From visionary director M. Night Shyamalan, Old is a 2021 drama thriller loosely based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. It tells the story of a family on a tropical vacation who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly - reducing their entire lives into a single day.
The film stars Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, Alex Wolff, Abbey Lee, Aaron Pierre, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Embeth Davidtz, Emun Elliott, and Kathleen Chalfant.
Old released in theaters on July 23rd, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
THE GOOD
As with most theatrical releases since the pandemic brought on uncertainty for movie theaters, we are often greeted with a quick intro from either a star or the director just before the movie starts. This time M. Night Shyamalan himself pops on screen to thank everyone for coming to the theater to see his movie, and you can see in his eyes how excited he is to share this with everyone - and that is what it’s all about. The opening day crowd in the theater was absolutely buzzing with excitement.
When Shyamalan’s name is attached to a project, I’m immediately intrigued. From his debut horror/ thriller The Sixth Sense back in 1999, which was actually his 3rd film after Praying with Anger (1992) and Wide Awake (1998), he has cemented himself as one of the best writer/directors in the last 20 years+. One thing that resonated with me after seeing The Sixth Sense, which is still amazing to this day by the way, is his ability to tell a uniquely engaging story while somehow still finding a way to surprise viewers with a plot twist at the end that they could have never seen coming. It also leaves you with that, "“ohh yeah now this makes sense!” feeling, and that is exactly the case with his latest film, Old.
I really enjoyed this movie, and my eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish. You just really never know what you are going to get with a Shyamalan film, and the journey is always worth it. This time around the premise is loosely based on a graphic novel as I mentioned in the intro, but I have yet to read it to make sure I went in to the movie with no understanding of what was to come aside from what I saw in the trailers. I mean sure some of the scenes you will recognize from the trailers, but rest assured they don’t ruin any of the bigger moments. A feeling of unease grabs ahold of you in the beginning, and never lets go. The story includes a diverse group of characters at various chapters in their lives to ensure every viewer is able to relate to them to some degree. It doesn’t waste anytime setting the groundwork for the story, and carefully leaves bread crumbs as to what is really going on. I was extremely pleased and caught off guard by the ending which I would love to go into detail on with you, but that would be a spoiler of course. Feel free to message me directly if you’d like to unpack everything once you have seen the movie.
Old isn’t your typical shock and awe horror thriller, mainly because the premise centers around something we all fear in some form or fashion, which is getting old. Now aging rapidly in the span of just hours, yeah this is definitely classic M. Night Shyamalan territory. This intriguing premise is brought to life by including the perfect balance of unique camera work making it feel like you are actually on the beach with the characters, along with an ominous tone and score. The film never feels slow or boring which is huge for me, with each and every scene feeling necessary to push the story along. You can’t wait to see what is going to happen next
I thought the casting was great as the characters felt real and authentic, each with true own complex yet relatable backstory. I never once questioned the quality of the acting, and felt it was undoubtedly a great strength of the film. I’m a big fan of Alex Wolff who was incredible in Hereditary, and he brings it here as well. I also really enjoyed the roles played by Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps, and felt like their chemistry was genuine. Rufus Sewell takes on the role of the films “wildcard” character, and I thought he did extremely well with a pivotal role. M. Night Shyamalan is known for his smaller supporting roles in his films, and has another good one here.
THE BAD
I really enjoyed Old and can honestly say I don’t have any considerable issues to bring up. Although it’s not really a knock on the film itself, it wasn’t as much of a true horror as I was expecting, and felt more of a true thriller instead. As I mentioned before I did not read the book so that did not come into play for me whatsoever, but it has also been made very clear that it is loosely based and not a true adaptation. I personally liked the way the camera would often pan around the characters to try and make what was happening feel more intimate/up close and personal, but I could see some people having an issue with it.
Although this isn’t my all-time favorite from M. Night Shyamalan (that is a high bar, of course), the good far outweighs the bad.
THE VERDICT
Intense, thoroughly engaging, and terrifyingly relevant, Old is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s more grounded films while still leaving a considerable mark on viewers. The premise deals with something that scares us each and every day because we have no control over it, and that is why it will stay with viewers long after they leave the theater. Aging is a part of life, and we all take that journey with varying stops along the way, but fingers crossed none of us end up on this beach.
TED TAKES RATING - 7.5/10
Old is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.