The Visitation (2006) User Reviews (65)

Do you like CSI? Well, you won't like this....

[agvkrioni · 4/10 · 11 January 2007]

Based on the excellent drama-horror book by Frank Peretti, this movie was more like a twisted, rewritten version done for film.

The story was reworked and exposition was changed, characters changed, until the master screenwriter came up with something more fitting for today's Hollywood- in other words the end results was cliché, badly cut, and dramatic in all the wrong places. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a B movie, it was better than most B movies I've seen. More like a B+ or an A-.

The editing and film style resemble a two hour long episode of CSI without the forensics- and CSI fans will notice that the cast is pretty much an entire ensemble of CSI extras.

In the end, its like they say, the book is always better. In this case the movie could have been just as good, but they decided to make it overly dramatic and hackneyed with little real character development and evolution.

Frank Peretti, I give you 2 thumbs up. Movie, you only get a tiny little knubby knuckle up.

well, it is a disappointment after reading the book

[jpowers-10 · 5/10 · 18 July 2006]

I will have to admit the movie is well made, but the changes the writers felt they had to incorporate completely miss the point of the novel. The acting is mostly excellent, however I felt that the Justin Cantwell/Herb Johnson/Brandon Nichols character seemed to lack the feeling and general disposition I got from the novel.

The movie, in general, seems altogether hurried. It doesn't seem to give any time at all for development of the characters involved, and simply leaves it up to the viewer to figure out what's going on. I'll admit I'm biased by knowing the back story of Travis Jordan from the novel. The movie simply leaves most of that out, or changes it to something the novel doesn't even come close to aligning with. I know this can be attributed to making some measure of dramatic license with the novel, to make it more suitable for film. However, adding another 20 minutes to the film could have taken care of the issues of Travis' lost faith.

To me, the whole re-adaptation of Morgan Elliot's role, and her son, Michael, seems completely at odds with the mystery and suspense of the novel. Their inclusion strikes me as almost an afterthought.

The changing of locales where critical plot elements occur do nothing to make the film more adaptable to film. They simply make it more obscure and generally unbelievable. There should have been less an emphasis on shortening the plot, and more on developing the individual characters. Making Brandon's terrible experience occur in the town of Antioch was an incredible travesty in developing the plot of the film. Also, the exclusion of Matt Kiley's supernatural electronics shop of horrors left a great opportunity for a defining scene in the movie. It was a scene waiting to be made to be seen on screen, and thus it left me wanting more. Also, the omission of Dee Henscle's role is mostly trivial, while in the novel it was an important subplot.

All in all, it was a generally good movie, but it pales in comparison to the novel. I simply wasn't drawn into the story like I should be in an Peretti work.

Don't Bother

[ridesupondragons · 5/10 · 9 April 2006]

This movie.... well, it was only worth seeing because at the very end, one of the characters yelled out "WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW?!???!?!?!" It was very cheesy, the acting wasn't that good. The acting could have been better, but it wasn't. I still don't know how many times the dog actually died during the course of this film, and I likely never will. The storyline itself was rather tough to follow, and I found myself incredibly bored by the end of it. It used very little special effects but the ones it did were terrible. It made a few attempts to seem like the Ring with the TV turning on to this smoky image of a windmill, but it just made me more confused and I laughed at it.

Not Impressed

[jen12_31 · 2/10 · 12 March 2009]

When I read the book "The Visitation" by Frank Peretti, I couldn't put it down. I loved every minute of it, and recommended it to all my friends and family as a "must-read". Mr. Peretti is a talented author, and has a way of pulling the reader into a story that twists and turns and keeps the reader on their toes. The movie did the the exact opposite. I realize that it is rare that a movie comes close to being as good as the book, but I was hopeful that the spirit of the book, the feeling of the book, or at least the BASIC story of the book be represented well in the movie. It wasn't. Sadly, it fell into the stereotype of a "christian-made" movie. Medeocre. (Which I find frustrating). This was an excellent book, with an excellent story to tell, and it did not deserve to be butchered the way it did. Not only was the story hacked to bits, but the acting was lacking and the cinematography at times was confusing and distracting. As much as I loved and recommended the book, I have to say that this is a movie to avoid.

