Review of Visiting Hours (1982) by Jon W — 05 Jun 2008

As a jaded slasher glutton, I have to say that Visiting Hours boasts one of the most miraculously startling and disturbing jump scares in horror cinema. This is achieved through a highly unexpected hiding place chosen by its killer (chillingly portrayed by Michael Ironside) early on in the film. I won't spoil the scare for those who haven't seen it, but I defy anyone not to gasp when Ironside pops out, especially given the bizarre and irreverent manner in which his character presents himself.

Ironside is remarkable in this role, playing a nearly-silent misogynistic psychopath whose intentions are spelled out solely by the plot's indirect nuances and the actor's look of steely determination. Fortunately, the rest of the film's cast is filled out by some other great players. Lee Grant, as usual, turns in an assured and convincing performance. Linda Purl is fetching as the genial nurse assigned to Grant's care and serves as a needed counterbalance to Grant's brashness and Ironside's ferocity. And Lenore Zann is mentionable for her feisty and tough-as-nails portrayal of a hooker, in the vein of Nancy Allen. William Shatner is fine, but isn't given much to do.

The film is given ample style and atmosphere by director Jean-Claude Lord, who really knows how to make the scares snap out of the dark and shamelessly confront us. There is a lot of dreadful anticipation in Visiting Hours that you don't really experience in too many other films.

Having trudged through countless slasher films of grades of every quality, I can safely say that Visiting Hours is one of the scariest I've ever seen. My only complaint is that Lee Grant's character doesn't get quite enough retribution against Michael Ironside's psycho killer to outweigh the torrent of mortifying misogyny that guides the proceedings. But that jump scare? Now that's the way to do it.