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The Surprise Visit - Full Cast & Crew

• 1 hr 26 mins
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Upon arriving at her mother's mansion, Juliette is notified by gardener Hugh that her mother left town, but she decides to stay the weekend. Hugh's son Casey and his wife – two drug addicts expecting their first child – plan to rob the mansion. The robbery leaves dead bodies and a trail of conflicting loyalties behind.

Screenwriter

Sound editor, sound/sound designer, executive producer, co-producer, production designer, cinematographer.

The Surprise Visit (2022): What is the True Story Behind the Film?

As ‘The Surprise Visit’ unfolds, Annabelle and Casey grapple with their drug addiction, realizing the need for a fresh start as they anticipate becoming parents. Faced with financial challenges, the couple decides to overcome their substance abuse, driven by a desperate desire to provide a stable and nurturing environment for their unborn child. In a twist of fate, Casey discovers that Mrs. Dixon, his father’s employer, will be out of town for the weekend.

Faced with financial struggles and a desire for a fresh start, Casey proposes a risky plan to Annabelle—to commit a robbery as their final act of desperation. They intend to secure enough resources to embark on a new life for their unborn child, steering away from the challenges of their current circumstances. Directed by Nick Lyon, the story of the 2022 movie explores the lengths people go to when pushed to the brink and delves into the moral and ethical complexities surrounding their choices.

The Surprise Visit is Inspired by Real Events

The writers of ‘The Surprise Visit,’ Nathan Cowles, Andrew Fein, and Serah Henesey, drew inspiration from a true story connected to Serah Henesey’s husband, Nathan Cowles’ family homestead, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tale reportedly revolves around the previous owner, also named Mrs. Dixon, who, after being widowed, left her property to visit her sister for the weekend. During her absence, the housekeeper, Eric Roberts, unknowingly shared the information with her drug-addicted son and his girlfriend about the vacant house.

Learning of their pregnancy, the couple attempted to rob the residence. However, the unexpected arrival of Mrs. Dixon’s daughter and son-in-law on the same night led to their apprehension, mirroring the film’s theme of desperate actions with unexpected consequences. ‘The Surprise Visit’ masterfully captures the raw and unforgiving realities of addiction, providing an unfiltered glimpse into the tumultuous lives of individuals ensnared in the clutches of substance abuse and economic hardship.

With a keen eye for authenticity, the film explores the complex relationship between addiction and poverty, exposing the vulnerabilities that drive individuals to make desperate and often misguided decisions. Annabelle and Casey’s journey becomes a reflection point for the societal challenges surrounding substance abuse, shedding light on the relentless cycle of struggle and the profound consequences it inflicts upon those entangled in its grip. Drug addiction in the country remains a pervasive issue that affects individuals, families, and communities across the nation.

The country grapples with a multifaceted crisis involving a range of substances, from opioids and stimulants to marijuana and alcohol. Contributing factors to the epidemic include the widespread availability of prescription painkillers, socioeconomic disparities, mental health challenges, and a lack of comprehensive addiction treatment resources. One of how the problem of addiction manifests itself is through a rise in criminal activities, and the movie has been able to bring this conversation to the forefront.

The film draws a significant dose of reality from its carefully chosen shooting locations. Much of the filming took place in a secluded area on the outskirts of Virginia, providing the actors and the creative team with an immersive environment. This isolation mirrored the experiences of the characters in the movie, creating not only a captivating cinematographic journey that enhances the horror elements but also an authenticity that resonates with the script and the overall backdrop of the film. The deliberate selection of these locations contributes to the film’s ability to evoke a genuine sense of despair and desperation.

Director Nick Lyon and actor Serah Henesey acknowledge the deliberate Hollywoodization of the true story that served as the inspiration for their film’s universe. While certain elements, such as character names, have been altered, and fictionalized events have been introduced in the latter part of the narrative, the makers proclaim that the movie successfully maintains a sense of believability. Despite these creative liberties, the film remains an entertaining watch, blending reality and fiction to craft a film that entertains the audience.

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The Surprise Visit

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Watch The Surprise Visit with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

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Eric Roberts

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The Surprise Visit (2022)

Though The Surprise Visit is hoping it can bank some interest on the fact that it’s “Based on a true story”, the fact that there’s no history attached to such a statement leaves Nick Lyon’s occasional thriller in the company of many other genre flicks that advertise similar sentiments in their best bid to add intrigue to an otherwise standard narrative.

The film centres itself around junkies and expecting parents Casey (Rob Riordan) and Annabelle (Jacqi Vene) who, upon learning of their impending parenthood, decide to give up their drug habits and make a play for the straight and narrow. It all sounds so reasonable, but this duo don’t exactly seem like the types to execute such a cookie cutter plan without resorting to some type of crime – especially Casey – so we are unsurprised when he hatches a plan to rob a neighbouring home in order to make a quick buck.

