Old-2021

Director M. Night Shyamalan

Starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps

Scott’s Review #1,195

Reviewed November 13, 2021

Grade: B

I am always rather intrigued by any M. Night Shyamalan projects that come down the pike, whether it be a television or film offering. He has a knack for creating twist endings with a supernatural component.

Sometimes, like with The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Village (2004), he knocks it out of the park. Others are more average.

Old (2021) contains a novel and tantalizing premise that sometimes delivers and sometimes lags. It’s a worthy effort that picks up speed in the final fifteen minutes or so with a predictable conclusion I guessed about midway through, but it’s still really cool to see.

The film might have been better as a short film or a shorter episode – think The Twilight Zone.

Nothing in Old is too shocking or scary, and nothing that will make the hair on your neck stand up, but it’s entertaining and provides a message worthy of dissection.

The visionary filmmaker unveils a chilling, mysterious premise that oozes with possibility.

A seemingly happy suburban family decides to treat themselves to a tropical holiday in paradise. Prisca (Vicky Krieps), the wife, stumbles upon the exciting vacation offer online and decides to go for it. This alone should have been a red flag. Her husband, Guy (Gael García Bernal), agrees, and their children, Trent and Maddox, are overjoyed.

What the children don’t realize is that Guy and Prisca plan to divorce after the vacation ends.

The family is lavished with hospitality, food, and drinks and whisked away to a secluded beach where they relax for a few hours with other members of the resort, including a surgeon and his wife, an epileptic psychologist and her husband, and various others.

They realize that something is causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives to a single day.

They panic and try to leave the island, sometimes turning on each other in the process.

M. Night Shyamalan himself has a small role as a resort employee who drives the group to the beach and monitors them.

Filmed primarily on the beaches of the Dominican Republic, the cinematography is outstanding and quite scenic. The film doesn’t specify where the action is supposed to take place, so I guessed it was Hawaii.

The lavish mountains, roaring waves, and exquisite underwater coral sequences give the film a beautiful and calming vibe, despite the drama unfolding.

I also drew comparisons to the popular television series Lost, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2010. A group of stranded individuals faces complex and startling situations as they desperately try to flee an island.

When one character drowns and another falls to their death from a cliff while trying to leave, I was reminded that maybe the island is a force in itself.

As the title suggests, the characters begin to age rapidly. The makeup effects aren’t as significant as one might hope, and some characters inexplicably age more than others, making the whole idea feel a bit silly.

Some of the characters are written better than others, and there are some stereotypes to overlook, like the schizophrenic doctor who goes mad. His trophy wife is blonde, toned, and obsessed with remaining young. As a positive, the wife of another couple is a doctor and the husband a nurse. Many would expect the opposite.

To that end, I never felt very connected to any of the characters, and most are written as a means to an end. Their backstories are explored, but lack any depth.

The twist at the end, totally expected in a Shyamalan film, lends itself to a discussion that can be had after the movie ends. A question of medicine and playing god is the primary focus, and one character with a small role at the beginning of the film is pivotal in the final events.

Not one of his best but certainly worthy of a watch, M. Night Shyamalan continues to tickle my fancy for crafting good, twisty thrillers.

Old (2021) doesn’t come close to rivaling his classics but provides good entertainment and perhaps a bit more.