Two movies that do not ride high on Hollywood's most bankable movie stars topped the box office chart. "The Perfect Guy" and "The Visit" gave the unexpected jolt in terms of opening weekend revenues and audience impact.
The horror film "The Visit" by M. Night Shyamalan was narrowly beaten by the romantic thriller "The Perfect Guy" which had a casting ensemble of African-American actors.
"The Perfect Guy" grossed $26.7 million on its opening weekend, while "The Visit" raked in $25.6 million, Variety reported.
The Sony/Screen Gems film and the M. Night Shyamalan horror flick both worked with a modest budget and benefited from good timing.
Another common denominator of the two films is that they feature quirky characters, or seemingly normal characters with a dark side. "The Perfect Guy" brings to mind movies like "Fatal Attraction" and the home invasion thriller "No Good Deed" whereby the antagonist disrupts the life of the protagonist.
On the other hand, "The Visit" revolves around the story of a family whose two kids uncover something deeply disturbing about their grandparents. For an original horror movie that is neither a prequel nor a sequel, "The Visit" posted an impressive opening weekend turnout, Forbes reported.
Recognized by movie buffs as the master of plot twists, Shyamalan proved that he is back in the game after a long, dry spell, putting his master storytelling ability to great use again.
One of Shyamalan's best works that has remained in the minds of many avid movie audiences is the 1999 film, "The Sixth Sense."