The neighbouring home being both occupied by residents who knew Casey as a young boy, as well as being the employ of his father (Eric Roberts) means there’s some emotional stakes tied to Casey’s decision, but, sadly, The Surprise Visit not adhering to any type of nuance or subtlety means we ultimately have little care for what happens to either party. Casey is just a terrible person, and no amount of emphasis on his drug habit is going to convince us otherwise. Annabelle is the most shrill of characters, and though she’s clearly heavily under the influence of both Casey and whatever substance she favours, there’s no emotional connection or understanding of her for us to care. And the victims here – Juliette (Serah Henesy) and Daniel (Johnny Santiago) – have little development that the only reason we muster any investment in them is that they simply aren’t Casey and Annabelle.

Ultimately, it’s only Roberts’ Hugh that we stand behind. The idea that he would have to choose between his son – and, by extension, his grandson – and the household that has treated him so kindly over the years is one that screenwriter Stephen Meier and story artists Henesy and Nathan Cowles don’t utilise to its full potential. Setting The Surprise Visit in the realms of the home invasion thriller makes sense, but even then it fails to deliver on any thrills or elaborate set-pieces, with so much of the brief 86 minute running time devoted to Casey and Annabelle bickering about how they navigate the situation they’ve found themselves in.

Whilst the film may have its share of unsavoury ingredients, director Lyons at least deserves props for working within such limited budget restraints and for wrapping the story up in a manner that I suspect most studio projects wouldn’t have opted for. Had some of the acting been more fine-tuned and a little more development been afforded to the characters, The Surprise Visit could have done enough to earn itself a welcome reception, but, as it stands, this is a houseguest best turned away.

The Surprise Visit is now screening in select theatres across the United States. An Australian release is yet to be determined.

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The Surprise Visit (2022)

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When a young couple makes a surprise visit to Mom, they get an even bigger surprise themselves from an old family friend who plans to steal Mom’s valuable jewelry while she is out of town. But when the “easy peasy” robbery goes wrong, resulting in the accidental death of the daughter’s husband, it forces the two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to abandon ship, or do the unthinkable.

Nathan Cowles

Andrew Fein

Stephen Meier

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Rob Riordan

Eric Roberts

Tricia Hawn

Johnny Santiago

Regan Ferrier

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Tricia Hawn in True Story Robbery Thriller 'The Surprise Visit' Trailer

by Alex Billington January 10, 2022 Source: YouTube

"We have to do this now!" Vertical Ent. has released an official trailer for The Surprise Visit , a "based on a true story" robbery thriller from filmmaker Nick Lyon. This is arriving on VOD in a few weeks if anyone is curious. A robbery goes wrong, leaving two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to give up, or to do the unthinkable and kill. "The film is an American tragedy. I chose to tell The Surprise Visit in a gritty and realistic style that was complemented by deep and intense performances from the talented cast. Beyond the film's thriller veneer, it [also] delivers incredibly dramatic performances, that to this day still send chills through me," the director states. Starring Eric Roberts , Tricia Hawn , Rob Riordan , Jacqi Vene , and Serah Henesey . This looks pretty bad, and the shoddy performances seen here aren't helping much either.

Here's the official trailer (+ new poster) for Nick Lyon's The Surprise Visit , direct from YouTube :

When a young couple makes a surprise visit to Mom, they get an even bigger surprise themselves from an old family friend who plans to steal Mom’s valuable jewelry while she is out of town. But when the "easy peasy" robbery goes wrong, resulting in the accidental death of the daughter’s husband, it forces the two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision; to abandon ship, or do the unthinkable. The Surprise Visit is directed by American indie filmmaker Nick Lyon , director of many films including Fallen Angels , Rise of the Zombies , Bullet , Hercules Reborn , Isle of the Dead , The Boy the Dog and the Clown , and The Rebels of PT-218 . The screenplay is by Stephen Meier, from a story by Serah Henesey and Nathan Cowles. Vertical opens The Surprise Visit in select US theaters + on VOD starting January 14th, 2022 . Who's interested?

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I guess the first bad choice they made is making this film...

shiboleth on Jan 10, 2022

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The surprise visit.

2022 Directed by Nick Lyon

When a young couple makes a surprise visit to Mom, they get an even bigger surprise themselves from an old family friend who plans to steal Mom’s valuable jewelry while she is out of town. But when the “easy peasy” robbery goes wrong, resulting in the accidental death of the daughter’s husband, it forces the two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision: to abandon ship, or do the unthinkable.

