The Visitor/Review

Usually when it comes to Italian horror films, people will think of either classic titles like Suspiria or cheap-but-entertaining flicks like Hell of the Living Dead. Recently there's a film that everybody talks about: The Visitor. It became a cult classic thanks to Drafthouse Films who remastered and re-released the film again a few years ago. Sure, it might be a cool film among hipsters now, but I still think there's still some flaws in the film. So let's take a look at the plot first.

Basically, this is the story about good vs. evil. Jerry, a Visitor, is sent by someone else (I assume that it's God) to protect the world from the evil power of Zatine. Zatine is an evil mutant who somehow escaped from a spaceship and came to Earth. Then, he used his powers to cause destruction and death by transmitting evil by mating with human women. So they'll give birth and increase the population, which means that more evil will exist on this planet. Apparently, a woman named Barbara has a special womb that can transmit Zatine's power to a boy or a girl that will be her kids. And her daughter Katy is a devil. Barbara's husband Raymond is the owner of a basketball team because of money from Dr. Walker, who forces Raymond to tell Barbara that she has to give a birth to a new boy soon so the Zatine's power can be more widespread. Later on, we find out that Katy has telekinetic powers to harm everyone around her. The only person who can stop her is Jerry.

This sounds like The Exorcist in which young girl is possessed by a demon and there will be a climactic showdown in the end, but, trust me, it's different in many aspects. First of all, this movie has surprisingly good cinematography and editing. It has a quick-cut editing style that looks different than most films from the time and more like a music video. There's also many scenes that were shot in slow-motion which makes the film more memorable. Moreover, special effects are important aspects of The Visitor as well. From a visually striking landscape during the opening scene to the climatic scene in the end, it elevates the film from the usual horror flick to become an artsy experiment. For instance, there's a scene in which Katy finds herself in a room full of mirrors while chasing Jerry. It reminded me of Zardoz and I kinda liked it. Unfortunately, there are few issues about this film that I hate.

First of, the characterization of Katy. She usually acts like an asshole verbally and physically towards her mom and many people around her, yet Barbara still says "She's just a little girl!". Really? Do you think an ordinary girl can "accidentally" shoot her own mom with a gun and still smile afterwards? This annoyed me a lot because Barbara never notices that she's evil no matter how Katy acts towards her. Plus, if Katy wants Barbara to give a birth to another kid, why would she harm her? I know she's evil, but wouldn't it be easier for her to go along and act nice until she gives a birth? Basically, I think Katy is too one dimensional compared to Linda Blair's character in The Exorcist.

Next, I think there are scenes that are kind of unnecessary. Many people complain that the film is too slow, but I find that you have to watch it at least twice to get into it. When you watch it for the first time you have no idea what's going on, so you may think the film is somehow lacking plot direction, but after you know what's going to happen you can enjoy it more. Now, some scenes in this film go on for too long. The most infamous one in my opinion is when Jerry goes to the top of a building and does some lightshow there. Seriously, I'm not sure what's the reason is behind that. I know it may be about him trying to contact God, but the 3-minute lightshow makes me feel like I'm watching the opening ceremony for The Olympics. There's also a scene where Katy attacks an ice skater that just goes on and on and I think that it could've been cut from the final product, no matter how beautiful the cinematography is.

Overall, I don't think The Visitor is a fantastic movie, but still worth watching since this is one of the most unusual Italian horror films ever made. If you can ignore some of the annoying aspects that I pointed out you might find yourself enjoying the artsy stuff in this film after all. I guarantee that it will give you one of the most unique film experiences among you and your friends.

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Nuttawut Permpithak hails from Thailand. He spends his free time watching exploitation films (or any films from the past) writing articles, taking photos and reviewing films for GCDb.