1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Visitor
"Connection is everything."
2008 1h 44m EN
👍
7.1
SOLID
★7.1TMDB · 519
CrimeDramaMusic
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.
“Connection is everything.”
Cast
Richard Jenkins
Prof. Walter Vale
Haaz Sleiman
Tarek Khalil
Danai Gurira
Zainab
Hiam Abbass
Mouna Khalil
Marian Seldes
Barbara
Maggie Moore
Karen
Michael Cumpsty
Charles
Bill McHenry
Darin
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Tom McCarthy
- Writers
- Tom McCarthy
- Languages
- Arabic, English, French, Romanian
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 18 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Arabic, English, French, Romanian.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Tom McCarthy, shot by Oliver Bokelberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Tom McArdle shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Richard Jenkins and Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Tom McCarthy directs. Oliver Bokelberg behind the camera. Jan A. P. Kaczmarek scores. Tom McArdle cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Arabic, English, French, Romanian.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 2Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
- 3Released 18 years ago.
- 4Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Arabic, English, French, Romanian.
- 5Directed by Tom McCarthy, shot by Oliver Bokelberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Tom McArdle shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Richard Jenkins and Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "Connection is everything.".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0857191 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 11 themes, including "michigan", "immigration", "illegal immigration", "drum".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Oliver Bokelberg
- Original score
- Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
- Editing
- Tom McArdle
- Production design
- John Paino
- Costume design
- Melissa Toth
- Makeup / hair
- Elena Roulenko
- VFX supervisor
- Brian McNulty
- Sound
- Lewis Goldstein
- Stunt coordinator
- Manny Siverio
- Runtime
- 104 min · 1h 44m
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $4,000,000
- Box office
- $18,197,518
- Return
- 455% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
Awards
- Grand prix du Festival de Deauville
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Director
- Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture
- Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Tom McCarthy
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Overture Films
US
Participant
US
Groundswell Productions
US
- NE
Next Wednesday Productions
Key crew
- ProducerJohn Woldenberg
- Executive ProducerJeff Skoll
- Executive ProducerRicky Strauss
- CastingPaul Schnee
- CastingStéphane Foenkinos
- CastingBilly Hopkins
- ProducerMichael London
- Executive ProducerOmar Amanat
- Line ProducerBergen Swanson
- EditorTom McArdle
- Executive ProducerChris Salvaterra
- Line ProducerPatty Long
- Production DesignJohn Paino
- CastingKerry Barden
- ProducerMary Jane Skalski
- CastingSuzanne Smith Crowley
- Second Assistant DirectorNicholas R. Bell
- Costume DesignMelissa Toth
- First Assistant DirectorMariela Comitini
- Set DecorationKim Chapman
- Set DresserJamie Arbuckle
- First Assistant "B" CameraBrett Walters
- GafferSmokey Nelson
- Lighting TechnicianAlex Engel
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- michigan
- immigration
- illegal immigration
- drum
- search for meaning
- meaning of life
- meaningless existence
- college professor
- the meaning of life
- roommate issues
- existential crisis
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2008-02-22PG-13
Also known as
International titles
- The VisitorUS
- A látogatóHU
- Ein Sommer in New YorkDE
- 幸福来访时CN
- The VisitorES
- O VisitanteBR
- NávštěvníkCZ
- 不速之客CN