Rob Riordan Jacqi Vene Didem Erol Eric Roberts Tricia Hawn Johnny Santiago Regan Ferrier

Director Director

Producers producers.

Nick Lyon Andrew Fein

Writers Writers

Stephen Meier Nathan Cowles Andrew Fein

Cinematography Cinematography

Executive producer exec. producer.

Nathan Cowles

Sound Sound

Sebastian Levy Polat Martin Amodio

Hoodoo Productions

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Spanish

Alternative Titles

목격자를 남기지 마라, Niespodziewana wizyta, 意外访客, Crimen imperfecto, ביקור בהפתעה, Crime Imperfeito

Crime Thriller

Releases by Date

14 jan 2022, releases by country.

86 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by ⋆ ˚｡ belis ˚｡⋆ ★ 2

istg!!!!! a man died bc he was hit by a flashlight!!!! please im dying this was so so so bad

my family voted and my dad is not allowed to pick a movie ever again 😮‍💨

Review by Deathy ★★

Score : 4.9/10 ✅

A robbery goes wrong movie can either be super fun or super lame, it all depends on the execution, and unfortunately, this movie is probably a bit too amateurish to be taken seriously.

There are a lot of irritating things going on here, we are left with a borderline maniac that got mood swings, an annoying girl that doesn’t make her mind and a character in pyjamas running for her life, which is accompanied by crappy cinematography. I wouldn’t call it the worst movie ever made since I had some fun out of it, it was even worth it since I think the robbery scene was pretty good and the end surprised me a bit, but…

Review by thnwhitdke ★

What a complete mess.  Just get to the ending (if you can) and tell yourself that the moral of the story is a great message for meth addicts.

Review by Film Blitz ★★

Full review: filmblitz.org/surprise-visit-2022/

The writers do try and make the obvious villains of the piece at least somewhat sympathetic, contrasting their poverty-stricken existence (they live in a trailer underneath a highway overpass) with the easy life of Juliette. Though I’d not say these efforts are particularly successful. Casey is depicted as being pushed into crime as a last resort, after his efforts to find a job and support his impending family have failed. However, the sum total of said efforts is asking his Dad for a position, so it’s really more of a token gesture than real industry. His reaching for the crack pipe any time things don’t go his way, undoes any positive feelings towards him: put it this way, I wouldn’t employ him either.

Review by rOt ½

Holy shit this was bad, fucking read a book while watching this snail paced garbage and mind numbingly dumb performances, wasted my fucking time

Review by Sarfaraz Abbasi ★

A below mediocre movie

Review by takiman ½

You really feel the 90 minutes

Review by Bane ★★

Movie is all about running.

Review by Adrian Stampe Hausen ★½

First movie I watch released this year not a promising start.

Review by Michael ½

Think of the shittiest hallmark movie but it’s written by legit meth heads

Review by Marlon Royal Reid ½

I would rather watch two ants fuck in slow motion than rewatch this poorly made film.

Review by Dustin Baker ★★½

Despite its flash-forward opening, always a good sign that a film has no faith in itself at all, the first twenty minutes or so set up some promise. Other than the main junkie characters are of the idealized Hollywood type that doesn't exist in reality, trust me as I see enough of them daily at work, farting about in their own cartoonish ways, the film at least tries to set up some pathos, as well as giving Eric Roberts something that might have some depth, most of which goes away once the main plot's underway and we're pretty much stuck with two morons with hackneyed accents chasing one crying woman around. I think it wants to be some kind of…

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The surprise visit - movie review.

Sometimes there just isn’t an easy way out of a really bad situation.

Go ahead and get those happy thoughts out of your head.  The Surprise Visit is not based on a happy occasion.  Not at all.  This is a film full of many twists and violent turns as a routine robbery goes tits up and someone is murdered.  The fallout is drastic and unexpected, making this film a bit more interesting than the usual home invasion thriller.

Starring Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts, Dopestick ’s Tricia Hawn, Rob Riordan, Jacqi Vene and Serah Henesey , director Nick Lyon ’s intense, gritty and suspenseful thriller begins when two strung-out drug addicts find out that they are going to be having a baby.  Uh oh.  

That’s not the SURPRISE at the center of this jewel heist, though. 

Annabelle ( Jaqui Vene ) and Casey ( Rob Riordan ) are trapped in their own personal hell of drug addiction.  They are currently living in a busted up Winnebego under a bridge somewhere near Middleton, Virginia and are struggling to pay their phone bill.  Money has never been much of a concern for them as long as there are drugs to be consumed, it seems.  Somehow, they make it work.  

But, with the sudden revelation that Annabelle is pregnant, they are both going to have to change their ways.  Can Casey do it?