I'm tired of Christians producing mediocre movies--learn your craft!

[dottyjyoung · 2/10 · 22 November 2006]

This was my favorite Peretti novel of all time, but the discrepancies between the book and the movie are not what bothered me. EVERY novel must undergo some re-structuring to work in a 2-hour movie. To Peretti's credit, the idea of Marion being murdered was a good way to start the adaptation.

But that's where the good ideas end.

The plot holes in this movie are large enough to drive a truck through them. The dialogue was so cheesy that I was tempted to mute, and the STORY was so disjointed that I simply covered my face and thought: "One more strike against Christian movies!" 1) If Justin Cantwell's goal was simply to get a victim for his sacrifice, WHY pull the false-Christ routine at all? Why not just snatch some other clueless Marion Jordan? His revenge against Travis for "alerting the authorities" would be a great story by itself, and you could throw in a few "Am I a bad minister?" self-discovery side plots for flavor. But with this script, the purpose in his false-Christ routine is never explained, or even hinted at, which makes the whole story fall flat on its face.

Just so you know, in the book, Cantwell is JUST as deceived as the rest of the crowd. He doesn't believe he's Jesus, but he does believe that the three demonic companions are his "friends", when they're actually using him.

2)The "flying Bible stops the falling knife" trick at the end was just too much cheese, but I shouldn't have been surprised. Christian writers really struggle with Deus Ex Machina in their fiction. There's a good reason for this: miracles DO happen in the life of a Christian, but it's hard to get them on paper in a believable form. The difference is this: a miracle is an **event**, while Deus Ex Machina is a technique used to resolve a plot (God comes in and miraculously saves the hero from certain death, end of story) and it tells you nothing about the journey of the character. If all Christians really meditated on the function of miracles in our own lives, and our own response to them, we would stop using this awful, pointless technique and start writing better stories. Peretti should know better.

3) I'm pretty sure that Washington state has the highest rate of occultic and New Age practitioners in the country. Peretti is simultaneously too familiar with these practices and disdainful of them. A follower of ANY religion believes that he has found Truth, and to mock the practices with the camera (Nancy Barrons' sultry sway down the stairs, or Cantwell's screaming at the fake fence post--and what was THAT all about?) robs the audience of the chance to know these characters. The rest of the country is not as familiar with these practices as Peretti obviously is, so he needs to explain WHY they're false/harmful/ridiculous, or whatever, with his story craft----NOT resort to making them look stupid. It doesn't work.

Peretti's book "Piercing the Darkness" actually led me to Christ, so I may have come to this movie with higher than normal expectations. However, I would like a Christian movie to be AT LEAST as well written as the latest Batman flick. It wasn't. We as Christians have been charged with sharing the greatest story of all time. Maybe if we learned how to tell stories more effectively, we'd do a better job of that.

so disappointed

[spraguelhs · 3/10 · 8 June 2006]

the book is awesome, potentially life changing. the movie captures probably 1/8th of the content of the book. the book is about "doing church" and contrasting that with having a relationship with Christ. Its sharp and wise observations of people and their organizations alternately enlighten and bring tears. I've wanted my wife to read the book for a long time and watching the movie together sent the completely wrong message. so many characters and stories are missing only to focus on the weakest part: the actual supernatural activities of the false "Christ". The background stories are what make the book so powerful. I can understand that they would make the move too long and actually push the film into another genre, but I was disappointed at what was actually there.

Good story would have benefited from a larger budget

[djlouey · 7/10 · 22 January 2006]

If you watch "The Rainmaker" you'll think it's a great movie. If you watch it after you read the novel by John Grisham that it's based on, it will leave you wanting a little more. "The Visitation" is very similar. Frank Peretti's books, including "The Visitation", have the tendency to draw the reader in until they are immersed in the fear that oozes from the pages. The movie doesn't quite accomplish that. Of course, if any movie were to contain all of the elements of a Perreti or Grisham novel, it would be 12 hours long.

