User Reviews

With just five characters, this film is more or less entertaining, although it seems of been an episode of a TV series that should have lasted about 45 minutes, but that the writers stretched it to fit into the format of a feature film.

Thus, the lack of synthesis and the excessive length of some scenes make interest decline as the outcome approaches. The story is a typical cat-and-mouse trap and as soon as the chase is raised, the rhythm of the plot, instead of stimulating viewer's attention, collapses to a very predictable ending.

In this way, the visit becomes more of a lethargy than a surprise. Correctly acted by an efficient cast, however, it has its greatest weakness in the participation of Eric Robert. The veteran actor plays again his own person and grandiloquently recites his lines, as if his performance depended not on a director but on himself.

It can be seen but you have to make a great effort to avoid falling asleep.

Spoiler

In the fourth act, a woman's leg sustains a deep wound that requires a strong tourniquet to stop the bleeding. But in the following shots, the character, as if by magic, is already recovered and doesn't even limp holding a shotgun.

"The Surprise Visit" looked like a film school project shot in a country estate in a single take.

The narrative features the tawdry action of a drug addict seeking to rob a home for jewelry in order to take care of his pregnant wife. Fan favorite Eric Roberts, a national treasure, plays the father Hugh, who berates his son when he comes to him for help, then asks Mrs. Dixon to give the young man a job. Humiliated, the son plans the robbery, only to discover Mrs. Dixon's daughter in the home. He never learned that the kind employer was willing to hire him.

The film is primarily one long and unconvincing chase scene through the wilderness. Mrs. Dixon's daughter Juliette claimed to have won hide-and-go-seek contests when she was growing up on the estate. But she is hopeless in evading the clumsy, slow-footed Casey and his pregnant girlfriend Belle.

The denouement made no sense. Are we to believe that a year later, Belle and her daughter are thriving on the beach? Somehow, the filmmakers sought to develop a theme of the importance of "family" in this train wreck of a film.

Worst movie in my life, failed directing, failed filming, failed story, failed end and beginning, losing the money I paid for watching.

If I was given the ball back to watch it, I would not watch it if the last movie was left for free and I would not advise anyone to watch it and waste their time watching a movie like this.

Not the worst movie I ever seen. Nowhere near the best either. It's worth a watch. It's a basic dude forces his dumbass girlfriend into a robbery. He lies to her thru out the entire thing. I can't wrap my head around how this methed out crackhead thinks he can run off to Mexico with her on a handful of jewelry. Excited over what he calls 7gs.

Idaho native Nick Lyon directs 2022's The Surprise Visit. A veteran of roughly 30 directorial credits, Lyon has done mostly shorts and TV movies. With "Visit", he gives the backwoods of Virginia, remote cabins, and dwelling mansions their swallowing due. His film is conventional until it turns dark as night.

The Surprise Visit answers the question of what if Bennett Miller's cinematographer helm-ed a home invasion thriller that on the surface, feels like every other home invasion thriller in print. Look closer though because there are mitigating circumstances involved.

The couple personas being invaded, don't actually live in the home because their rich mom lives there and she's out of town. Said couple is basically at the wrong place at the wrong time (ugh). The bad guy doing the invading is actually the dude whose father is the gardener of the house being broken into. Finally, the bad guy's girly pal is pregnant with his child so they need to get some moolah and hightail it to Mexico. Uh, did you get all that?

"Visit" reminded me of stuff like A Simple Plan, Breaking In, and Funny Games. It's not too bloody or too R rated but people sure do get hit over the head a lot. "No witnesses" seems to be a possible tagline and definite quote for the flick's 86-minute running time. When "Visit" ends in an upsetting and twisted manner, you'll probably get that whole "no witnesses" vibe in spades. It's all in the viewer interpretation (I mean isn't that usually the case?).

The Surprise Visit stars Rob Riordan, Eric Roberts, and Serah Henesey. They give raw, disciplined performances in a movie designed to promote "bad things happening to good people". "Visit" is nasty and initially compact as it deals with themes of desperation, resentment, and despondency. It's not flashy, extravagant, or snuffed but it gets the job done. The fact that it's based on a true story won't matter whether you want to see it or not. Courtesy "visit".

I write this review in January 2022. The movie says it's based on true events (they never mention the case in particular). It is also set in recent time (2020 or 2021) as they mention covid twice. Covid has only been in existence for 2 years. At the end, they show what happened "3 years later". How did a movie based on true events jump into the future? If it is indeed "3 years later" then the movie shows events in 2023 or 2024!