At least that is the hope as he goes out in search of another chance or, depending on your viewpoint of his situation, another sucker to squeeze.  This hope is captured elegantly in the sweeping cinematography from Nate Haban.  Don’t worry, though.  When it is time for the film to go dark and desperate, Haban’s lens is there to ratchet up the tension.  This is edge of your seat entertainment, after all, as attempts to get ahold of some jewelry goes sideways.  

Based on a true story, The Surprise Visit takes a bit of a turn when Juliette ( Serah Henesy ), the rich woman’s daughter, takes her husband along with her to surprise her mother with a visit at the ranch the same weekend Casey plans to rob it.  

Except, as we have learned, Juliette’s mother isn’t there . . . which means the house that Casey and Annabelle want to rob WILL be inhabited.  I think you can see where this home invasion thriller is headed.  Blood will be had and, as accidental as it is, there will be stark consequences raining down in response to the events happening.  They will be swift and they will be final.  

But what will it mean for Casey and the life he had at the opening of the movie?  

Stephen Meier ’s adaptation, based on a story by Nathan Cowles and Serah Henesy , is both shocking and starkly realized due to the talent assembled.  Full of solid performances from the cast, The Surprise Visit is definitely a shocker, keeping us on our toes.  White the film doesn’t do anything new with the sub-genre, it definitely delivers when it comes to SHOCK and AWE as a chase through the woods ends rather unexpectedly and twists the sharp-edged truth like a knife into our own guts.

The Surprise Visit premieres in theaters and on demand January 14 from Vertical Entertainment .

MPAA Rating: unrated. Runtime: 86 mins Director : Nick Lyon Writer: Stephen Meier Cast: Eric Roberts; Jacqi Vene; Serah Henesey Genre : Thriller Tagline: Based on a True Story. Memorable Movie Quote: Distributor: Vertical Entertainment Official Site: Release Date: January 14, 2022 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Synopsis : When a young couple makes a surprise visit to Mom, they get an even bigger surprise themselves from an old family friend who plans to steal Mom’s valuable jewelry while she is out of town. But when the“easy peasy” robbery goes wrong, resulting in the accidental death of the daughter’s husband, it forces the two young drug addicts to make a difficult decision; to abandon ship, or do the unthinkable.

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[Movie Review] THE SURPRISE VISIT

• January 12, 2022 January 12, 2022
• DarkSkyLady

THE SURPRISE VISIT , a thriller/drama with a story by Nathan Cowles, Andrew Fein, and Serah Henesey and directed by Nick Lyon, follows a young, poor couple who commit a robbery that soon spirals downward, and they must decide whether to give up or commit another crime. The film stars Jacqi Vene and Rob Riordan as the robbing couple Annabelle and Casey, with Eric Roberts as Casey’s father, Hugh. Rounding out the cast is Serah Henesey and Johnny Santiago as married couple Juliette and Daniel, who are as shocked to see the robbers as the robbers are that someone’s home. Despite some drag, particularly during all the running scenes, which are annoying, THE SURPRISE VISIT  did hold my attention, and by the end, I had flashes of True Romance , just not as good.

Annabelle and Casey are drug addicts, but when Annabelle realizes she is pregnant, they promise to give up drugs for the sake of their child. So Casey visits his father, Hugh, to ask for money, but of course, this is not Casey’s first time asking for money, so Hugh shuts him down. As most do when pleading does not give them what they want, Casey berates his father as a lowly gardener of a wealthy older woman, Mrs. Dixon, played by Tricia Hawn. Yet, after leaving, Hugh asks his boss to hire his son to earn money, and she agrees.

Unfortunately, Casey does not know this. He decides to rob Mrs. Dixon’s house since he knows she left to care for a friend, but he is clueless that Mrs. Dixon’s daughter, Juliette, arrived for a surprise visit with her husband Daniel in tow. At that point, their simple robbery goes up in smoke. THE SURPRISE VISIT  is based on a true story, and there is a definite class divide among the white cast. The film also looks at how addiction deteriorates the character of a person. Casey keeps making poor decisions driven by his addiction and desperation to provide for his girlfriend and unborn child.

The acting in THE SURPRISE VISIT is not great, but it does the job. Rob Riordan does a great job as a man torn between the need to protect and provide for his family and enslaved by the vise-grip of addiction. The Jekyll/Hyde transformation of an addict is similar to that of an abuser; one moment loving, threatening the next and Rob Riordan demonstrates that. Jacqi Vene’s acting gives Annabelle a sympathetic feel because she wants them both to get clean and do better for their child, and she has faith in Casey. Serah Henesey’s performance did not capture my attention as much, perhaps because she’s running through most of the film.

