M. Night Shyamalan was in a bit of a slump before 2015. You remember. Everyone does. He’d just come off some big-budget swings that didn't quite connect with, well, anyone. Then he went small. He went "found footage" small, and honestly, it was the best thing he could have done. The movie worked because it felt raw, but it really worked because of the Visit 2015 cast. It wasn't full of A-list stars you’d see on a cereal box. It was a group of people who felt like they could actually be your awkward younger brother or your strange grandparents from out of town.
The Kids Who Carried the Chaos
Let’s talk about the siblings. Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould.
Olivia played Becca, the aspiring filmmaker who is constantly talking about "mise-en-scène" and trying to frame her life like a masterpiece. DeJonge brought this sort of protective, slightly pretentious older sister energy that felt so grounded. She wasn’t a "scream queen." She was a teenager trying to process family trauma through a lens. Since then, she’s gone on to play Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which is a wild jump if you think about it. From a basement in Pennsylvania to Graceland.
Then there’s Ed Oxenbould as Tyler.
He was the highlight for a lot of people. Or the most annoying part, depending on how you feel about freestyle rapping middle-schoolers. Tyler’s "T-Diamond Stylus" persona was hilarious but also served a purpose. It showed how kids use humor to mask anxiety. Oxenbould had to do a lot of heavy lifting. He had to be funny, then terrified, then literally face his worst germaphobic nightmare in that infamous "diaper scene."
It’s rare to find child actors who can handle the long takes Shyamalan loves. These two did it. They weren't just reacting to jump scares; they were building a believable sibling dynamic that made you actually care if they got eaten or not.
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Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie: The "Grandparents"
The movie falls apart without Nana and Pop Pop. Period.
Deanna Dunagan, who played Nana, is actually a Tony Award-winning stage actress. You can tell. Her performance is a masterclass in physical horror. When she’s doing the "Sundowning" thing—clawing at the walls or running through the crawlspace—it isn't just movie makeup doing the work. It’s her movement. She’s terrifying because she flips a switch between a sweet old lady offering cookies and a predatory animal.
She's the reason many of us still can't look at an open oven the same way.
Peter McRobbie played Pop Pop with this eerie, stoic stillness. McRobbie is one of those "character actors" you’ve seen in everything from Daredevil to Lincoln. He doesn't need to scream to be scary. He just needs to stare. That scene where he’s cleaning his shotgun or standing in the yard... it’s just deeply "off." The Visit 2015 cast succeeded because these two veterans played the roles straight. They didn't play them like movie monsters. They played them like people who were slowly losing their minds, which is far more upsetting.
Why This Specific Casting Strategy Worked
Most horror movies throw a bunch of recognizable faces at the screen so you can bet on who dies first. Shyamalan didn't do that here. By casting DeJonge and Oxenbould—who were relatively unknown to American audiences at the time—and pairing them with seasoned stage actors like Dunagan, the film felt like a documentary.
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It felt like a home movie gone wrong.
If you had a huge star playing the mom, you wouldn't worry about the kids as much. Instead, we got Kathryn Hahn. Now, in 2026, Hahn is a massive star. She’s Agatha Harkness. She’s a comedy icon. But back in 2015, she was the perfect "relatable mom." Her performance happens mostly through a Skype screen, which is a tough way to act. She has to convey years of guilt and estrangement without ever being in the same room as the other actors.
The chemistry of the Visit 2015 cast is what makes the "twist" land. You spend the whole movie hoping the kids are just overreacting. You want them to be wrong. When the realization finally hits—thanks to a very specific webcam reveal involving Hahn’s character—the emotional payoff works because the performances built that tension brick by brick.
Behind the Scenes: Keeping the Secrets
The set was reportedly very tight-knit. Because the budget was only around 5 million dollars, there wasn't room for huge trailers or ego. They filmed in Pennsylvania, often in freezing weather.
Dunagan has mentioned in interviews that playing Nana was physically exhausting. Imagine being a respected stage actress and spending your nights sprinting on all fours under a house. That commitment is what separates The Visit from the dozens of other found-footage movies that came out in the mid-2010s.
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It’s also worth noting that the film was edited into three different versions. One was a pure comedy. One was a pure horror. The final theatrical cut was the "middle ground." The actors had to provide enough range for Shyamalan to pivot in the editing room. That’s a huge ask for a cast, especially the younger ones.
Where is the Visit 2015 Cast Now?
People always want to know if the kids turned out okay. They did.
- Olivia DeJonge: As mentioned, she’s a legitimate star now. Her work in Elvis and the series The Staircase proves she wasn't just a fluke.
- Ed Oxenbould: He stayed busy in the Australian film industry and appeared in the critically acclaimed Wildlife (2018). He’s grown up quite a bit and has moved away from the "rapper kid" image.
- Kathryn Hahn: She’s everywhere. From the MCU to Glass Onion, she is currently one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood.
- Deanna Dunagan: She continues to be a force in the theater world and takes occasional television roles.
Looking back, this movie was a launchpad. It proved that Shyamalan still had "it," and it introduced us to a new generation of talent. It wasn't just a jump-scare machine; it was a character study disguised as a thriller.
How to Watch and Analyze the Performances Today
If you go back and re-watch it, don't just look for the scares. Watch the eyes of the Visit 2015 cast.
- Watch Nana’s face when she’s looking at the "white thing" outside.
- Notice how Tyler’s jokes get more desperate as he gets more scared.
- Pay attention to Becca’s insistence on "cinematic beauty" as a defense mechanism against the reality of her grandparents' house.
The nuance is there. It’s why the movie holds up while other found-footage films feel dated. It’s a masterclass in low-budget casting.
To get the most out of your next viewing, pay close attention to the sound design and how the actors react to silence. In horror, what you don't hear is often more important than what you do. Notice the subtle shifts in Peter McRobbie's expression during the dinner scenes; his ability to convey a sense of dread without saying a word is a huge part of the film's success. If you're a fan of the genre, studying these performances provides a great look into how tension is built through character rather than just special effects.
Watch for the way the film handles the theme of forgiveness, specifically through Kathryn Hahn's final moments on screen. It’s the emotional anchor of the entire story. Take a look at the "deleted scenes" if you can find them—they show even more of the range Dunagan and McRobbie brought to their roles, including some even weirder moments that didn't make the final cut.