The Visit (Rated T)
Cast: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Peter McRobbie, Deanna Dunagan
Genre: Horror Comedy
Dwight’s Rating: 3 Stars

Black Mass (Rated C)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Rory Cochrane
Genre: Biography Crime Drama
Dwight’s Rating: 3 Stars

Johnny Depp and M. Night Shyamalan — Box Office Poison and The Box Office Poisoner!

Their two names have struck terror in the hearts and minds of filmgoers in the last decade. Not because of any particular horror genre elements to their work, but because of how horrible a lot of their work has been!

The last 10 years have not been kind to either gentleman. Depp, the once-acclaimed and celebrated superstar actor, and Shyamalan, the once-acclaimed and celebrated writer/producer/director have both put out questionable work of steadily declining quality.

For Depp, a career filled with many stupendous highs has devolved into unimaginable lows like “The Lone Ranger”, “Dark Shadows”, “Transcendence”, and especially “Mortdecai” — released earlier this year, and still the very worst movie so far for 2015.

And since Shyamalan’s amazing masterpiece “The Sixth Sense” way back in 1999, each and every movie he’s done has been progressively worse than the one before — each containing the now infamous and expected Shyamalan collapse. We saw it with “Unbreakable”, being outstanding through about three-quarters of the film before falling off a cliff; “Signs” collapsing about half-way through; “The Village” inducing pain after about one-third of the movie; “The Happening” being seriously challenged from the start; and “Lady in the Water” — one of the worst movies of all time — being a disaster even before the film was rolling.

So, if you, like probably many others, cringed at the mere mention of new film releases involving Depp and Shyamalan, it’s completely understandable. The only thing more frightening than the thought of watching a new movie starring Johnny Depp or a movie written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan would be the prospect of the two collaborating on a film.

That’s why it is so shocking, unexpected and refreshing to announce that the latest movies from these two, are among the best releases this month, featuring some of the best acting performances so far this year.

First — to Shyamalan’s “The Visit”.

Last week, I made the mistake of watching the ridiculous “The Perfect Guy” instead of this immensely enjoyable horror/comedy. Yes, that’s right — horror/comedy. How’s that possible? Well, it’s spooky and creepy, and yet incredibly funny.

It tells the story of Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and younger brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould). They say goodbye to their single mother (Kathryn Hahn) as they board a train and head deep into Pennsylvania farm country to meet their maternal grandparents for the first time. Welcomed by Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie), all seems well until the siblings start to notice increasingly strange behavior from the seemingly charming couple. Once the children discover a shocking secret, they begin to wonder if they’ll ever make it home.

“The Visit” succeeds on many levels. Written, directed and co-produced by Shyamalan, it is by no means a masterpiece; this is not his new or next “The Sixth Sense”. But it is quite creative and fresh. While it is filmed in that camcorder documentary style that went so horribly wrong in “The Gallows” (possibly the second worst film so far this year), this increasingly overused trope is expertly managed in Shyamalan’s hands.

The story is told through the perspectives of the children. And the two young teenage actors are spectacular. Australian actress DeJonge is great as Becca. But the scene-stealer — the entire production stealer — is the amazing Oxenbould as Tyler. Oxenbould, who is also Australian (both actors mask their accents better than many adults) actually gives one of the best performances (definitely one of the best comedic performances) so far this year, delivering some of the biggest laugh-out-loud moments. The sky’s the limit for this young man!

All of these elements come together to create a lively experience that builds tension and drama, while still maintaining its humor. And judging by the number of screams and laughs at the showing I attended, it strikes a near-perfect balance. Simply, it’s just a ton of fun! And unlike the awful “Lady in the Water”, you’ll be laughing with, not at, this movie.

With the other big surprise: Johnny Depp’s performance as James “Whitey” Bulger is electrifying — one of his best in years.

And as an added bonus, this is no “Meryl Streep is excellent as Margaret Thatcher but the ‘Iron Lady’ sucks” exercise. “Black Mass” is a pretty decent film.