THE SURPRISE VISIT  may not have a star-studded cast and massive budget, but it works well under its financial constraints. The one part that dragged was all the scenes of running. I get it, this is a chase, but too many of these scenes began pulling the film down. However, I was invested in the story and curious to see how it ended. I also want to know which parts were accurate and artistic license for dramatic flair. The ending surprised me—a rarity these days as too many films are both formulaic and predictable. In that, THE SURPRISE VISIT  outshines some blockbusters.

THE SURPRISE VISIT arrives in theaters and On Demand on January 14, 2022.

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7 thoughts on “ [movie review] the surprise visit ”.

The ending was terrible. Two things here no witness, so the gardener is dead, then how would they know so much about the pass. Which couldn’t make it a true movie.. Or, he lived and the gardener told the police of the pass

I’m still SHOCKED true story. Like 1 viewer said, you were free but decided to go back. No offense, but why, noone was back there to save I always think the same about true movies, who told it, how they know so much when wasn’t there

A very stupid movie, I am truly at a loss of words, I guess the only thing I thought about the movie was how much cassey looked like Ernest T Bass on the Andy griffith show!!!

Horrible story line and poor acting . Even Eric Roberts was bad . I regret wasting my hour and a half watching this garbage

Great movie because this is reality and anyone that doesn’t realize this is out of touch with what’s going on in America.

I guess I’m out of touch, it SUCKED. I read reviews & fast fowarded

Great retort!

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There is a Jewish story everywhere!

‘The Surprise Visit’ Embellishes a True-Life Scary Story

By Eva Trieger

SOLANA BEACH, California — While some surprises are good and welcome, others, not so much.  In this horror/thriller based on a real story, The Surprise Visit  relates the story of an unplanned visit gone horribly awry. The story has factual historic roots, but co-producer, and actress, Serah Henessey told me that she and husband, Nathan Cowles, “Hollywoodized” it.  I was very happy to hear that as the film disturbed me very much and I was relieved to know that it was embellished and not a precise re-enactment.

Henessey has a fascinating and varied history in the entertainment business. She was born in Sydney, Australia, and trained in ballet until the age of 16. She also lived in Turkey where she expanded her repertoire by acting in a sitcom for four years that outperformed “Friends” in America!  This dancer/actor/ producer also does her own stunts and indulges in kick-boxing!

In a delightful phone interview, I became acquainted with Serah. She shared that her first theatrical role was in The Epic of Gilgamesh . Since that time she has done film and theater.  Her theater experiences are especially interesting, spanning virtually all genres, from action, sitcom, drama, horror, and comedy.

Recently Henessey has been seen in Saw franchise films, directed by Darren Bousman. These immersive films were done in downtown Los Angeles and were interactive. Audiences and actors fed off each other, creating a “mind-blowing” experience. Henessey has performed in Saw II through Spiral.

The actress told me that she loves doing period pieces and especially enjoys roles that require her to step back into the 17th-century era. She is a devotee of Shakespearean works and also loves performing plays from this time

The Surprise Visit is the embellishment of a break-in that went awry on Henessey’s husband’s family’s homestead. A previous owner, Mrs.Dixon, recently widowed, had decided to visit a sister for the weekend. Her groundskeeper (Erc Roberts) somehow shared this information with his son, a drug addict. The son and his girlfriend, who recently discovered they were pregnant, figured that they would rob the home in the absence of the owner to get some capital. They did not anticipate the surprise visit of Mrs. Dixon’s daughter and son-in-law.

The film depicts the desperation of the young couple of addicts and the fear and desperation of Mrs. Dixon’s daughter. All of the characters are sympathetic and the viewer experiences the fear, desperation, and will to survive on the part of each character.  While Juliet has grown up with means, a loving family, and privilege, she also just lost her father and watched the murder of her husband. The young addicts have no material goods, but a future and a baby on the way. The groundskeeper loves his son, Casey, but cannot condone his actions. The emotional roller coaster is inescapable.

One very interesting thing to note is that this film was made during the pandemic and Serah Henessey told me that they did not want to expose countless people to the virus, so the cast and crew were working overtime. As she observed the first day on the set as a producer, not as an actor, she felt great pride and gratitude to everyone who gave their all. Henessey cried, kvelling and humbled by the efforts of everyone.  She saw the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their efforts and she knew a “joyful kind of exhaustion.” The film is definitely worth seeing and encourages viewer to consider his own moral compass and guideposts.

Click here for the trailer: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGllMLLkDDtDppxGZjgdjPGPlzp?projector=1

The film will be available after January 14, 2022.

