A Fever Dream With No Exit Ramp

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MOVIE REVIEWS
The Visitor [Limited Edition] (Stridulum)
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Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Year Released: 1979, Arrow Video 4K 2026
Runtime: 1h 49m
Director(s): Giulio Paradisi
Writer(s): Luciano Comici, Robert Mundi, Giulio Paradisi
Cast: Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford, Lance Henriksen, John Huston, Shelley Winters, Paige Conner
Where to Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.arrowvideo.com, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: When a movie won’t explain itself, not in an attempt to be mysterious, but because it simply has too much going on, then what happens? THE VISITOR begins as if it assumes we already know how their world works, though those rules seem to be made up as it goes along. The film cares less about a focused story than about keeping us disoriented, and this dedication is at once its best quality and its biggest problem.

From the very start, THE VISITOR makes it clear it won’t act like a normal horror film. The visuals hint at a cosmic importance, but the film doesn’t offer a definitive way to understand it. Events feel like a ceremony, not a story with a clear intent; it seems each scene is there to elicit a reaction. This creates a constant feeling of worry, but it also means the film doesn’t often earn its big reveals through preparation or logic.

A young girl who can move things with her mind is at the center of all the confusion, and she’s the balancing point of a conflict about mixing religion, stories about aliens, and fears about Satanism. The film borrows heavily from various genres, but never leans 100% into any of them. Instead, it uses horror, science fiction, and religious symbolism as if they were all the same material, piling layer upon layer until you can’t tell them apart.

Paige Conner’s acting is disturbing, and I’ll leave the statement's context to the viewer. The character goes from seeming purely innocent to cruel with hardly any change, which makes the film’s feeling even stronger. The trouble isn’t her acting, though, but the fact that there isn’t a clear story around it. Without clear rules for her powers or reasons for what she does, her actions seem random, impactful at moments, but not connected as part of a bigger story.

The adult actors are, without doubt, solid, but they often seem lost in the film’s ideas. Lance Henriksen gives a controlled performance that suggests a more reasonable film is trying to come out from under all this. Glenn Ford’s role is that of a normal, reliable genre character, trying to apply ordinary detective-story logic to events that are actively beyond explanation. Shelley Winters goes for over-the-top acting, making the film’s strange feeling even more obvious, and John Huston’s presence adds intrigue without clearing up anything.

What’s noticeable is how little time the film spends on making us care about the characters or keeping their emotions consistent. People show up, say things that are hard to understand, and then go away just as quickly. The result is a story that always feels unfinished, as if whole parts of the story happen off-screen. THE VISITOR doesn’t often use what’s missing to deepen its meaning. More often than not, it leaves us annoyed when it could have been something more.

There’s no doubt about the skill in how the camera moves and how things are designed, especially in the strangest moments. Some scenes stay in your mind because they seem to have nothing to do with what’s real or with what the story needs. But only being good to look at can’t keep you interested forever. Without emotion or thematic grounding, great visuals become repetitive rather than building to something.

The film’s music heightens its complexity. Music choices often go against the seriousness of what’s happening, lessening the tension instead of making it stronger. Sometimes, this difference feels planned, as if the film is daring us to accept that going against itself is what it’s all about. At other times, it feels like a mistake that takes our attention away from moments that might otherwise move us.

THE VISITOR is most interesting when you see it as something that exists rather than as a story. Its ambition is clear, and its willingness to accept being ridiculous without being sorry for it gives it a special character. The film cares less about making sense than about evoking feelings, asking us to give in to confusion rather than fight it. For some, giving in is the whole point. For others, it’s too much. Some scenes seem like deliberate attempts to get a reaction, daring us to decide whether we’re seeing boldness or chaos. This lack of certainty has given the film a reputation, making it seem like either art that’s misunderstood or a wonderfully messed-up failure, depending on how much mess in the story a person can take.

It isn’t a film that offers up a reward for careful character study, so much as one that questions the very idea of studying at all. For people who are willing to meet it on those terms, THE VISITOR can be a fascinating trip into the craziness of film. For everyone else, it remains puzzling, brave, strange, and certainly unique, but never cohesive.

Bonus Materials:
4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Brand new 4K restoration of the 109-min European version of the film from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by film critics BJ & Harmony Colangelo
A Biblical Battle for the Cosmos, a brand new visual essay by film critic Meagan Navarro
A Cosmic Right to Choose, a brand new visual essay by film critic Willow Catelyn Maclay
Archive interview with actor Lance Henriksen
Archive interview with screenwriter Lou Comici
Archive interview with cinematographer Ennio Guarnieri
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Erik Buckham
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Marc Edward Heuck, Richard Kadrey, Craig Martin, and Mike White

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[photo courtesy of ARROW VIDEO, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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