Having said that, the story is well told, though there are moments where it leaps ahead unexpectedly. The movie's opening scene introduces three mysterious men who proclaim "He is coming." Through the rest of the movie they lurk in the background, creating an uneasy sense of expectancy.

Martin Donovan and Kelly Lynch are very likable as the main characters and Donovan is convincing in the role of reluctant hero. Randy Travis shows he is actually a good actor and provides most of the comic relief, which is a bit surprising.

Edward Furlong as "The Visitor" is a bit melodramatic, but does a good job of keeping you guessing to the end. The rest of the characters could use a little more development in the movie.

One thing I did find irritating about the movie is a device the screenplay writer (not Peretti) uses during the frightening scenes. It is pretty much a rip-off of "The Ring".

Overall, the movie is somewhat frightening. It's not scary in a horror movie fashion, but more in a Hitchcock kind of way. It's more of a disturbing feeling than a desire to scream. Kind of like "The Secret Window".

While Perreti is recognized as a Christian author the movie is not preachy. There are some religious themes, but they flow with the story. It doesn't force messages into the film that don't fit as is so unfortunate in many otherwise good stories.

The budget for the movie is about $2 million. It looks like it. It doesn't look cheap, but it doesn't compare to the films with five times the money in the coffers. Perreti is currently working on a screen play for "The Oath". I hope this movie has enough success to convince someone to front a little bigger budget for his next project.

Fails as a convincing secular and religious movie.

[LarkspurGold · 3/10 · 27 July 2006]

I disagree with the posters who advise to read the book before watching the movie. You should read the book *after* watching this movie, because otherwise you will not be able to watch this entire film without rolling your eyes or muttering under your breath. Books are always hard to adapt to the screen, but this film goes below the level of exception. Most of the characters are one-dimensional; even the character of Travis Jordan is given just enough depth (an ex-pastor, who lost with his faith with the death of his wife) to make the viewer have to like him, because he is the "good guy". I especially have to take note of the character of Brandon Nichols. In the book, Brandon is portrayed as a charming and handsome man with a charismatic personality and enigmatic air that makes him so appealing to the simple folks of Antioch. However, in this film Brandon looks like an unwashed, frail-looking hobo with a scraggy beard, who while down and out on the streets of the city, decided to start his own cult for the money, fame, and women. Edward Furlong does the best he can with the material, but it still isn't enough to convince the viewer that he could be the messiah.

The special effects are cheesy at best, but that can be forgiven with the low budget. The filmmakers tried too hard to find middle ground by targeting both Christian and non-Christian audiences, and it shows in the script. On the one hand, the film wants to be a horror movie, but lacks the subtle creepiness to make it truly frightening or disturbing. On the other hand, the film wants to retain its Christian roots and produces Christian lingo and ideas that are too religious for secular audiences.

Not too bad

[FilmCritic1 · 7/10 · 2 February 2006]

Other than the budget, I went into this film knowing very little about it. I must admit that, for the first half-hour or so, I was distracted by the unusual shooting style which didn't seem to fit the flow of the story. However, as the film moved along, the jagged, misframed shots made more and more sense.

As the story unfolded, I found myself increasingly intrigued, and even uneasy. Peretti has a talent for hooking his audience, and then taking them for an unusual ride, and "The Visitation" was no exception.

For the minimal budget, this ended up being a very strong effort. I would definitely recommend it for teens and older audiences, but it may be a little too creepy for younger kids.

Nothing like what I expected!

