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Sandra Bullock , George Clooney , Ed Harris , Orto Ignatiussen

Votes: 863,325 | Gross: $274.09M

6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

A group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.

Director: James Gunn | Stars: Chris Pratt , Vin Diesel , Bradley Cooper , Zoe Saldana

Votes: 1,273,577 | Gross: $333.18M

7. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

PG | 98 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

A hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.

Directors: Dean DeBlois , Chris Sanders | Stars: Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Craig Ferguson

Votes: 800,789 | Gross: $217.58M

8. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

PG | 129 min | Drama, Romance

Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?

Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Keira Knightley , Matthew Macfadyen , Brenda Blethyn , Donald Sutherland

Votes: 330,809 | Gross: $38.41M

9. Star Trek (2009)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Leonard Nimoy

Votes: 620,327 | Gross: $257.73M

10. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Zoe Saldana , Benedict Cumberbatch

Votes: 497,113 | Gross: $228.78M

11. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

PG | 102 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.

Director: Dean DeBlois | Stars: Jay Baruchel , Cate Blanchett , Gerard Butler , Craig Ferguson

Votes: 364,107 | Gross: $177.00M

12. Maleficent (2014)

PG | 97 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child could be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.

Director: Robert Stromberg | Stars: Angelina Jolie , Elle Fanning , Sharlto Copley , Lesley Manville

Votes: 400,310 | Gross: $241.41M

13. The Sound of Music (1965)

G | 172 min | Biography, Drama, Family

A young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.

Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Julie Andrews , Christopher Plummer , Eleanor Parker , Richard Haydn

Votes: 261,113 | Gross: $163.21M

14. Mary Poppins (1964)

G | 139 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy

In turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.

Director: Robert Stevenson | Stars: Julie Andrews , Dick Van Dyke , David Tomlinson , Glynis Johns

Votes: 186,085 | Gross: $102.27M

15. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.

Directors: Victor Fleming , King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland , Frank Morgan , Ray Bolger , Bert Lahr

Votes: 428,723 | Gross: $2.08M

16. My Fair Lady (1964)

G | 170 min | Drama, Family, Musical

In 1910s London, snobbish phonetics professor Henry Higgins agrees to a wager that he can make crude flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, presentable in high society.

Director: George Cukor | Stars: Audrey Hepburn , Rex Harrison , Stanley Holloway , Wilfrid Hyde-White

Votes: 101,827 | Gross: $72.00M

17. Oliver! (1968)

G | 153 min | Drama, Family, Musical

After being sold to a mortician, young orphan Oliver Twist runs away and meets a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor in 1830s London.

Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Mark Lester , Ron Moody , Shani Wallis , Oliver Reed

Votes: 41,411 | Gross: $16.80M

18. WALL·E (2008)

G | 98 min | Animation, Adventure, Family

In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.

Director: Andrew Stanton | Stars: Ben Burtt , Elissa Knight , Jeff Garlin , Fred Willard

Votes: 1,200,698 | Gross: $223.81M

19. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

G | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

In order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream. However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, two monsters realize things may not be what they think.

Directors: Pete Docter , David Silverman , Lee Unkrich | Stars: Billy Crystal , John Goodman , Mary Gibbs , Steve Buscemi

Votes: 979,077 | Gross: $289.92M

20. The Incredibles (2004)

PG | 115 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

While trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.

Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Craig T. Nelson , Samuel L. Jackson , Holly Hunter , Jason Lee

Votes: 808,876 | Gross: $261.44M

21. Up (2009)

PG | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

78-year-old Carl Fredricksen travels to Paradise Falls in his house equipped with balloons, inadvertently taking a young stowaway.

Directors: Pete Docter , Bob Peterson | Stars: Edward Asner , Jordan Nagai , John Ratzenberger , Christopher Plummer

Votes: 1,125,246 | Gross: $293.00M

22. The Princess Bride (1987)

PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

A bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.

Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Cary Elwes , Mandy Patinkin , Robin Wright , Chris Sarandon

Votes: 451,021 | Gross: $30.86M

23. Aladdin (1992)

G | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

Directors: Ron Clements , John Musker | Stars: Scott Weinger , Robin Williams , Linda Larkin , Jonathan Freeman

Votes: 466,991 | Gross: $217.35M

24. Finding Nemo (2003)

G | 100 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.