* Eva Trieger is a Solana Beach-based freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts.  She may be contacted via [email protected]

Is The Surprise Visit a true story? The movie’s connection to true crime

• by Kate Marin
•  – on Nov 27, 2023
•  in Film

The Surprise Visit  tells the story of a desperate couple who break into a mansion intending to make away with as much as they can. Aware that the owner has left town, they do not expect any resistance. However, the couple, young drug addicts, are unaware of a visit by the owner’s relatives.

The Surprise Visit  is based on a true break-in attempt on the home of the co-writer’s husband

The Surprise Visit  is loosely based on a true crime. Serah Henesey, one of the film’s writers, based the narrative on a break-in attempt at her husband’s family’s home. However, the movie’s creators embellished the story to make it more entertaining. 

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The Surprise Visit (2022)

April 18, 2024 Villains Inc.

April 16, 2024 sting, april 15, 2024 la chimera, april 12, 2024 the greatest hits, april 12, 2024 with love and a major organ, wylie writes, movie reviews, the surprise visit.

January 17, 2022 Addison Wylie 2 Comments

Filed Under Reviews

The Surprise Visit features a small ensemble of actors who seem to be challenging each other.  Only they’re not inspiring each other, they’re competing against each other for who can exaggerate the most.  And director Nick Lyon is letting his cast “duke it out”.

Actors are usually the ones getting caught in the crosshairs of a bad movie, but the performances in The Surprise Visit  make Lyon’s movie borderline unwatchable.  The over-the-top southern drawls, the high strung emotions, the deliveries that enunciate the wrong words and cut other people off.  It’s an actor’s masterclass on what not to do.

The story is driven by a would-be robbery by a drug addict named Casey (Rob Riordan) and his pregnant girlfriend Annabelle (Jacqi Vene of Netflix’s  Fear Street Part Two: 1978 ).  Upon learning about the pregnancy, Casey desperately begs his father (Eric Roberts) for money or a job.  Dad offers neither, although he’s successful in getting his boss ( Dopesick’s  Tricia Hawn) to give Casey the benefit of the doubt.  However, the job offer is never delivered to Casey.  The next time the two reunite is when Casey and Annabelle are recovering from their botched robbery, and trying to locate the kidnapped wife (Serah Henesey) of the husband they inadvertently murdered.  

The plot has a “snowball effect” approach as new people become roped into Casey and Annabelle’s get-rich-quick scheme, but Nick Lyon’s loose directorial vision undermines the danger and intensity that should be fuelling this home invasion thriller.  By allowing his actors to flub their way through the movie, the director shows he’s either not in tune enough with his production or he’s completely tuned himself out.  Stephen Meier’s screenplay, allegedly “based on true events”, also feels insufficient;  almost as if he provided a skeleton of what the final script would resemble and never returned to his draft, allowing the actors to practically improvise their way through this tense material.

The ultimate betrayal in The Surprise Visit is the movie’s surprising indifference towards its characters.  The ending makes a halfhearted, last-ditch effort to empathize with Annabelle after she makes a random and rash decision.  The decision is supposed to imply some ambiguity, but to even hint towards the violent choice she makes is a misstep;  especially when it’s followed up by an upbeat celebration.  Are we supposed to cheer for Annabelle?  Or, feel sorry for her?  The filmmakers don’t even know!  It’s a sloppy ending that follows a poorly paced and overlong chase, that follows some of the most embarrassing character work I’ve ever seen.

The only surprise the movie offers is its early contribution to my year-end worst-of list.

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Addison Wylie:   @AddisonWylie

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Readers comments (2).

In the end Annabel made the statement “no Witnesses” was the writer implying that she may have killed Cassie’s dad and she went on to live happily ever after with her three year old daughter?

Who is singing the song at the end of the movie When Annabel and the baby are on the beach?

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• Entertainment

Coachella Was Filled With Surprise Guest Performances. Here’s Everyone Who Showed Up

C oachella kicked off over the weekend in Indio, Calif., with some of the biggest acts in music hitting the stage in the desert. Despite a lackluster lead up to the festival—as evidenced by lower ticket sales, taking a whole month for the tickets to sell out, and a 14-17% dip in sales this year, Billboard reported —this year’s sets have so far drummed up lots of enthusiasm ahead of Coachella Weekend Two. The headliners and performers have brought out a range of surprise guests, building anticipation over who might come out next weekend.

Lana Del Rey took the stage on Friday and brought Billie Eilish out to perform two songs together. Tyler, the Creator invited four people to join him on stage on Saturday, including Childish Gambino and A$AP Rocky. Doja Cat closed out the weekend on Sunday, where she, too, had A$AP Rocky and 21 Savage come out. But the headliners weren’t the only ones who brought out guests. Reneé Rapp, No Doubt, and J Balvin all brought out guests to surprise their fans.