[dorrough2 · 1/10 · 31 December 2009]

I honestly think that I could have offered better ideas for adapting this book to film while still keeping it under 2 hrs. The dramatic moments seemed to be focused in the wrong spots. I didn't really care about a dog coming back to life. (which wasn't even in the book)Furthermore, I was disappointed that Morgan Elliot was a veterinarian instead of a Methodist minister. Most of the messages about religion were deflated to appeal to a secular audience. And, in general, I felt that the movie was much darker than it had to be. I understand that it is considered a "thriller," but many of the more humorous characters, such as Dee Baylor, were either merged with other characters or left out completely. I so wanted to see Dee Baylor running down the street after Jim Baylor with a gun in her hands or Penny getting blown up in Don Anderson's appliance shop. For some reason I had imagined lighter moments when I was reading the book. Most of the movie is literally dark; it is either night time or we are stuck in a dark basement or something. And, what was with those lights flickering on and off in the supermarket? It looked like some sort of aliens or monsters were invading. Finally, I have to say something about the unoriginal special effects used when the demons are leaving the bodies. It honestly looks like a sorry attempt to mimic the same effect they used in "The Green Mile." The book is amazing, but this movie is less than spectacular. I really felt like it was a waste of time. Just read the 600 page book!

Pretty good for a Christian Movie

[Moviegoer88 · 10/10 · 26 February 2006]

I really had no desire to go and see this movie. I was more or less dragged along because we had an extra ticket. Sitting through the opening scenes my thoughts on the movie were pretty much the same except that the camera work was kind of weird. However as the movie went on I actually started to enjoy it. I thought the plot was pretty good and a lot of what was going on throughout the movie was explained by the end. I would say what they were but I would probably give parts away for those who haven't seen it yet. I would also have to agree with one of the other reviewers that this is a horror movie but in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, not anything like Saw or most modern horror flicks but more of just something to creep you out. When comparing to other Christian-based movies, I thought this one came out very well despite the lack of money they had to make it. The message comes across well stated and the movie was well done. I would recommend this title for anyone who is curious about whether or not they want to see it.

Surprisingly not bad...

[tetsuro_29 · 7/10 · 4 March 2006]

I rented this movie recently. I never read the original novel, but I knew of Frank Peretti's works. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything great, but I must say I was surprised to find the film pretty good. Not earth shattering good, but quite a decent flick. For a low-budget, direct to DVD supernatural thriller, I think it's a step above the usual. Quality wise the acting, direction, and special effects is better than most faith based films like "Left Behind". The mystery element to the plot is what kept me watching. Trying to figure out what's happening is what I think helps drive the story. There is suspense, but it's not really too scary. However, I would recommend parents to watch this film with children under 13. I think the PG-13 rating is quite appropriate for the film's content. In the end, "The Visitation" is overall a good picture. Nothing I would buy, but something worthwhile to rent. Recommended.

Average supernatural/religious thriller.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 5 May 2008]

The Visitation is set in a small American town where a recent spate of God like miracles have cured a crippled man, someones eyesight, healed physical scars & gave the whole town renewed hope. A young man named Brandon Nichols (Edward Furlong) admits he is the source of these miracles & the entire town falls in love with him as he cures their illnesses & ailments. Ex minister Travis Jordan (Martin Donovan) is very sceptical & mistrusting his wife having been murdered three years earlier, he recognises a man who was photographed at his wife's murder scene hanging around Brandon & feels the answer to his wife's unsolved murder may be near. As Travis investigates Brandon & his miracles he realises that Brandon isn't who he claims to be & that his miracles have a sinister reason behind them...

Directed by Robby Henson one has to say that The Visitation isn't a totally terrible film but at the same time isn't exactly a great one either, I can't say I particularly liked it but I can't say i particularly hated it either. The script by Brian Godawa & Frank Peretti bases itself around the supernatural & religion which does drown out the horror elements at times, The Visitation isn't that preachy & it doesn't try to convert it's audience to devout Christians but the religious symbolism & themes are clearly there for all to see. At 100 odd minutes in length The Visitation feels a lot longer which is never a good sign, it's a fairly slow going film at times & the film doesn't have much pace. The character's are alright if a little clichéd, I mean the ex minister who has to re-find his faith to stop a great evil? Where The Visitation really falls down is the ending, it's a bit of a mess really & things don't quite come together that well. There are many questions which remain unanswered, the twists are underwhelming & somewhat lazy, the basic plot isn't really explained & when the end credits roll it leaves you feeling a bit cheated.