Directors: Andrew Stanton , Lee Unkrich | Stars: Albert Brooks , Ellen DeGeneres , Alexander Gould , Willem Dafoe

Votes: 1,113,631 | Gross: $380.84M

25. Real Steel (2011)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

In the near future, robot boxing is a top sport. A struggling ex-boxer feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot.

Director: Shawn Levy | Stars: Hugh Jackman , Evangeline Lilly , Dakota Goyo , Anthony Mackie

Votes: 355,711 | Gross: $85.47M

26. The Pacifier (2005)

PG | 95 min | Action, Comedy, Drama

Having recovered from wounds received in a failed rescue operation, Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe is handed a new assignment: Protect the five Plummer kids from enemies of their recently deceased father -- a government scientist whose top-secret experiment remains in the kids' house.

Director: Adam Shankman | Stars: Vin Diesel , Brittany Snow , Max Thieriot , Brad Garrett

Votes: 100,939 | Gross: $113.09M

27. Trouble with the Curve (2012)

PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Romance, Sport

A daughter tries to remedy her dysfunctional relationship with her ailing father, a decorated baseball scout, by helping him in a recruiting trip which could be his last.

Director: Robert Lorenz | Stars: Clint Eastwood , Amy Adams , John Goodman , Justin Timberlake

Votes: 68,546 | Gross: $35.76M

28. Nebraska (2013)

R | 115 min | Drama

An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Bruce Dern , Will Forte , June Squibb , Bob Odenkirk

Votes: 123,536 | Gross: $17.65M

29. We Bought a Zoo (2011)

PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Family

Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.

Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Matt Damon , Scarlett Johansson , Thomas Haden Church , Elle Fanning

Votes: 151,775 | Gross: $75.62M

30. Dolphin Tale (2011)

PG | 113 min | Drama, Family

A boy finds a dolphin that was injured in a trap. They become friends, but the dolphin needs to have its tail amputated to survive. With the help of a biologist and a prosthetics specialist, the boy tries to save the animal.

Director: Charles Martin Smith | Stars: Morgan Freeman , Ashley Judd , Harry Connick Jr. , Nathan Gamble

Votes: 25,707 | Gross: $72.29M

31. The Mummy (1999)

PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.

Director: Stephen Sommers | Stars: Brendan Fraser , Rachel Weisz , John Hannah , Arnold Vosloo

Votes: 461,195 | Gross: $155.25M

32. Iron Man (2008)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Robert Downey Jr. , Gwyneth Paltrow , Terrence Howard , Jeff Bridges

Votes: 1,125,105 | Gross: $318.41M

33. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

PG | 152 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.

Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson , Richard Harris

Votes: 856,222 | Gross: $317.58M

34. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

PG | 161 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Harry Potter lives his second year at Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione when a message on the wall announces that the legendary Chamber of Secrets has been opened. The trio soon realize that, to save the school, it will take a lot of courage.

Votes: 692,485 | Gross: $261.99M

35. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

PG | 142 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Richard Griffiths

Votes: 691,708 | Gross: $249.36M

36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

PG-13 | 157 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Harry Potter finds himself competing in a hazardous tournament between rival schools of magic, but he is distracted by recurring nightmares.

Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Eric Sykes

Votes: 681,670 | Gross: $290.01M

37. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Family

With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Director: David Yates | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Brendan Gleeson

Votes: 633,399 | Gross: $292.00M

38. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

PG | 153 min | Action, Adventure, Family

As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.

Director: David Yates | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Michael Gambon

Votes: 595,695 | Gross: $301.96M

39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

PG-13 | 146 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

As Harry, Ron and Hermione race against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, they uncover the existence of the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.

Director: David Yates | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Bill Nighy

Votes: 599,257 | Gross: $295.98M

40. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

PG-13 | 130 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.

Votes: 948,723 | Gross: $381.01M

41. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.

Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp , Geoffrey Rush , Orlando Bloom , Keira Knightley

Votes: 1,210,720 | Gross: $305.41M

42. October Sky (1999)

PG | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Family

The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.

Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal , Chris Cooper , Laura Dern , Chris Owen

Votes: 98,065 | Gross: $32.48M

43. Eight Below (2006)

PG | 120 min | Adventure, Drama, Family

Brutal cold forces two Antarctic explorers to leave their team of sled dogs behind as they fend for their survival.

Director: Frank Marshall | Stars: Paul Walker , Jason Biggs , Bruce Greenwood , Moon Bloodgood

Votes: 68,371 | Gross: $81.61M

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