It’s the true story of Bulger, who spent about 12 years on the FBI’s most wanted list. While his brother Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch) remains a powerful leader in the Massachusetts Senate, hoodlum Whitey continues to pursue a life of crime in 1970s Boston. Approached by FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), the lawman convinces Whitey to help the agency fight the Italian mob. As their unholy alliance spirals out of control, Bulger increases his power and evades capture to become one of the most dangerous gangsters in U.S. history.

Based on the book, “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob”, the story spans most of a nearly two-decade reign as Bulger muscles his way to the top of the criminal underworld in Boston and beyond. It’s told through a mix of chronological order beginning in the 1970s, and through flashbacks, which we presume are set in the 1990s. It’s a little confusing at first, as it’s sometimes hard to tell when something is part of a flashback. But the further we get into the film it becomes clearer what’s happening, especially as the use of the flashbacks is gradually reduced.

Director Scott Cooper — who directed Jeff Bridges to an Oscar for Best Actor in “Crazy Heart” — does a pretty good job of giving “Black Mass” the look of a 1970s and early 80s movie or TV show. The visual effect works well with the great attention paid to period fashions, autos, décor and other details.

Being about gangsters, there is definitely a good deal of violence — guns, beatings and strangulations. And if someone could be given a couple dollars for every F-word used, I’d have enough to finance the production of a special effects-intensive summer blockbuster!

But beyond that, this is a performance-driven drama — not necessarily action. And all eyes are on the top performance — that of Depp, who, speaking of eyes, is downright terrifying, with those creepy blue contacts.

In the hands of a less capable actor, Bulger would or could have been portrayed as an over-the-top, one-note sociopath. But with Depp, we see some very different sides to the man – how he was indeed capable of human emotion and pain, especially when facing a family tragedy. And we also see that other side, the dark side, when Bulger is an unfeeling robot, practically a serial killer, who apparently views other humans as just disposable objects.

Depp’s performance is smooth, seemingly effortless, and even subtle. That allows other actors to shine as well. The chief beneficiary is the excellent Joel Edgerton (another Australian! What are they doing Down Under?) as FBI agent Connelly.

Also, Rory Cochrane’s quiet performance as Bulger’s chief henchman — and as a sort-of narrator through those flashbacks —is powerful. He doesn’t say all that much, but we see the pain in his eyes as he increasingly recognizes that Whitey is possibly the most dangerous person in the world.

Julianne Nicholson is also memorable in a small role as Connolly’s wife, Marianne. And Dakota Johnson’s cameo as Bulger’s baby-mama may result in some forgiveness for the nonsense that was “50 Shades of Grey” earlier this year. And there are many other decent performances from the large cast, including Peter Sarsgaard as a drug-addicted contract killer, and David Harbour and Kevin Bacon as bumbling FBI agents.

Overall the film is entertaining, but it’s clear that it’s the performances that standout. So much so, that it’s possible that they may be rewarded come awards season. A case could be made for Edgerton’s supporting role. But even though it’s early still, Depp is definitely deserving of recognition for his outstanding work.

So, Depp and M. Night! Who would have thunk it in 2015? It’s far too early to declare that Shyamalan has got his mojo back. His batting average is not very good. And by most estimates, he’s really only come out with two-and-a-half good movies in 16 years — and that’s including “The Visit”.

Maybe, if his next one is passable, then we can talk. But this is a welcome and surprising development, nonetheless.

And is Depp out of his slump? Again too early to tell! But we certainly hope so. It’s good to be reminded as to why he’s been held is such high regard all these years. It’s sad that he’s been reduced to “box office poison” taunts, and it’s sad that he makes such horrible role choices. We want him to be back, and we want him to be great again!

So keep your fingers crossed that Depp and Shyamalan have put these long and painful periods behind them. And who knows, maybe these two should consider working together. All of a sudden, that’s not as frightening a thought as it would have been even six months ago.

• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of “ Morning Blend” on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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