Director Henson does alright, like a lot of films he bleaches almost all of the colour out of certain scenes which gives it a very mute colour palette. For the majority of The Visitation actor Edward Furlong playing Brandon wears a wig which makes him look like he has long hair but at the climax he suddenly appears with a shaven head for no apparent reason. It's never mentioned in the film whether his character was wearing a wig & he just took it off (if so why?) or whether during an evil ritual he just decided to get a hair cut! Strange & it's very noticeable. There's no blood or gore, there's a bit of language & a few cheap scare moments like a dog suddenly appearing at someones window barking it's head off but overall the story is too weak to give you nightmares.

According to the IMDb this had a budget of about $2,500,000 which is a hell of a lot of money, I can't really see where it all went to be honest. It looks like any other cheap straight-to-video/DVD release. Apparently filmed in Visalia in California. The acting isn't too bad at all which helps, has Edward Furlong been in a decent film after the brilliant Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)?

The Visitation is an average religious themed supernatural horror film, for me I didn't like it that much but it didn't dislike it that much either. I found it all a bit average & forgettable, watch something else like Stigmata (1999) instead which is a better religious supernatural themed horror film.

Just change a few names and Peretti might as well not be involved.

[hailingxjove · 1/10 · 13 June 2007]

I saw the ad for this movie in the back of the book not long after I started it, and I figured that since I was loving the book so much, the movie should be great! And the book... well, it was gripping and wonderful. But the movie couldn't have disappointed me more.

I know that this already sounds like your classic bookworm-with-unrealistic-expectations-of-the-movie-business encounter, but honestly, there were TWO THINGS in this movie that were NOT changed at all: the names of Travis Jordan and Morgan Elliot, and the fact that Travis used to be a minister. EVERYTHING ELSE was completely rearranged, and it made a clear statement to ME that the movie makers weren't happy with the book and decided they could make the story a little more gripping. Unfortunately for them they missed the subtlety of Frank Peretti's genius and it was completely lost in translation.

What I don't understand is why they had to change absolutely everything. The plot was changed, the premise was changed, the motives and back-stories... all completely changed. If they were to change the names of all the characters they could have saved money because they wouldn't have had to buy the rights from Peretti at all! I was the most taken aback by their rendition of Marian (not Mariam) Jordan's death (homicide instead of lung cancer), making Marian's death the most important part of her existence when in the book it's her LIFE and you don't even know how she died until the last few pages. This was because her LIFE was what created Travis as he was during the modern storyline. But the book report aside, I didn't just hate the movie for the blatant disrespect of the author's creative dignity, but for the way it was put together.

Random, almost unnecessary special effects of demons leaving bodies. Erratic and fruitless camera shots that add nothing to the storyline but extensive confusion. Not to mention the totally misleading movie case summary. That at least follows the book's plot, but it's as if they completely rearranged the plot way late in the game when they had written a summary for a plot that actually followed the book. I sort of felt as if they'd gotten bored with the book's storyline and decided to create their own. And once they've bought the rights for the story, Frank Peretti doesn't have a say in what happens in his movie. That MUST be the explanation, says my mind, because there can't possibly be any way he's happy with this movie and his name being attached to it. I would be hopping mad.

And how could I have overlooked the movie makers' total blindsiding of the viewer-former-reader with Justin Cantwell's story. Justin was abused by his father. A resounding yes from the audience. Justin hates God and Jesus for what they'd supposedly done to him. Poor unfortunate soul, the audience thinks.

Oh, and by the way, it's Travis' fault for ignoring it when Justin was at his Bible camp and told him all about it.

Some crickets and some blinking and the audience thinks, "... I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Oh yes. Didn't you know that's why Justin killed Marian and now wants to kill Morgan?

You mean Travis has a thing for Morgan now? But I thought he loved Marian?

Oh no, no, no. Can't you see that killing Morgan is why Justin went through all the trouble of hypnotizing a town by calling himself Jesus?