The woman escaping had the upper hand: shelter, a clear view of the woods from all angles, and a gun. All she had to do was sit and wait for help, or run to the main house to call 911. But no... she's going to chase the people trying to kill her. I lost all sympathy for her at that point. I don't believe this is based on a true story at all. What idiot out of danger places themselves in danger again?

The only reason I watched this pile of garbage was so I could follow up on the real case afterwards. They only said it's based on true events so you don't ask too many questions while watching this bad high school production.

I was like maybe 20 minutes in & decided to read reviews & pass on watching.

For one I'm wondering you hear noise but don't call police? You have cell in hand but no reception, would of been better if said phone dead.

Yes, pregnant chick voice also got on nerve, her & baby daddy the dumbest crackheads.

Why don't screenwriters and directors ever ask themselves the most basic questions? Like "Will viewers really enjoy watching people make lots of stupid decisions?" Or "Do viewers really want all of the good guys to be senselessly murdered?" Or "Will people think it's terrific if we follow a disastrous, ugly ending with happy music and a people playing on the beach scene?"

This movie is so bad it's hard to describe how bad it is. It has no redeeming qualities. One flagrant example: the female protagonist has, after torture and terror, finally escaped and made it to high ground, with shelter and a shotgun. She's bleeding from a horrible leg wound when she fell and a stake went deep into her thigh. So what does she do? Leave her secure spot and go hunting for the evil home invaders, of course. They wrestle the gun away from her and shoot her dead. She's a lawyer, but ends up being dumber than the mentally challenged female invader (Annabelle).

Anyone who gives this more than 2-3 stars is either lying or is as dumb as Annabelle.

First off, the title: 'The Surprise Visit.' That took away some confidence, but I was temporarily interested in the crackhead couple who find themselves in the family way. Then the plot: male crackhead asks Pop for money again, then for a job. He's refused, but Dad has a change of heart - Eric Roberts, that ol' softy! So crackhead son has a fighting chance with his reforming crackhead girl (since they're gonna be parents and all...). But loser-son cooks up a really lame heist plot - he is under the influence, after all.

The daughter of the house owner comes with her husband for ...wait for it ... a 'Surprise Visit' which puts them squarely in the path of the really lame crackhead heist.

The part that made me laugh loudest was the couples' belief that with $7-10,000, they could fund a life of luxury in Mexico. "Margaritas....and I can hear the waves! Shhh... shhhh." Yes, that's real dialogue from this film.

I'm easily entertained, but seeing a director attempting to extend a film to the 80+ minute mark by showing. Every. Single. Part. Of. A foot chase. Through the woods - just became ridiculous. Over the bridge and into the woods. Through a pond. Further into the woods. Across another bridge. Another pond. Then back. And for all the running, the viewer really doesn't know where the characters are on the expansive property, which removes suspense - it's just a REALLY long chase dragged out.

Then, the director takes overhead shots (by helicopter, presumably) to show us the beautiful woods (perhaps a juxtaposition to the "horror" taking place down below? Just kidding). It's all dragged out to lengthen the flick to feature-film length.

The problem becomes that the script does the same thing. The same dialogue about "no witnesses." "We're gonna live in the beach in Mexico, baby!" And screechy arguments. I actually laughed at the dialogue, which I never do because I have very little critical faculty.

The "twist" ending is vague and ridiculous. Leave it at that.

If you want bad suspense, you've found your movie. Don't expect anything and prepare to make fun of this, and it could add up to an enjoyable 80+ minutes with your most sarcastic friends.

..................that is my brain, cell-less after watching this movie. Wth did I just watch. Me and my habit to finish what I start...gets me into trouble every time. First of all Eric Roberson is not a great actor but I still appreciate his effort but this one is a big no for me. When he plays the psycho doctor on Lifetime I simultaneously cringe (not the good kind) and laugh. But this role definitely not for him. He should stick to psycho creep, he does well. As for the other actors, just horrible especially Belle. She is just ugh but come on chick is running from them and is making all the noise in the world and gets away??? That is one of my biggest pet peeve's in movies. I mean she is just whimpering and wining on and on but somehow gets away...ok. And based on a true story??? Seriously?

Listen anyone who rated this above a 5 (which is moderately generous) is apart of this tragedy in one way shape or form.