I know that the man has his critics, but for the most part, I love M. Night Shyamalan as a filmmaker (check our reviews of The Sixth Sense (1999), Split (2016), and Glass (2019). His latest movie Old is based on a graphic novel from Switzerland called Sandcastle which after the movie I went online and promptly ordered. I will say if you do not like M. Night Shyamalan, I do not see anything here winning you over, but I found the movie to be creepy and pretty fun.
How to Stream or Download Old
To check the availability of the movie as a digital download, click on the Download button at the end of this review.
The Movie Review
If you have seen the trailer, you know what the premise of Old is. A family goes on vacation and ends up on a secluded beach where they start to age rapidly. That right there is a very cool concept and something that certainly sparked my imagination. The thing is, the movie plays on our fears of aging and mortality very well and it is quite clever in that regard.
There was no big slasher villain or alien threat in this movie, it was all about human fears. The “horrors” of aging and the various health problems that can come with it are what our talented cast are fighting from such as dementia, cancer, and hearing and sight problems.
The main cast comprises of parents Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) whose relationship is not exactly all unicorns and rainbows. Vicky Krieps delivers a fantastic performance in this movie and I am pretty shocked that she is not getting more critical acclaim for it if I am being honest with you.
What really stands out in terms of performances is Alex Wolf who plays Trent and Thomasin McKenzie who plays Maddox, these are the kids and this is where the movie is very interesting. They start out much younger, but they end up as teenagers. We get a very interesting dynamic where we have these 6-year-old kids in teenage bodies. They do a great job and it must have been hard for the actors to pull this off.
I think if you like the work of M. Night Shyamalan you will like the ride this movie takes you on. I feel that he has toned things down with his “twists” in this movie and instead is more focused on the message of living life while you can. I can see why some people may find some of the dialogue a tad on the awkward and even corny side, but I enjoyed it for what it was.
One other thing I have to mention is the location. The beach that the family (and some others) find themselves trapped on is very well done. With caves, a large rock wall, and the ocean keeping them prisoner, the beach really does feel like the main villain of the movie. It looks beautiful, but man is it deadly!
Without a doubt, if someone told me that they did not like this movie I could see why. It is certainly a movie that is an acquired taste that is for sure, but I think M. Night Shyamalan pulled it off. It has a very interesting premise and the acting is solid so I do think it is well worth a watch. I just think it is the kind of movie that will have no middle ground, you will either love it or hate it.