Ahhh. It all makes sense now!

But really, all monologues and senseless rambling aside, all I could help thinking the entire time was, "Give me a break." I feel for Frank Peretti. I feel for anyone who loved his book and then saw this movie. I also feel for any weirdo who actually took the time to read this, but mostly I feel righteously indignant at the horrendous rendition this book was stuck with. Poor Frank Peretti. Poor awesome Travis who was made into a total weirdo. No offense to Martin Donovan.

Don't rent this movie unless your prepared to toss popcorn at the TV and laugh heartily at its complete and utter insanity!

[Pasafist · 1/10 · 8 March 2006]

Sometimes I'm presented with the challenge of making sense of Christian entertainment. Working in Christian radio a number of weird videos pass across my desk. Today the promotions manager at work handed me a wild looking DVD and asked me If I would watch it and tell her if I thought it was safe for a family audience. What I was treated to was probably the silliest "supernatural" thriller I have ever seen.

THE VISITATION, based on the best selling novel by FRANK PERETTI, tells the tale of a Pastor named Travis, who lost his faith when he lost his wife, and of a town in the middle of a spiritual crisis. The town of Antioch has experienced a series of weird religious miracles. A boy survives a deadly car crash without a scratch, a man is healed of knee pain when he touches the tears that come from a wooden crucifix, a picture of Jesus has shown up in a mildew stain on a shower wall, and the local shopkeeper has gotten out of his wheelchair and walked. Then, a stranger named Brandon Nichols (Edward Furlong) comes to town ans is seen as the man who made all these miracles happen, so obviously the town embraces him as the second coming of Christ. But alas things may not be what they seem, and it's up to Travis and Antioch's new Veterinarian (Kelly Lynch) to figure out just what is going on.

I guess in every group there is a special language that outsiders can't quite understand. In evangelical Christianity we call it "Christianese." THE VISITATION is steeped in it. Even I felt like I needed a refresher course. If your not familiar with the lingo most of this film will make little sense. Every moment of the film seemed to be predicated on some basic Christian Theology without any entry way for those who are not familiar to catch up. It also renders a lot of the dialogue corny and contrived.

But if you can get past that you probably won't even be able to figure out just what the movie is trying to say. There is no logic to the world that created in this film. Good and Evil may be defined but why can someone cast out a demon in one scene and not be able to do it in another scene? Are the demons really demons? If they are really Demons how exactly do they manifest themselves as humans? Why go through all the trouble anyway? These questions are surprising because normally Frank Peretti as an author defines Evil in terms that make sense and because he is listed as one of producers on the film the rough script by Brian Godawa (TO END ALL WARS) had to have passed his desk at some point during the production. Is his novel as convoluted as the screenplay? I would hope not.

I especially loved the nod to "CSI" as the plucky Vet (Kelly Lynch) uses an a CAT scan to read a piece of newspaper. It seems to be the only reason that her character is a vet, is so that someone can use this machine to gleam absolutely nothing that is important. But I laughed as that black piece of paper was run through the machine. It was silly.

More importantly who the heck came up with the ending of this film? I've seen some really bad closing moments in movies but THE VISITATION'S hokey ending actually mad me laugh. It is easily the dumbest closing moment I've ever seen. It involves a chisel and a Bible and it really does have to be seen to be believed.

As for the cast you really can't blame them for their performances they're as good as they can be. Randy Travis plays the dull pastor whose faith never waivers with as much passion as he can. Martin Donovan gives Travis enough passion to keep his performance watch able, and Kelly Lynch does what she can with the damsel in distress role. As for Edward Furlong he gets the Christian Slater award of excellence for his over the top tirade in the closing minutes of the film.

Don't rent this movie unless your prepared to toss popcorn at the TV and laugh heartily at its complete and utter insanity. This is a bad movie and if you like that kind of thing this will be your cup of tea. If not flee far away from THE VISITATION, oh and by to answer my promotions director this film is not safe for a family audience.

If you HAVE read the book....

[ggk1970 · 2/10 · 27 March 2006]

...don't expect much. BARELY even the same plot.