Here are all the surprise guests who showed up at Coachella this year.

Billie Eilish, Jack Antonoff, and Jon Batiste join Lana Del Rey

The sultry balladeer arrived to her set standing on the back of a motorcycle. Jack Antonoff played piano while a hologram of Del Rey performed “Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have—But I Have It.” Jon Batiste joined her on stage to play the piano for her while she sang “Candy Necklace.”

billie eilish and lana del rey performing together is what I wanted to see today. pic.twitter.com/Y66p286r4c — Ramen (@CoconutShawarma) April 13, 2024

Billie Eilish, who has previously called Del Rey an inspiration and idol, made a surprise appearance at the end of the set. In a full circle moment, after the pair talked to each other for Interview Magazine last year, Eilish and Del Rey performed duets of each other’s debut singles, Del Rey’s “Video Games” and Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes.” The two singers showered each other with praise. Del Rey called Eilish “the voice of our generation, the voice of your generation” and Eilish said Del Rey is “the reason for half of you b-tches existence, including mine.”

Tyler, the Creator brings out Childish Gambino, A$AP Rocky, Charlie Wilson, and Kali Uchis

Tyler, the Creator’s electrifying set began with him getting catapulted out of a fake RV and bouncing around a lush Grand Canyon-esque backdrop. He performed songs from all his albums, including his breakout hits “Yonkers” and “She” featuring Frank Ocean (sans Ocean, whose set last year divided fans. Tyler first surprised the audience with an appearance from Childish Gambino, who sang “Running Out of Time” with him. When Gambino walked off the stage, Tyler said he used to “hate” him. Then, he brought out A$AP Rocky to perform two songs, their 2018 duet, “Potato Salad” and the Flower Boy cut, “Who Dat Boy.”

Charlie Wilson, the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band, joined Tyler onstage at a piano to sing a stripped-down version of “Earfquake,” which features background vocals from Wilson. The last guest to take the stage with Tyler was Kali Uchis, with whom he’s collaborated on multiple songs. She came out to do a bit of their song, “See You Again,” toward the end of his set. Tyler never lets the opportunity for theatrics go to waste—he performed“New Magic Wand” while strapped to a harness and defied gravity, scaling rocks and trying not to get “blown away” by the monstrous winds.

Doja Cat invited A$AP Rocky, Teezo Touchdown, and 21 Savage to her set

@julesmusiccorner1 They need more collabs in the future 🔥🙌🏻 #dojacat #asaprocky #urge #coachella #performance ♬ original sound - Jules’ Music Corner ☺️

Doja Cat’s set—choreographed by Parris Goebel, the mastermind behind two Super Bowl performances, Rihanna in the 2023 set and Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020—did not disappoint. Doja’s exhilarating performance is amongst the best-reviewed of Weekend One, thanks in part to her not being afraid to get a bit weird. She heavily leaned on her latest album, Scarlet , for the setlist—performing songs like “Demons,” “Gun,” and “Attention,”—as well as fan favorites like “Need To Know,” “Tia Tamaera,” and “Agora Hills.” There were also exciting surprise guests, including 21 Savage, who performed “n.h.i.e” with her; A$AP Rocky joined her to do “URRRGE!!!!!!!!!” and rising star Teezo Touchdown made an appearance to do “MASC.”

No Doubt duetted with Olivia Rodrigo

@billboard #NoDoubt reunited at #Coachella for their first performance in nearly 10 years, and @Olivia Rodrigo got to join them for one of her favorite songs, “Bathwater” 🎸 #oliviarodrigo #gwenstefani #coachella2024 ♬ original sound - billboard

No Doubt reunited for the first time in close to a decade. The band ran through their expansive list of hits, including “Don’t Speak,” “I’m Just a Girl,” and “Sunday Morning.” To help them sing their turn-of-the-millennium hit, “Bathwater,” Gwen Stefani and the band brought out Gen Z’s favorite rocker chick, Olivia Rodrigo. The 21-year-old singer is currently on her GUTS world tour and made a stop in the desert to perform with the recently reunited band. She uploaded a post to Instagram with a caption saying, “I remember hearing ‘bathwater’ for the first time when I had just started writing songs. It totally turned my world on its head and inspires me to this day.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Olivia Rodrigo (@oliviarodrigo)

Peso Pluma, Becky G, Santa Fe Klan, Junior H, and Arcángel

Mexican artist Peso Pluma took the stage to hundreds of adoring fans, excited to see him represent his country. He performed his hits and was joined by other popular Latin music acts including Becky G, who brought him out during her set in 2023. He returned the favor to “the first woman who helped me in this industry,” he said during the set, and they performed their collaboration, “Chanel.” The set continued, and he invited Junior H to perform their corrido tumbado collaboration, “El Azul.” Other guests included Santa Fe Klan, who did “No Son Klle,” with him and the last surprise guest was Arcángel, the Puerto Rican reggaeton artist, who performed “Peso Completo” with him on stage.

