Mature isn't a word most associate with the slasher films of the early 80's, but Visiting Hours does feel much more thoughtful than your usual run of the mill teenage slasher pic. For starters, it stars adults and not teenagers. Lee Grant plays Deborah, a tough as nails feminist, whose views trigger a mentally deranged man (Michael Ironside) to go attack her and leave her for dead. When he gets wind that she's not dead but resting in a hospital, he sets out to finish the job he started, killing anyone in his way and becoming temporarily distracted by a kindly nurse (Linda Purl.)
The scares and suspense sequences are executed with much more thought and care than in most slasher films and they are worthy of sitting on the edge of your seat and spilling your popcorn over. There are some pacing lags in the middle when Grant is out of the narrative for awhile, but things heat back up again in time for the finale.
The scares and suspense sequences are executed with much more thought and care than in most slasher films and they are worthy of sitting on the edge of your seat and spilling your popcorn over. There are some pacing lags in the middle when Grant is out of the narrative for awhile, but things heat back up again in time for the finale.