As a stand alone movie, this may have been decent. I am a Christian, and after having read the book, I was expecting a movie with at least a small amount of spiritual content. The book is a tale of a spiritual journey, and a very moving story at that. This movie was so far stripped of anything meaningful, I cannot possibly recommend it.

I have seen many movies adapted from books, and this was by far the worst adaptation I have ever seen. I would imagine and fully expect that Frank Peretti is very unpleased with what has been done to his story. The creators of the movie have taken an extremely meaningful book and changed it into a two-bit horror flick. Very disappointed.

If you want to know the real story, read the book. Do not waste time or money on this movie. I HIGHLY recommend the book though!

A Town Possessed by Evil

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 27 January 2007]

In Antioch, the former Father Travis Jordan (Martin Donovan) lost his faith on God three years ago when his beloved wife was murdered and the criminals never found. Suddenly, miracles happen in the little town: the son of the newcomer and veterinary Morgan Elliot (Kelly Lynch) survives a car accident without a single scratch; Travis's dog Max revives after being buried; a paraplegic walks; a wounded woman and her father with brain tumor heal. In all the events, three men wearing black were seen, and then the unknown Brandon Nichols (Edward Furlong) claims to be Jesus Christ. The local population worships Brandon, while Travis and Morgan feel that something is wrong and conduct an investigation, disclosing that evil has possessed the dwellers.

"The Visitation" is a great film that begins like an episode of "X-Files" and has a very scary conclusion. The intriguing story is disclosed only in the end, when it seems that there is no more hope for the good against evil, and I am impressed with the imbecile associations with Christians that I glanced in IMDb. "The Visitation" is a great horror movie, no matter if you are atheist or religious, with a good story of the fight between good and evil. My advice is, if you like horror films, watch this movie and you will not regret. The flaw in the story is the accident with Michael Elliot, who stays safe and sound in the end. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Visitante" ("The Visitor")

If you read the book don't watch the movie.

[child_of_yaweh · 1/10 · 11 April 2006]

The movie it's self was made well the problem I had with it was the plot. My husband and I were very disappointed and even a little angry to find that the movie barely resembles the book it is based on. I honestly wonder if the folks making the movie even read the book, it is almost as if someone came to work one day and said "I just read a really good book here is generally what it's about" and that is what the movie is based on. I do not mean to insult anyone but I just felt so strongly about this. We bought the movie right away because we wanted to support Christian movies and we were sorely disappointed. The characters were all messed up and wrong and the location of certain events were wrong. I just have to wonder what Frank Peretti thought of the movie. I know that you can't make a movie just like the book and due to budget and time constraints some dramatic license must be taken, but this was way off the scale of acceptable adaptations. If I hadn't read the book I would have liked the movie it was a good story, and it was pretty wall made. We will continue to support Christian movie endeavors, thank you for doing it. Just in the future, read the book.

pretty good flick

[ronnidonni2002 · 6/10 · 4 March 2006]

Looks like the guy that wrote the review before me has some issues. I suspect the film affected him or her in a way that would be say, uncomfortable. My wife and I watched it tonight and were pleasantly entertained. We're both relatively fundamental Christians, and myself am very familiar with Frank Peretti since he wrote "This Present Darkness" in the late 80's. I will be recommending this movie to other believers I work with. It holds the viewer's attention, and alludes to a few New age religious areas that are not so healthy. Yoga being one of them. Sort of risky to do that and the truth may be painful to some. Predictable ending but hey, we know the end of the big story anyway. See it.

Great idea with limited scope of vision.

[Kashmirgrey · 4/10 · 17 March 2007]

If you want to ruin any chance of a good film then cast Edward Furlong in a leading role. Apparently the makers of "The Visitation" weren't worried about the quality of their film, because they did exactly that.

Dark angels set the stage for a false messiah who gains a small town's discipleship through healing of various ills. A once-pastor, now unbeliever suspects something amiss. With the aid of the town's veterinarian, they set out to expose the devil and make his true purpose known.