Shakira joined Bizarrap for two songs

Argentinian producer and DJ Bizarrap quickly rose to fame for his insanely viral video series on YouTube, where he’d invite popular Latin artists to film music videos for a new song they’d create together. In January last year, Shakira joined the series and caused a ruckus, addressing her ex-husband’s alleged infidelity through a scathing track that was widely discussed. As a surprise, Shakira joined Bizarrap and performed their two songs, “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and their new track, “La Fuerte,” off Shakira’s new album. She also used the set as an opportunity to announce her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.”

Reneé Rapp brought out The Cast of The L Word , and Kesha

@anja.mavric was not expecting this at all #reneerapp #thelword #coachella ♬ original sound - anja

Reneé Rapp's star has only reached new heights since the 24-year-old singer released her debut album Snow Angel in August 2023, played a stunning set at Saturday Night Live , and led a sold-out tour. She made her Coachella debut in the most iconic way, with the cast of The L Word, introducing her, before she brought out Kesha to perform “TikTok.” In this new rendition, though, they changed the lyrics that reference Sean "Diddy" Combs from “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy” to “Wake up in the morning, feeling like f-ck P. Diddy,” and the two put their middle fingers in the air. Multiple sexual assault lawsuits have been filed against Combs since November 2023.

Paris Hilton played cornhole with Vampire Weekend

Paris Hilton is known to enjoy a Coachella here and there but has more recently taken up performing as a DJ. However, she did not join to perform. Instead, she took the stage to play a game of cornhole with the band. “I haven’t played this game since The Simple Life , so…,” Hilton said to the crowd before hugging Ezra Koenig and leaving.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)

Kevin Abstract and Sky Ferreira do a cover of a country-pop classic

In a turn of events that truly no one was expecting, Kevin Abstract—former member of the boy band BROCKHAMPTON—brought out Sky Ferreira to open the set with him, and they performed a rendition of Lady A’s “Need You Now.” This was a surprise, given that the last project Ferreira released was her debut album Night Time, My Time , in 2013. She gave her fans two singles, one in 2019 and another in 2022, but she hasn’t been able to put out anymore because of her “f--ked up” situation with her record label.

YG Marley had a mini Fugees reunion during his set, bringing out his mom, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Busta Rhymes

@real923la #YGMarley brings out his mom, #LaurynHill at #Coachella 🎡 ♬ original sound - real923la

During his set, rapper and singer YG Marley invited his mother, Ms. Lauryn Hill, on stage to perform with him and her former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean. His mother started out with a performance of her song, “Ex-Factor,” from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, with Marley chiming in with some ad-libs here and there. She and Wyclef then did a few Fugees songs, including “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not,” and “Fu-Gee-La.” There was also a section for a Bob Marley tribute where they performed “One Love” and “Exodus.” The surprise guests didn’t stop there as Marley brought out rapper Busta Rhymes to do “Put Your Hand Where My Eyes Could See” and his verse on “Look At Me Now” by Chris Brown.

WizKid and Justin Bieber joined Tems to perform their 2021 hit

View this post on Instagram A post shared by billboard (@billboard)

Nigerian superstar Tems made her Coachella debut this year and delivered a stunning performance, showcasing her equally impressive vocals. Before her set, she teased a surprise in a post on X, saying she was excited to share it. She shocked her fans with appearances from WizKid and Justin Bieber, her collaborators on their 2020 song, “Essence.” Bieber’s been laying particularly low after his 2022 diagnosis with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, so it was a nice surprise to see him on stage.

Nelly Furtado took a spill

Nelly Furtado falling at Coachella but not missing a verse. A performer 👏 pic.twitter.com/zu1eyxipVf — T E O // europapi 🇮🇹 La Noia (@BejbaLasagna) April 14, 2024

Nelly Furtado’s comeback has been in full swing as the singer gets back into releasing new music. In 2023, Dom Dolla and Furtado released a song called “Eat Your Man,” and she was brought out as a surprise guest. The crowd was excited to see her, but in the middle of her performance, she fell face forward—but she didn’t let that ruin her set. She stayed on track and performed the rest of the song without any hiccups. After she got off stage, she took to Instagram to poke fun at herself and posted a photo of her bloody finger with the caption, “Literally left it all on the stage… including my blood.”

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Write to Moises Mendez II at [email protected]