Movie Review: ‘Old’

Review by James Lindorf

When most people think of what would result in a lousy vacation, they may conjure up thoughts of lost reservations, missing luggage, or non-stop rain. However, finding a private beach that exists outside of normal time wouldn’t make even the most hardcore sci-fi fan’s list. But that is precisely what happens in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller “Old.” Shyamalan based his script on the graphic novel “Sandcastle” by Frederik Peeters and Pierre Oscar Lévy. This exploration of what aging gives and takes away will be arriving in theaters everywhere on July 23rd.

In the opening scene, we are introduced to our central family consisting of dad Guy (Gael García Bernal), mom Prisca (Vicky Krieps), 6-year old Trent (Nolan River), and 11-year old Maddox (Alexa Swinton). The family is on an unnamed tropical island in a resort van discussing the importance of time management and what they are looking forward to in the future. They are on their way to the all-inclusive vacation of a lifetime but possibly their last as a family. There is marital strife between Guy and Prisca bubbling just below the surface and a vague mention of a medical issue. While debating the merits of jet skis, the resort manager tells them about a secluded beach where they can avoid the touristy crowds. The family, along with a doctor named Charles (Rufus Sewell), his wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee), his mother Agnes (Kathleen Chalfant), and his daughter Kara (Mikaya Fisher), are driven to the remote location by none other than Shyamalan himself in his most prominent cameo. The group is rounded out by the late-arriving couple Jarin (Ken Leung) and Patricia (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and the beach’s lone inhabitant rapper Mid-Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre). It seems like the perfect day until a body washes up on shore sending the group into chaos that lasts until the final minutes.

With a robust setup and an excellent group of actors that will include Eliza Scanlen, Alex Wolff, and Thomasin McKenzie, everything seems in place for “Old” to be one of Shyamalan’s best films. Unfortunately, What we get is a strong framework with inconsistent filling. As the effects of the beach begin to show themselves, Shyamalan is so insistent in hiding it as long as possible that the cinematography looks like something shot by a toddler. Framing mainly focused on the sky with just an ear and some hair in the lower left picture is the most glaring example. There is the interesting idea of not seeing the kids change but hearing them get older. However interesting of an idea it may be, it comes off as just lousy voiceover work.

This give and take, good and bad, is the trend for every element in the movie. Good performances? Check, but they come from an overly crowded and complex group. The dialogue is genuine and heartfelt at times, but it is occasionally hilarious when it’s not meant to be. Most of the old-age makeup is elegant and beautifully done. Still, at other times, the makeup is garish and trying to shock us more than what’s happening in the story. This is easily his most inconsistent project to date. Some of the highs are as good as he has ever given us, but they are all followed by valleys. Thankfully they never reach the bottom of the barrel inhabited by “Lady in the Water” or “The Happening.”

“Old” has a good heart about embracing time and family and the milestones we can miss if we let time get the best of us. It also has a weird moment of body shaming a teenage girl about her swimsuit only to have her put on one just as revealing, if not slightly more so. The performances and the setup will be enough to carry a lot of audiences. Still, others will wish they were watching the 108-minute film on an island where time is racing by. “Old” is a middle-of-the-road film for Shyamalan but has just enough to eek on over to a 3 out of 5.

Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing Images – Brief Strong Language – Partial Nudity – Strong Violence – Suggestive Content)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Producer: M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 23, 2021 Wide
Runtime: 1h 48m
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)