The plot is interesting enough, and I thought fairly above average in the clever department. It was when I saw Edward Furlong cast as a Jesus-wanna-be, that I lost hope.

Intriguing movie - PG 13 rating is needed

[sblawyer · 9/10 · 28 February 2006]

I read the book several years ago, so I can't say whether it follows the story very faithfully. Regardless, it's quite a good movie. Peretti is a fantastic author, and can hold a reader's (or viewer's) attention. I like this better than Hangman's Curse, and this is more adult-oriented. We watched this with our 13 year old son and 11 year old daughter. They had to look away quite often when things got frightening. It was surprising to check out some of the main (and even minor) characters and see how many movies they have done. The acting was professional; some of the filming techniques were inconsistent and shaky. Even if you're not interested in "Christian" stories, if you like suspense/horror movies, you will enjoy this movie. For a relatively low-budget film, it's well worth the time. I'll watch it again!

Not Too Bad!

[dentonsfarm · 7/10 · 2 March 2006]

Although I am a Christian I don't exactly like all the Christian films that have come out in recent years. However, I would definitely rank this film over Left Behind anytime. I loved the camera work in this movie. It was very Tony Scott like in parts. However the exorcism scenes towards the end of the film seemed like nothing more than cheap rip-offs of The Green Mile. You can use flys exiting out of mouths only so often before loosing originality. Perhaps they should have focused on less CGI and more simple on location camera effects of some kind play on shadows. Anything would have been better than the flys exiting out of the mouth stuff. However, I felt the actors had done very well for the overwhelming majority of the film, even though Randy Travis is by no means the greatest actor of all time. So all in all, Christian films should focus on making films a little more simplistic in there style but more complex on the undertones.

Lost in Translation

[ajrayner47 · 4/10 · 28 May 2007]

O.K, so not a bad movie in terms of acting etc,.. BUT the whole story was SO watered down to make it supposedly palatable for the secular audience. The question is WHY? If Christians can't get across the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we are wasting our time and everybody else's, and that is exactly what this movie does. Seriously, if Christians truly believe that without Christ, the world is going to Hell, then are we supposed to give them an "in flight movie" to watch during the trip??!! or are we going to try to change their destination?

Particularly annoying to me was the way the preacher conducted the "exorsisms",.. "And Jesus said come out!"....I'm sure demons are more aware of what Jesus "SAID" than we are, but that little historical quote won't make one leave, the scriptures are clear that we must ask in Jesus' NAME. That small typo would make the world of difference in a real life situation, the pastor would've ended up getting his butt beat by a raving demoniac!!

If anyone is thinking of screening this movie as an outreach, forget it. There's no real Gospel content, run a Bookclub and review the book instead, it's the real deal.

not so good

[mwold · 3/10 · 17 March 2006]

You can see that quite a lot of passion and thought, but not a lot of money, went into this film. There's much creativity, but the film just doesn't gel, and the quick wrap up at the end with the flashback explanation isn't very effective. A desperate but talented cast do their best to act through an incoherent storyline and a bunch of psychobabble and religious silliness. Imagine if the Church of Latter Day Saints made a horror movie and you get the picture....watered down chills, a corny Jesus loving theme song, subliminal messaging etc. I can only imagine churchgoers deeming this the most "terrifying and yet important" film made in ages...

disappointing horrorible

[dfdaily · 2/10 · 7 March 2006]

The beginning is a little slow but builds some momentum, but then we have cliché after cliché. If you've never seen or read horror stories about evil spirits, this might be somewhat suspenseful. Otherwise, I (who can never figure out plots) could tell who was what and what was coming, so I waited for a good twist at the end which never came. The few good scenes were often ruined by bad editing cuts, Or in some cases sudden jumps where the characters' continuity is lost. I am a fan of horror and suspense, and really wanted to like this movie, but longer it went, the less original and banal it became. I did think Martin Donovan in the lead did a very good job. But bad B movies should at least have breasts, much more splattering of blood, and special effects, and ooze, and slime.